Devlin may have forced Mousinho into another Portsmouth rethink
Portsmouth played out a drab 0-0 draw with Havant and Waterlooville on Tuesday in a match that many fans would be forgiven for wishing they didn’t bother to watch.
John Mousinho picked a second-string side against the Southern League Premier Division South side, and both teams cancelled each other out for the majority of the game.
The main highlight came in the 90th minute when goalkeeper Ben Killip saved a Havant penalty to prevent the home fans from going home with anything to smile about.
However, Mousinho is likely to have been impressed with the performance of Terry Devlin in the centre of midfield.
Devlin helps Portsmouth boss Mousinho consider his midfield options
Devlin was considered a central midfielder when he signed for Portsmouth, but he has now developed a reputation as a ‘utility man’ as he has been used in so many positions by Mousinho.
He was frequently used as a right-back last season, and it seemed as if his future at Portsmouth might be spent there.
However, he was put into the engine room against Havant and Waterlooville, and the Northern Irishman was arguably the best player in a Pompey shirt.
Yes, it was against non-league opposition, but Devlin may still have done enough to play his way into Mousinho’s thoughts.
The Pompey boss has signed three centre-midfielders this summer, but Luke Le Roux and Mark Kosznovszky could take time to adapt to English football.
Devlin has proven reliable in a number of positions for Portsmouth, and could earn a place back in the centre of the park, at least while the new signings bed in.
Who will start in midfield for Portsmouth against Oxford?
At the start of the summer, Portsmouth looked short of centre-midfielders.
Now Pompey have signed John Swift, Le Roux and Kosznovszky, it seems Mousinho is overwhelmed with options.
It’s anyone’s guess who could start there in Portsmouth’s first Championship game against Oxford on 9 August.
| Date | Opponent |
| 9 August | Oxford (A) |
| 16 August | Norwich (H) |
| 23 August | West Bromwich Albion (A) |
| 30 August | Preston (H) |
| 14 September | Southampton (A) |
Big money has been spent on Kosznoszky and Le Roux, but will they be thrown into the deep end? They’ve not even played a friendly with their new teammates yet.
Swift can play deeper in midfield, although he was mainly used as a forward-thinking playmaker by West Bromwich Albion, and that’s where he played in the recent friendly against Reading.
So, that would leave Marlon Pack and Jason Dozzell ready to give it all against Oxford. Or perhaps Devlin in place of one of those.
The 21-year-old has played as a right-back, right-wing and a playmaker, but he’s ready to do a job in the heart of the midfield as well.
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