Andrew Cullen welcomes major change that’ll impact Portsmouth in 2026
Portsmouth host Middlesbrough on Saturday in their final match before the October international break.
The Blues have nine points from their first eight games, a figure that puts them on course to the same points tally as last season.
Middlesbrough will be favourites to win at Fratton Park, as they currently top the Championship table with an unbeaten record .
However, if Pompey pick up three points this game, it could perhaps be judged as an improved start to the season.
Portsmouth CEO Andrew Cullen praises change to football calendar being implemented in 2026
The first ten games of the Championship season can be difficult to navigate due to the two international breaks occurring in quick succession.
Many teams find it disruptive, and Pompey boss John Mousinho has suggested that long round-trips to Australia haven’t been beneficial to Adrian Segecic.
However, this disruption is set to be reduced next season, when one longer international break is introduced in place of the October/November format.
Speaking in his programme notes ahead of Portsmouth’s match with Middlesbrough, Portsmouth CEO Andy Cullen suggested these changes would benefit the club.
He said: “While acknowledging some of the downsides, there are benefits to easing the stop-start nature of the early season schedule, especially for player welfare.
“So many footballers are required to travel long distances – often twice across the world in such a condensed timeframe – and then head straight back into domestic action for their clubs.”
- Read more: John Mousinho set to unleash Portsmouth’s hidden gem amid Middlesbrough’s defensive crisis
Portsmouth will continue to support their players on international duty
Several challenges come with Portsmouth’s progression up the football league, and one of those is players jetting off on international duty.
As well as Socceroos Segecic and Hayden Matthews, they have:
- Luke Le Roux regularly being picked for South Africa
- Terry Devlin representing Northern Ireland.
- Nicolas Schmid recently got his first Austria call-up
- Makenzie Kirk will meet up with Northern Ireland under-21s after the Middlesbrough match.
That’s fewer than a lot of their Championship rivals, but it’s still an issue that Portsmouth need to deal with.
It’s a challenge that can hinder Mousinho’s squad management, and another reason to ensure that Portsmouth have strength in depth in their squad.
Pompey continues to support the players being chosen to represent their country, but perhaps Mousinho is secretly hoping that they’re not overused so they can return to Fratton Park in a full bill of health.
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