The Pompey Chimes Forum

Pompey will be top on Christmas Day and their form this season has been brilliant - particularly away from home where they are unbeaten.

There is always room for improvement however and Pompey have an excellent opportunity to secure promotion to the Championship this season!! I think this transfer window will be key for Pompey to add in a few players that they think can aid the promotion push and perhaps help Pompey at the next level too.

KJ has said that the majority of business is done in the summer and that January is for fine tuning but what do you think Pompey should do when the window opens in January?

I believe there are a few contracts that are up at the end of the summer that I think Pompey should address first off. Jack Whatmaugh, Thompson, Gareth Evans Danny Rose and Donahue all have their contract expire in June and JW has to be a priority to extend. Evans is 30 and having a terrific season but unless he is looking for a one year deal on reasonable money as a squad player perhaps he isn't up to the standard of Championship football at 31yo? Donahue needs to show that he can stay fit for me before he gets another deal More on Rose in a minute.

I don't think Pompey have a big squad but I can see a few players being trimmed from it during January - to make room for some additions now and in the summer. Rose should move on in January. He is a good player that I would like to see get some first team time but he's competing for one spot in midfield against Ben Thompson, Close and May and he's out of contract in June. I'd be very surprised if he doesn't move on.

Mason is apparently not happy at the lack of opportunities at Pompey and I expect him to return to Wolves before being loaned out again in the window.

Pittman - mmmm, I suspect that Pompey will want to keep him around, especially if Mason leaves but I think its at least 50/50 that he leaves in January and if not, almost certain he's gone in the summer. His wages should surely be too high to carry if he is not playing.

I can see Wheeler wanted to play more than he is too so perhaps he returns to QPR and this would give Jackett the 3-4 squad places to bring in fresh faces. Andre Green can't get in the team but you'd expect him to be off the bench ahead of Wheeler as an attacking option and Donahoe (if fit) offers something defensively wide left (and Evans can play a similar role wide right as required). Wheeler is a good back up but is he happy sitting on the bench for the 2nd half of the season??

I can also see May and Haunstrupp going out on loan (with recalls after a month) along with Bass (gk) again once McGee has recovered from his injury along with some of the younger players to get some playing time.

It would not surprise me to see Pompey return to persuade Newcastle to loan out Sean Longstaff for the no.10 role and to add some creativity to the midfield. Surely Newcastle can release him for a loan until the end of the season now, particularly if a new owner buys the club and injects some funds for the Jan window and he has just signed a new deal keeping him at St James past June 2019. I think Longstaff in would be a great option for Pompey and would allow Evans to take a breather and Evans off the bench would help the versatility of the team.

I am hoping too that Pompey sign a striker with some pace to either run the channels or to play off of Hawkins. I can't see Brizzle letting Mo out on loan after Pompey didn't sign him in the summer but he is only getting a few minutes there so maybe?? I would not be surprised to see a similar type player from the championship whose contract runs out in the summer coming on loan to win a deal at Pompey. As good as Hawkins, Curtis and Lowe are together I can't help but reflect that all three where signed for small fees from outside of the football league and a player with pace and experience wouldn't go a miss.

The defence and central midfield all seem to be adequately stocked and should not require any additional players. The wild card here is if someone bids silly money for Clarke - which you'd expect Pompey to resist or decent money for Burgess; which Pompey might take. In any event I hope the scouting department have a few centre half options up their sleeves because I would hate to see the heart of Pompey's defence and promotion push come apart at the half way stage.

Should be an interesting window and the I hope that the owners take this opportunity to invest judiciously to get Pompey back into the Championship.

What do you think?

Are there any particular players you'd like Pompey to target?

I like Hawkins and he brings a lot to the team but he is just too wasetful infront of goal.

He really should have done better when clean through on Saturday in my opinion and from other games I've seen and heard be could have had at least half a dozen more too. This could be the difference come May.

Can we keep Matt Clarke. That's the biggest worry for me - he goes and I think we might struggle. Jack was bailed out by him a few times Saturday.

I can't see Clarke going in January - if he was in such demand as everybody suggests then I think he would have gone in the summer. His performance against Charlton was below his usual standards and he struggled against the two Charlton strikers who pressed high up the pitch and put him and Whatmough under pressure.

If Jackett brings anybody in through this January I would expect it to be a central striker with pace and a very good scoring record at this level to compete with Hawkins. This would probably see Pitman going eventually at the end of the season.

Streetlife, I agree, I don't think Clarke will move on this window or indeed in the summer provided that the club are promoted in May.

I think Hawkins is serving a purpose but he's a foil and not the rapier. I'd like some more quality at the top of the team.

I thought the Charlton no.9 (Lyle Taylor) was handy and is the type of player I would like us to sign. He, Taylor, signed on a free from Wimbledon in the summer so he isn't available (unfortunately).

Hawkins reminds me of Michael Smith: can't fault the effort but he doesn't anticipate or read the game very well and his finishing isn't very good.

Good post Jack! I hope you are right about Clarke, though I do know other clubs have definitely been sniffing around him. The best bit of business we can do in January is to keep hold of Clarke, along with Ben Thompson. Lose both without replacing them and I could see us slipping out of the automatic slots.

I don't get the hype on Ben Thompson. Sorry

I went to the Charlton game and he was terrible in the first half - completely lost wandering around pushing up when he should be holding and holding when he should be pressing.....could have just been a bad day at the office but he was at fault for Charlton's first goal (poor challenge of a headed ball that he lost because he was the wrong side of the attacker (and shorter!)) and he offered nothing going forward.

I thought the straight red was harsh from my vantage point so not surprised that he got it overturned however....he had already been booked so if the ref had flashed a yellow for the challenge (to both players!) then I don't see that he would have a case and would have rightly been sent off and banned.

I hope I just saw him on a bad day but sorry, don't get it with Ben Thompson

Hawkins is the most improved player in the team and he brings Lowe and Curtis into the game but no way is he good enough to lead the line for a team top of League 1 and he'll never cut it in the Championship so I feel we need to get a proven goalscorer in the window. Also I think Midfield lacks imagination so would like to see a creative midfielder

Kane and Modric should do the trick.

Jack_Tinn wrote: ↑Tue Dec 18, 2018 10:46 pm I don't get the hype on Ben Thompson. Sorry

I went to the Charlton game and he was terrible in the first half - completely lost wandering around pushing up when he should be holding and holding when he should be pressing.....could have just been a bad day at the office but he was at fault for Charlton's first goal (poor challenge of a headed ball that he lost because he was the wrong side of the attacker (and shorter!)) and he offered nothing going forward.

I thought the straight red was harsh from my vantage point so not surprised that he got it overturned however....he had already been booked so if the ref had flashed a yellow for the challenge (to both players!) then I don't see that he would have a case and would have rightly been sent off and banned.

I hope I just saw him on a bad day but sorry, don't get it with Ben Thompson

Seriously?? He's our most important player.

Selsey Bill wrote: ↑Wed Dec 19, 2018 9:14 pm

Jack_Tinn wrote: ↑Tue Dec 18, 2018 10:46 pm I don't get the hype on Ben Thompson. Sorry

I went to the Charlton game and he was terrible in the first half - completely lost wandering around pushing up when he should be holding and holding when he should be pressing.....could have just been a bad day at the office but he was at fault for Charlton's first goal (poor challenge of a headed ball that he lost because he was the wrong side of the attacker (and shorter!)) and he offered nothing going forward.

I thought the straight red was harsh from my vantage point so not surprised that he got it overturned however....he had already been booked so if the ref had flashed a yellow for the challenge (to both players!) then I don't see that he would have a case and would have rightly been sent off and banned.

I hope I just saw him on a bad day but sorry, don't get it with Ben Thompson

Seriously?? He's our most important player.

Yes, admittedly it was my first and only time so far of watching him play live - and I never judge a player on one game - but he was dire in the game vs Charlton. Can you expand on why he is Pompey's most important player. I would have thought that was Curtis on statistics and production but I would value your thoughts and insight.