Portsmouth fans not happy with Luke Le Roux news ahead of clash vs West Brom
Portsmouth take on West Brom on Saturday, looking to build on their total of three points from their opening two games.
It will be a tough task as West Brom are among the teams expected to hunt for promotion this season. Portsmouth lost 5-1 at The Hawthorns last season.
John Mousinho has a stronger squad to select from this time around, but some supporters have expressed frustration with his chosen starting XI.
Most of the concerns surrounded new signing Luke Le Roux.
Portsmouth fans question Luke Le Roux absence against West Brom
Mousinho made two changes from the starting line-up in the previous game against Norwich.
Callum Lang was forced out due to a hamstring injury, so he was replaced by Florian Bianchini. Meanwhile, Zak Swanson replaced Jordan Williams at right-back.
However, many Pompey fans reacting on social media were concerned about the midfield, with several questioning why Le Roux wasn’t starting.
Le Roux was signed from IFK Varnamo for a fee believed to be around £1million. That’s a tidy sum for Portsmouth, and it was expected he would be a big part of the team.
The South African has admitted that he is lacking match-fitness, and perhaps that’s why Mousinho only feels comfortable using him from the bench.
Mousinho might also have decided to prioritise more defensive nous for this tough fixture.
Portsmouth have built squad capable of taking more points away from Fratton Park
Portsmouth’s away form was a huge concern last season.
They only picked up 14 points on their travels, which was the second-lowest total in the Championship.
Mousinho’s side only won three of their 23 games away from Fratton Park in the league. They lost a lot of games late in the second half, and were well beaten in several others.
| Portsmouth’s 2024-25 away record | |
| Wins | 3 |
| Draws | 5 |
| Losses | 15 |
The Pompey boss has promised to address this problem, and his team got this season off to a flyer with a 1-0 win at Oxford.
The return of Conor Shaughnessy partnering Regan Poole at the back made The Blues look a lot stronger and capable of withstanding late onslaughts from a home team.
With towering centre-half Josh Knight now having signed from Hannover 96, they look even better prepared to pick up more hard-fought points on their travels this season.
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