Portsmouth have sealed transfer ‘steal’ – Sky Sports host
Portsmouth rounded off a successful first season back in the Championship on Easter Monday after they mathematically secured their survival.
It has undoubtedly been a campaign of ups and downs for John Mousinho’s side, who failed to win any of their first nine matches.
Yet, a fantastic turnaround ensured that Pompey stayed up comfortably and could even get a top-half finish before the season ends.
One star who has been crucial to getting this achievement over the line has been Colby Bishop. The attacker missed the start of the season after having open heart surgery but is now Portsmouth’s top scorer with 11 goals.
Now, Sky Sports pundit David Prutton has heaped praise on the attacker after his crucial goals across the Easter weekend.
Portsmouth’s signing of Bishop a ‘bargain’
Bishop no doubt hit form at the best time of the season. Across the Easter weekend, the attacker scored four goals to ensure Pompey took maximum points from their games.
Good Friday was a particular highlight as Bishop put in a 10/10 display against Norwich after he netted a hat-trick.
It has been the perfect comeback for last season’s top scorer, with Bishop now being tipped to win the Golden Boot next season.
| Colby Bishop’s Portsmouth stats | |
| Appearances | 78 |
| Goals | 32 |
| Assists | 6 |
Sky Sports pundit Prutton has also been highly impressed, insisting that Portsmouth’s signing of the attacker was a “steal”.
He told the Football League World (April 23): “Colby Bishop…off the back of, what did we see on Good Friday, a hat-trick against Norwich? Looking like he’s scored the goals that have made sure Pompey are safe come the end of the season.
“I think, in today’s market, £500,000 for a player like that who knows his way around an 18-yard box looks a bit of a steal, to be fair.
“(He is a) nice kid as well. He’s been on (Sky) with us. And, given the stuff that he has had to work through from a health and fitness point of view, I’ve got nothing but the utmost admiration and respect for him.
“Nice fella, good player, good teammate. He fits Pompey right now, doesn’t he? And he is doing himself no harm with the amount of goals that he is scoring.”
Portsmouth’s recent transfer business has been phenomenal
While Bishop will no doubt take all of the headlines at the moment, his form has underlined how good Portsmouth’s transfer strategy has been over recent years.
The club has brought in multiple players for little to nothing, with many going on to become massive stars in the team.
Josh Murphy, who recently earned multiple awards, was only brought into the club on a free transfer last summer.
On top of this, Regan Poole has been crucial to Pompey’s defensive stubbornness this season, with the Welshman also being brought in on a free last year.
Hopefully, the club can continue this trend going into the summer transfer window to help ensure Portsmouth are not in another relegation battle in the next campaign.