Regan Poole performance leads to questions over Portsmouth transfer
Portsmouth put on a defensive masterclass in their 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
The Blues went behind to a long-range effort from Mikey Johnston before Colby Bishop levelled with a deft header in the second half.
West Brom were the team pressing for a winner, but a Portsmouth defence marshalled by Regan Poole and Conor Shaughnessy held firm.
And the performance has led to questions about Portsmouth’s most recent signing Josh Knight.
Portsmouth performance leads to questions about Josh Knight signing
Knight is a towering defender signed from Hannover 96 for an undisclosed fee believed to be in excess of £1million.
That’s a lot of money for Portsmouth to spend when you consider their transfer history over the last decade, and some fans might have been surprised it was spent on a defender.
Read more: What Darren Ferguson once said about Josh Knight will excite Portsmouth fans
After all, Poole and Shaughnessy were momentous in Pompey’s Championship opener against Oxford. Now, they’ve put on another defensive masterclass at The Hawthorns.
Speaking after the match, John Mousinho was questioned by The News about the future of his back four now that Knight has signed.
He said: “I don’t know who Josh may replace, he might not replace anyone. I’m not looking and going ‘Oh, here’s a player and I want him to dislodge any of the others.’”
Portsmouth still short of attacking options as transfer window nears close
It remains to be seen whether Knight replaces anyone in the starting XI or if he’s used as back-up.
Ultimately, it can only be a good thing if Mousinho has strength in depth at the back, especially considering his defenders’ poor fitness record last season.
However, Portsmouth fans will be praying that the signing of Knight doesn’t come at the expense of a new winger or striker.
Pompey still look short in these areas, and they would be significantly weakened if Colby Bishop or Josh Murphy were to be injured.
There’s just over a week remaining of the transfer window, and Mousinho will surely do all he can to address this week.
However, considering Portsmouth’s budget and what they’ve already spent, it’s looking more likely that he’ll have to rely on:
- A free transfer
- A youngster on a season-long loan from a Premier League
- Another punt on an up-and-coming player from Europe
It won’t be easy to find a quality player from this market, but Pompey’s recruitment has been very good thus far.
Here’s hoping that Mousinho can tempt a couple more hidden gems to the club.
Sign up for the Pompey News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Portsmouth news sent straight to your phone.