Portsmouth FC Gaffer: Portsmouth need four more signings before transfer window closes By Neil Allen Chief sports writer Comment Published 25th Aug 2024, 17:00 BST Gaffer For Day, Zac Lloyd from Petersfield, chose Will Norris as his man of the match against Middlesbrough. Picture: Jason Brown/ProSportsImages | Jason Brown/ProSportsImages Gaffer For A Day, Zac Lloyd, aged 23, from Petersfield, assesses Pompey’s 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough..
. What did you think of the game? We were quite lucky with a point and rode our luck for a lot of the match, there were a few passengers in the team. We were pretty stretched in terms of the squad, with a very, very makeshift back four and some players in positions I personally wouldn’t play them in - but, overall, we did okay.
Anyone who watched the game will be happy with a point. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sign up to our Portsmouth FC newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues.
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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Notice and Terms of Service apply. It’s always gutting to lose a lead in the 90th minute because you’ve started to believe that it’s possible, but no Pompey fan can be disappointed with that 2-2 draw.
Take all the emotion out and there could hardly be too many complaints. Gaffer For Day, Zac Lloyd from Petersfield, chose Will Norris as his man of the match against Middlesbrough. Picture: Jason Brown/ProSportsImages | Jason Brown/ProSportsImages If you had told me we would get draws from Leeds, Luton and Middlesbrough in the opening three games, I would have snapped your hand off.
What did you make of Harvey Blair’s debut? It was difficult for him. I’m not sure whether he’s had a training session with the team, while he was probably chucked in at the wrong time and asked to do a job. When Blair appeared in the second half it was backs against the wall in a game in which we didn't have much of the ball.
That made his debut difficult, especially for a player who hasn’t really played any professional football. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad I wouldn’t say he had a great performance and maybe it didn't come off for him in the way he wanted, but if you watched Abu Kamara for his opening 10 games last season, you probably thought the same thing - and he turned out to be amazing. I will reserve judgement on Blair, people just need to give him a bit of time.
Who was your man of the match? Will Norris played really well, commanded his box and kept us in the game on a few occasions, although I didn't think he necessarily could have done much with Matt Clarke’s header from the corner. He played like he’s now fighting for his spot and was really, really solid. We rode our luck and he kept us in it.
Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Norris is a good keeper and probably does have a bit of an issue with getting down too late, while his distribution has been a bit off. Now Nicolas Schmid is here, it will be a good battle between the pair, so it’s an exciting one to watch, but I will keep Norris in the team for now. The transfer window closes on Friday, how do you see it? I would like four more players - and I’m particularly keen on us getting another centre-half.
With Conor Shaughnessy out with illness at Middlesbrough, we had to put Jordan Williams in at centre-half. He played very well, but, on another day, might get punished. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad That is the key area we need to strengthen, especially with Regan Poole not being back yet and Tom McIntyre’s ongoing injury woes.
We need another central midfielder, I don’t think we have enough variety in there, a player almost similar to Alex Robertson, who is more agile and can break the lines. A number six who can get forward. I would also like a number 10, while the new striker sounds like it’s going to be Mark O’Mohony from Brighton.
Will Norris - 9 Zak Swanson - 6 Jordan Williams - 7 Ryley Towler -7 Connor Ogilvie - 7 Marlon Pack - 6 Andre Dozzell - 5 Callum Lang - 5 Paddy Lane - 6 Elias Sorensen - 4 Christian Saydee - 8 Continue Reading Related topics: Pompey Comment Comment Guidelines National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.
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