Harvey Blair Portsmouth future ‘set in stone’ after John Mousinho admission
Harvey Blair hasn’t necessarily hit the ground running at Portsmouth since his move from Liverpool in the previous summer transfer window.
The 21-year-old forward has found game time hard to come by at Fratton Park in recent months after being given opportunities initially.
John Mousinho doesn’t seem to trust Blair just yet, as he hasn’t featured in the last 23 Championship fixtures for the Hampshire outfit.
The English youngster wasn’t in the squad as Pompey beat Blackburn Rovers 1-0 at home on 29 March after a goal from Josh Murphy.
Mousinho takes another step to Championship survival at Portsmouth
With Mousinho’s team grabbing the three points at Fratton Park against the Rovers, they have taken a significant step towards survival.
Pompey are in a Championship relegation battle and now sit five points ahead of 22nd-place Cardiff City.
With seven league games to go until the end of the season, the Hampshire outfit need to get as many points as possible.
While beating Valerien Ismael’s team was a big positive, the Fratton Park faithful will still be nervous about what’s to come, with Millwall up next at the Den on Saturday (5 April).
Adding Blair to the Blues. 🔥#Pompey pic.twitter.com/H2w1MxVxj4
— Portsmouth FC (@Pompey) August 23, 2024
Fratton Park future set for Blair after what Mousinho has said
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Blair miss out from the Pompey lineup once again against Alex Neil’s team.
Mousinho will be hoping to grab another three crucial points in South East London to open up the gap with the relegation zone.
Matt Ritchie seems to be the English manager’s go-to player for the right-hand side of the attack, and the former Newcastle star’s experience could potentially come in handy during the final stretch of the season.
Blair will seemingly have to wait for his opportunities at Portsmouth, but Mousinho has all but guaranteed he’s part of the future at Fratton Park.
| Appearances (2024/25) | Goal(s) | Assist(s) |
| 8 | 0 | 0 |
Speaking to the media, as relayed by The News (3 April), the 38-year-old head coach said: “There’s no panic with Harvey [Blair], in terms of his long-term development. Harvey’s had a little bit of involvement, but he’s also had the injuries he’s picked up.
“We purchased Harvey as a long-term project who we think will be successful at this football club. Who knows [what could happen over a loan]? We haven’t got that intention [of going out on loan] at the moment.”
During a momentous period at Pompey, it’s unlikely that the 21-year-old forward will have a significant role to play in the coming weeks.
If the Hampshire outfit do end up surviving the drop to League One, it will be interesting to see whether the English youngster will want to take his chances at Fratton Park for another season.
Mousinho will evidently want to strengthen his squad next summer, which may mean the eventual departure of Blair on loan.
What the future holds for the former Liverpool ace remains to be seen, but he could potentially be assured of remaining on Pompey’s books for the long run after Mousinho’s admission.