Andy Hinchcliffe cannot believe what Nicolas Schmid did in Portsmouth vs Southampton – ‘No idea
Nicolas Schmid will not remember his first South Coast derby fondly as Portsmouth battled to an impressive draw against Southampton.
There was plenty of excitement in the build-up heading into the derby as Portsmouth took on the Saints in the league for the first time in over a decade.
Ex-Pompey man Matt Taylor made headlines for winding up Southampton supporters ahead of the match.
John Mousinho’s side were looking for their first win against the Saints since 2010, and started positively, missing chances as they kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw.
Schmid has proven to be a key figure for Portsmouth so far this season, but he was forced off early at St Mary’s after a collision with Connor Ogilvie.
Nicolas Schmid risked making an awful mistake in Portsmouth draw
Schmid was picked to start ahead of kick-off against Southampton, but was replaced by Ben Kilip midway through the first half.
As a dangerous ball was sent over the top of the Pompey defence, Schmid sprinted out of his area to clear it, but ended up crashing into Ogilvie, resulting in both being down injured afterwards.
Speaking live on Sky Sports Football, Andy Hinchcliffe said he had “no idea” what the Portsmouth goalkeeper was thinking as he ran out.
Ogilvie was seen with a cut across his face after the challenge from his keeper, but stayed on as Schmid eventually came off minutes later.
Hinchcliffe said: “What the goalkeeper is doing, I have no idea.”
He did not face a single shot on target before being substituted.
Schmid has put up impressive stats during his time at Fratton Park and could prove to be a massive miss if he is ruled to be out for a long time.
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Can Ben Killip step up if needed?
Seeing Schmid have to be substituted will worry both fans and the coaching staff at Portsmouth.
Killip was brought on; he made two appearances last season for Pompey after joining in February.
He played 21 times across all competitions for Barnsley in the first half of last season. He proved to be reliable when called upon, but for a Championship team looking to finish in the top half, is he ready to fill the spot left by Schmid?
Portsmouth’s impressive start to the season will bring confidence to everyone in the dressing room at Fratton Park, but if Schmid is out for a long time, a new goalkeeper could potentially be brought in during the January transfer window.
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