Why Portsmouth star Adrian Segecic has point to prove vs Ipswich
Portsmouth travel to Ipswich Town on Saturday hoping to shake off last weekend’s loss against Sheffield Wednesday.
It will be a tough game for John Mousinho’s men. The Tractor Boys were relegated from the Premier League last season and are very strong at home.
Meanwhile, a number of Portsmouth’s key players are struggling with injuries and Conor Chaplin is ineligible to play against his parent club.
All of the remaining players will be keen to make up for Portsmouth’s dreadful performance against Sheffield Wednesday.
However, it might be a particularly important game that defines the season of Pompey playmaker Adrian Segecic.
Adrian Segecic looks set to return to number 10 position for Portsmouth
Segecic has been moved out of position ever since Chaplin signed for Portsmouth on loan.
Instead of playing in his favoured ‘number 10’ role, he has been shifted to the right wing, with Chaplin moved into the centre.
The Australian has struggled to make an impact out on the right though. Some Portsmouth fans have suggested that Segecic is too predictable in that position, as he’s so keen to shift the ball onto his left foot.
Either way, it looks like the former Sydney FC star will get a chance to shine in the centre against Ipswich as Chaplin cannot feature.
He’ll be hoping that a star performance in this game will allow to keep hold of that playmaker role for the rest of the season.
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Portsmouth shouldn’t expect too much too soon from Adrian Segecic
Segecic’s Portsmouth career couldn’t have started better.
The Aussie looked very sharp in pre-season and scored two goals in his first two Championship games. This early form led some fans to nickname him ‘The Australian Messi’.
But it was always likely that his form would drop off at some stage. This is a 21-year-old whose only experience outside the Australian A-League was during a brief loan spell in The Netherlands.
Expecting him to keep that blistering early-season form would be delusional, especially since he has been moved out of position.
It’s clear that Segecic has a natural talent though.
- He has a sharp football brain.
- He clearly has an eye for goal.
- His crossing can also be very good.
He’ll perhaps be keener than most to show what he can do against Ipswich. A strong performance might not just earn Portsmouth three points; it could also impact the rest of Segecic’s career.
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