Now it’s 7

[Pompey55]

Jack Sparkes from Exeter 22 years old left back obviously replacing Hume and back up for Ogilvie another on for the long term but short term a bench sitter
No better than we already have
He’s a free transfer having turned down a new contract at Exeter
Difficult to judge him as apart from last season spent his whole career in league 2
To use a analogy from another thread yet another stocking filler where are the real presents coming from

[Berkshire Blue]

One of the joys of watching Pompey for me is seeing young players come in and develop, and just occasionally become a real star. Good luck Jack.

[Pompey1984+1]

Suspect that means we will soon be seeing Hume exit.

[PeteM]

He might be no better than what we already have (in Ogilvie). But if we can sell Hume for a fee as has been rumoured (and he will undoubtedly be on bigger wages too), this might be an astute piece of business in terms of improving our squad. Sparkes started 35 league games last season in our league, so he's clearly no mug.

[Pompey1984+1]

He might be no better than what we already have (in Ogilvie). But if we can sell Hume for a fee as has been rumoured (and he will undoubtedly be on bigger wages too), this might be an astute piece of business in terms of improving our squad. Sparkes started 35 league games last season in our league, so he's clearly no mug.

Again I think it seems a sensible signing in the context of the squad. We will have to wait and see how good he is.

[Blue Walter]

I would suggest this signing is no more than cover. I have just been looking on the Exeter fans forum site where one or two posters thought he was ok'ish and that he has got a brilliant left foot. But they all seem to agree that they thought he wasn't too good at defending and suggest he is better pushed forward. A couple of posters are surprised he has gone to Portsmouth because they thought he would be off loaded to a League 2 club. One poster said that he thought Pompey were looking at promotion but their signings seem pretty average and not looking much more than an average League One team. Most said they were putting their money on Peterborough and none fancied Portsmouth. Not my words before I get the lectures.

[jam tomorrow]

I would suggest this signing is no more than cover. I have just been looking on the Exeter fans forum site where one or two posters thought he was ok'ish and that he has got a brilliant left foot. But they all seem to agree that they thought he wasn't too good at defending and suggest he is better pushed forward. A couple of posters are surprised he has gone to Portsmouth because they thought he would be off loaded to a League 2 club. One poster said that he thought Pompey were looking at promotion but their signings seem pretty average and not looking much more than an average League One team. Most said they were putting their money on Peterborough and none fancied Portsmouth. Not my words before I get the lectures.

Yes BW I thought the telling feedback on our transfer dealings to date was this posting on the Exeter Web site

I’d be seriously questioning Pompey’s recruitment if I was a fan. Not that Jack is a terrible signing, it just seems they have gone bold early to make a stir with lots of average signings. None of those players seem exciting on paper for a club the size of Pompey. I wouldn’t be putting much money on them being up there this year…

Does not back up the promises Eisner made to make a serious play for promotion

[BlueinPLtwenty]

[

Yes BW I thought the telling feedback on our transfer dealings to date was this posting on the Exeter Web site

I’d be seriously questioning Pompey’s recruitment if I was a fan. Not that Jack is a terrible signing, it just seems they have gone bold early to make a stir with lots of average signings. None of those players seem exciting on paper for a club the size of Pompey. I wouldn’t be putting much money on them being up there this year…

Does not back up the promises Eisner made to make a serious play for promotion
[/quote]
Quite honestly what do they know, why are you taking any notice of a "tin pot" lot of Pastie Eaters

[jam tomorrow]

[

Yes BW I thought the telling feedback on our transfer dealings to date was this posting on the Exeter Web site

I’d be seriously questioning Pompey’s recruitment if I was a fan. Not that Jack is a terrible signing, it just seems they have gone bold early to make a stir with lots of average signings. None of those players seem exciting on paper for a club the size of Pompey. I wouldn’t be putting much money on them being up there this year…

Does not back up the promises Eisner made to make a serious play for promotion

Quite honestly what do they know, why are you taking any notice of a "tin pot" lot of Pastie Eaters
[/quote]

I’m sure they don’t know anymore than you or I but the perception they have does mirror a lot of the views expressed on here and I can see the merits in this comment.

[Jack_Tinn]

He might be no better than what we already have (in Ogilvie). But if we can sell Hume for a fee as has been rumoured (and he will undoubtedly be on bigger wages too), this might be an astute piece of business in terms of improving our squad. Sparkes started 35 league games last season in our league, so he's clearly no mug.

this is very close to my thoughts on his signing. Hume will be on higher wages having signed for a couple hundred thousand and having joined from Sunderland...... so the move is remove a player you don't want, get in some money to the transfer kitty, get in a player you do want to work with who is younger and cheaper.

Look at the ceiling and the floor for this signing. The floor is we have signed a 22yo player with over 100 first team appearances on a free who turns out to be an average L1 player. He probably only plays a handful of games for Pompey over the next two seasons, Pompey don't take up the option and he leaves as a 24yo player on a free transfer.

The ceiling is he develops as a footballer (as happens often to players he are still only 22yo) and when he gets into the side he adds some attacking wingback / overlapping fall back capability (because the way Mousinho wants Pompey to set up the wingers Sully, whyte or Lane will cut inside often so the team needs marauding full backs to add width to the side. Sparkes allows Pompey to push Oglivie inside as cover for the left sided centre back spot or to allow Pompey to play 5-3-2 on occasions too. If Sparkes turns into an attacking left sided full back then Pompey have an asset who will still only be 24yo when his 2y deal with Pompey runs out.

Oh, and just in case we forget Oglivie is out of contract after this season too so it probably doesn't hurt to get some cover there for 2024 too.

[BlueinPLtwenty]

Mixed comments from the Grecians, a good number are saying what a loss he is to then whilst there are a few who have laughed at us signing him, one suggesting we must have signed him for a bet but overall the consensus is he was well regarded at St. James’ Park. QUOTE

[Blue Walter]

He might be no better than what we already have (in Ogilvie). But if we can sell Hume for a fee as has been rumoured (and he will undoubtedly be on bigger wages too), this might be an astute piece of business in terms of improving our squad. Sparkes started 35 league games last season in our league, so he's clearly no mug.

this is very close to my thoughts on his signing. Hume will be on higher wages having signed for a couple hundred thousand and having joined from Sunderland...... so the move is remove a player you don't want, get in some money to the transfer kitty, get in a player you do want to work with who is younger and cheaper.

Look at the ceiling and the floor for this signing. The floor is we have signed a 22yo player with over 100 first team appearances on a free who turns out to be an average L1 player. He probably only plays a handful of games for Pompey over the next two seasons, Pompey don't take up the option and he leaves as a 24yo player on a free transfer.

The ceiling is he develops as a footballer (as happens often to players he are still only 22yo) and when he gets into the side he adds some attacking wingback / overlapping fall back capability (because the way Mousinho wants Pompey to set up the wingers Sully, whyte or Lane will cut inside often so the team needs marauding full backs to add width to the side. Sparkes allows Pompey to push Oglivie inside as cover for the left sided centre back spot or to allow Pompey to play 5-3-2 on occasions too. If Sparkes turns into an attacking left sided full back then Pompey have an asset who will still only be 24yo when his 2y deal with Pompey runs out.

Oh, and just in case we forget Oglivie is out of contract after this season too so it probably doesn't hurt to get some cover there for 2024 too.

I can't say he is a good or bad player but the comments from the Exeter fans forum is hardly a great endorsement. Its ok saying he may be good or he may go on and be a really good player but we are adding to that list of 'maybe's'. Each signing we have made this window we have had comments by posters saying the same thing, making exceptions to warrant the signing. I think 4 of the 7 signings to date have come with a sympathetic proviso. Whatever anyone likes to say about these signings they are generally no more than average League 1 players at best. Two have come from teams that were in a relegation battle, one losing that particular fight, plus this one from a mid table team. Some of these players may well be what we want them to be but some of them will quite possibly end up proving why they were at the clubs they came from. There has got to be players coming in that excite or are at least a pointer to getting players in that are better than we had last season. Otherwise the optimism will evaporate and make Mr Eisner's talk of confidence about promotion just more empty words.

I still think that we have got better to come and I don't think they will come from the bargain basement as some of these other signings have been. I would think this latest signing is aimed at covering for Hume who appears to be on his way. My concern is that we are signing too many players who don't appear to have the sort of quality that we need to make us a better team next season.

[BlueinPLtwenty]

It has been suggested that Sparkes was offered a deal in december which he declined and Caldwell got all hissy with him

[jam tomorrow]

We all have different views on our signings to date, I think this season we probably have the best opportunity to take advantage of a weaker league.
So we will see if the players are of the right standard to get the promotion we desperately need or we have another weak season, despite all of the talk, which is cheap?

[Jack_Tinn]

"I can't say he is a good or bad player but the comments from the Exeter fans forum is hardly a great endorsement. Its ok saying he may be good or he may go on and be a really good player but we are adding to that list of 'maybe's'." Exactly, we can't make the determination about how this player is going to develop - that is a decision for Richard Hughes and Mousinho. Lets keep an open mind and see how it plays out

"Some of these players may well be what we want them to be but some of them will quite possibly end up proving why they were at the clubs they came from." isn't that true of most signings. No club is 100% correct in its projections of what players will develop into and some players simply don't fit into one team but look great in another. recruiting players is a bit of a lottery.

"There has got to be players coming in that excite or are at least a pointer to getting players in that are better than we had last season. Otherwise the optimism will evaporate and make Mr Eisner's talk of confidence about promotion just more empty words." I agree with needing to get in players that excite but realistically the club is in L1 and the owners have said that they won't bankroll recruitment of high priced players for the sake of it.

Perhaps the expectation from some fans is that Pompey will sign proven young players from the Championship and that simply is not realistic: either financially or purely on football terms. Pompey can sign unproven young players from the Championship or even the Premiership but: almost exclusively on loan and that brings its own costs and problems as we all know about. Pompey's strategy has pivotted therefore to get their own young players to develop but that means that Pompey are getting them from places such as leagues such as those in Northern Ireland and the Australian League and from Bournemouth's development/U23s etc. Just remember Hateley was signed from Coventry's reserves, Wittingham was in the army etc etc so good players can be obtained from outside of the top teams starting xi but you need a good recruitment team - this window is going to show us whether Pompey have this or not.

"I still think that we have got better to come" I do too insofar as I think Barnard and Whyte are the top priority signings for this off-season.

"I would think this latest signing is aimed at covering for Hume who appears to be on his way." Yes, this exactly. Lets not overthink it. We are replacing one left back with another and doing it in a cost effective manner too.

"My concern is that we are signing too many players who don't appear to have the sort of quality that we need to make us a better team next season." Which brings us back to your first point again. You can't say whether these signings are good or not until they have settled in and start to play. There is a lot of unknown about these signings but "some of these players may well be what we want them to be" and some won't. Is that really anything different to any other transfer window or any other football club?