Mark McMahon is joined by Neil Allen to discuss the latest goings-on at Pompey during the January transfer window - plus the impact Alex Robertson's injury has on the Blues' plans.
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00:00 Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Pumpy Talk. My name is Mark McMahon and joining me today to discuss all things Pumpy during this January transfer window is Chief Sports Writer Neil Allen.
00:12 Neil, we're 10 days into the transfer window, nothing's happened really, Josh Martin has signed but Josh Oluweme has left.
00:20 But the one thing that's dominating Pumpy fans' minds and no doubt John Massino and Richard Hughes' minds is Alex Robertson's situation which has come as a huge blow for Pumpy.
00:33 Yeah, we went down to training ground yesterday, which was Wednesday, and it was very flat really. It's such a huge, huge blow. He tore his hamstring during training last Thursday.
00:49 He got up to Manchester the next day to have it looked at and now he's not coming back. It's such a shame. Lovely lad, really nice, down to earth, humble lad, which we've not seen from some of them at big clubs in recent times.
01:06 And on the pitch, he's been outstanding. For me, one of Pumpy's top three players and such a wretched look, isn't he? One of the other top three players for me, Regan Paul, is also out for the season.
01:20 Absolutely terrible. It's no one's fault. I know people need to blame someone, they want to blame someone, but it's just one of those things, unfortunately.
01:31 Two really severe hamstring tears and that's a huge, huge hole that Pumpy needs to fill. It's a time when the team is having difficulty winning games anyway.
01:45 It's five points in five matches. It's all come at once, hasn't it? And it's come at Christmas.
01:51 And it's fair to say that he hasn't been his last game for Pumpy, is that correct?
01:56 Yes. Yes. He's not officially ruled out for the season. I asked John Massino about this and I did it in the article yesterday.
02:04 But even if he came back from the hamstring after three months out, it needs to come to full training, they need to build him up again.
02:12 He won't be ready. They don't expect him to be back. That's it. But he will remain on Pumpy's books because the terms of the season long loan, there is no option for Pumpy to send him back.
02:24 So, yeah, they're still paying him and he's still connected with the football club. Unlike Regan Paul, Regan Paul is around the place, of course, because he's contracted to the club.
02:37 He's around the building still. So, yeah, Regan Paul, you see him day to day. But Robertson, that's it. He's gone. It's just farewell.
02:48 You don't know if he's had a chance to say goodbye to people in person, do you really? He might be just on the WhatsApp group. I'm not sure.
02:56 But it's really sad. He's such a huge figure. Anyone that knows about football can see what a great player he was. Some top moments, top quality player.
03:08 And we all expect him to play far higher up the league, don't we, in the future. But at the moment, it won't be with Pumpy.
03:16 You mentioned earlier you were down at training ground yesterday and the mood there was quite, yeah, it changed significantly.
03:23 Pumpy don't have time to rest on the laurels with us here. They can't mope around. They can't be seen to be our best players missing.
03:33 They need to be active. They need the final replacement in the transfer window, don't they?
03:37 Exactly. Exactly that. I know Josh Martin, it's not confirmed yet, but they're going to try to sign Josh Martin to the end of the season.
03:48 That's not a replacement for Robertson. I've read some people moaning about it's a replacement for Robertson. No, it's not.
03:54 Martin was already here, let's not forget. So it's not a replacement for Robertson. It's just bolstering the squad for the rest of the season.
04:00 They will try to find a replacement for Robertson. Rich Hughes said that they want an attacking midfielder, which Robertson,
04:09 Robertson probably had his best performances more of a sitting holding midfielder, didn't they?
04:14 Yeah, I heard about that.
04:15 But attacking, but they want an attacking centre midfielder. So they will, they've said they'll go out there to get a replacement.
04:23 The issue is who they get at this time of season. No doubt that they've lined up players in the summer to replace some players,
04:33 but they're not suddenly going to come three months early down to Fratton Park, especially if they're out of contract.
04:38 Not realistic, I'm afraid. So it's a different window. They go in the under 21 market and they'll be looking at players who most likely
04:47 haven't gone out on loan anywhere yet. And then it's risk, isn't it? It's a top, clubs at the top of League One won't sell to Pompey.
05:00 Other clubs will clearly put the prices if Pompey comes sniffing. So you've got that issue. There's so much going on.
05:08 It's a notoriously difficult window. Every year we saw the same. Every year we see it. It's not being negative.
05:14 It is what it is. And it's all very well Kyle Isle signing players early in the window because they're desperate because they're at the bottom of the league.
05:21 Pompey aren't after those players. Pompey want players that are better than the ones they've got. So they're not going to be involved in that.
05:28 And the better players are coming at the end of the window. So let's not forget the end of the last window on the final day or days,
05:36 I think it's final day, Paddy Lane and DeSean Bernard arrive. You can't put time limits and things like that. Ideally, yes.
05:47 But it doesn't happen that way. You have to be realistic.
05:50 Yeah. Well, like, Research Fuse has such a good track record at this time with Frampton Park, so despite that, though, as you rightly pointed,
06:00 it's not going to be easy as a... No. Well, you have to give credit. Phil Bourne is still here as well.
06:07 He's staying here until the transfer window closes. So they've still got the recruitment team in place and recruitment team,
06:16 which include Rich Hughes and that, obviously, they recruited exceptionally well since they've been at the football club as a team.
06:21 He came in the October 2022, didn't he? So they've got so many good players. They recruited Paul Robertson.
06:31 So now the challenge is to find replacements. So it's a tough ask, but they've got an excellent record.
06:37 I don't think any more... Not every player is going to come off. That's what I'm saying. Every club, every manager.
06:45 So there's some that haven't quite come off, but more have. Many more have. And Shaun Essing, who thought he would be a revelation like he has.
06:55 You know, they're just surprise packages as well. Robertson, I read people mocking Robertson when he arrived because he didn't do very well at Ross County.
07:04 Exactly. He even mines off. So it's a difficult situation. But it's their job. It's what they have to do.
07:11 They know it's a crucial transfer window and crucial for getting Pompey promoted. Without doubt, they have to pull some rabbits out of the hat.
07:20 They really do. They have to place Robertson. They have to sort out the wingers because we know Scully's coming back from a long-term injury.
07:29 White's hugely disappointed in, what, 25 games as he's played a lot as well. The two lads there at the moment are doing very well,
07:36 but you need more options off the bench, don't you? And the Astro Centre-Half as well, which is not quite priority, but they need that as well.
07:43 They need to cover it right back. And the goalkeeping situation, they need to cover there, don't they? So there's all these things going on.
07:50 They're well aware of it. They're looking. And hopefully, by the end of the window, they can strengthen the team.
07:57 I'll talk about the other positions in a bit, but you say how difficult this is going to be for Rich Hughes and John Massina to find the right calibre of player.
08:06 Are they going to have any help from the Islanders to make this situation a positive, get a positive out of this situation?
08:14 Rich Hughes is very positive about it, saying, 'We believe there'll be money to spend.' They've had a meeting with the Islanders this week,
08:22 obviously over Zoom, and they're encouraged by that. Danny Cowley always used to talk about how 12-budget, mid-table budget,
08:33 but every window Danny Cowley was here, the budget was increased. Every window. He also bought Dan McKee 200 grand in that transfer window as well, that January.
08:43 And similarly, they've spent money on six players since January last year as well. Obviously, not huge amounts, are they?
08:54 It's not John Marquess amount. It's not Ellis Harrison amount. It's not Marcus Harness amount. Not a huge amount, but they have spent money on players.
09:03 Probably, well, it's always undisclosed, isn't it? They declared they spent, say, 200 grand on Paddy Lane.
09:14 So, they have money to spend, apparently, but again, it's getting the right player, isn't it, again? And not panicking.
09:23 So, we'll see what they do. I know there's a whole thing about Roy Keane saying, 'Well, it's his job.' That's their job.
09:30 They have to get the players in. That's what we expect. They deserve a bit of faith from us all because they've done very well as a team since January last year with their recruitment.
09:42 So, they deserve a bit of faith. They know they need to get players in. We know they need to get players in. Promotion depends on it, really, doesn't it?
09:52 So, from now until the end of the window is going to be very interesting because it's huge.
09:58 Before the Robertson injury, was there a sense that Pompey were - you mentioned some figures are £200,000 for Paddy Lane, etc.
10:06 Did you get the impression that Pompey were approaching this window with the same sort of attitude?
10:12 'We could spend a couple of hundred grand on one or two additions that are going to make us better over the second half of the season and be championship ready if and when, hopefully, Pompey are back in the championship.'
10:23 Was there going to be that commitment to see it?
10:25 'Well, things change. I remember speaking to Rich Hughes at the Hampshire City Cup game in Foland when Pompey played there.
10:33 And he said at the time, he said, 'With January, it just changes. You can't predict how many players you need, what positions you need to fill because it changes.'
10:41 And it has done. It's changed since this time last week, really, with Robertson, isn't it?
10:46 Robertson was here for the season. Man City never suggested bringing him back. They were happy with that.
10:51 All of a sudden, he's gone and they've got to look. And that's a position that has to be filled definitely.
10:59 Suddenly, a priority. You could argue that they weren't really looking at goalkeepers.
11:05 That awful game against AFC Wimbledon. Suddenly, you've got concerns raised over your number two.
11:11 So, they say they're happy with the situation, but they are assessing it. So, that can change.
11:21 Rich Hughes, the line about 'at the moment', you know, 'we're happy with him at the moment'.
11:26 Things can change. We've seen that. It's a transfer window. So, again, these sorts of things pop up that they don't plan.
11:32 Zach Swanson, injured in the same Wimbledon game. They weren't expecting him to get an injury.
11:37 Suddenly, he gets an injury, needs an operation, he's out until March. Again, 'oh, we need a reserve right back'.
11:43 So, they pop up all the time. It's difficult to predict, isn't it? And especially with Pompey at the moment.
11:49 They've had so many unfortunate setbacks, haven't they, really? Look-less, if you say.
11:56 Well, one of those was Tino Andriot in terms of setbacks. But it's not as if Pompey then,
12:02 I've got him coming back any time soon, that can help fill that void either. He's from what we got, he could be out until maybe mid-March.
12:10 Yeah, exactly. They expect him back in mid-February. They don't expect him to be…
12:16 Well, he needs to train, doesn't he, then? They don't expect him to be a contender for the first team until March.
12:22 And the season ends, what, end of April, doesn't it? So, yeah, how many games is he going to play?
12:30 And they've got to ease him in, like they tried to last time, because of his injury record.
12:36 And you can't also rely on him, unfortunately, with his injuries. So, that's one you're saying it's a bonus if he gets back fresh and ready for the first team, isn't it?
12:46 If he does, it's a huge bonus, isn't it? What a player to have around. We've seen glimpses, definitely.
12:51 But that's another concern, isn't it? So, yeah, they've got so much to do with this window. They know that. There's no getting away from the fact that it's a huge job, this transfer window.
13:05 Yeah, yeah. You mentioned they were looking for a goalkeeper, centre-halves, but wingers?
13:13 We also know, yeah, Cousin Regan Poole, they were looking for centre-halves and George Edmondson is one player who has been linked in that position.
13:21 But in terms of wingers, is that the priority? But there's so many priorities now, it's unbelievable.
13:29 But Pompey do need to do something in those wide areas to get the Farhans back believing that we've got the attacking firepower, the ingredients to make this here.
13:41 I think we've got to get Pompey forward-thinking, Pompey saying exactly what it should be on the thin link. Gavin Waite hasn't exactly done it. Anthony Scully's coming back from injury.
13:49 We're relying an awful lot on Naby Kamara. So, there is that necessity there, isn't there, to improve that area this month?
13:56 Oh, yeah. We've seen that in the last five games, really. The importance of more options on the bench, more effectively on the wings.
14:09 Because Waite's been hugely disappointing, hasn't he? He really has. He was meant to be a semi-marquee signing coming down from the Championship.
14:21 And a few people said it was a bit harsh, my low mark for him at Cheltenham. And I did give him a low mark. But he wasn't bad. But we want more from him.
14:32 You expect more?
14:34 He's Cheltenham away. They're struggling. They've been really poor this season, although they've picked up under the new manager, Darrell Clarke.
14:42 But it's Cheltenham away. You need more. He's your signing from the Championship. He's a Northern Ireland international.
14:48 I know the bar's not particularly high since he's come in, but you need more from him.
14:52 He puts the effort in, really good work rate, good attitude by all accounts. I remember one great ball from the left in the first half.
15:01 That was it. He just disappears. He's largely anonymous. We need more. We want more. We should be getting more, if you look at his history.
15:11 So, suddenly, and then with Scully coming back from injury, I refused to write off Scully because he picked up a knee injury in his first game for Pompey.
15:21 Ploughed on, couldn't, needed an operation in the end. And he's trying to feel his way back with the odd minute here and there, isn't it?
15:28 It's difficult to the point of Pompey wanting to arrange a friend lead to get him more minutes.
15:32 So, he could still make an impact, but he's easing his way back in as well.
15:36 So, you've got another marquee signing in the summer. So, you've got two wingers either not match fit or not performing at the moment.
15:45 And the other one is Martin, who he's had a couple of chances, a couple of opportunities in the first team.
15:52 So, so real, isn't it? And he's not been in the squad ever since, which tells its own tale, doesn't it?
15:57 So, they're your three backup wingers, which is not enough, is it? And that's the concern.
16:04 I was going to say, like, if Josh Martin is signed and he's a winger, does that mean Pompey are maybe shifting away from the need to bring in someone in that area or?
16:15 No, no, they still want a winger. He's just keeping what they've got with him.
16:21 They still want a winger. They talk about power and pace. They need another winger because at the moment, Lane and Kamara are playing very well.
16:33 What signing Kamara has been, by the way, let's give him credit. I think he's meant to be sort of a bit part player in and out off the bench or whatever.
16:41 He's been superb. And Paddy Lane's been a revelation this season as well.
16:44 They're two really good performers, goals, assists, but they're both young. They're going to be on and off it, aren't they, really?
16:52 They're going to be tired in games. You can't play a winger for 90 minutes every game.
16:57 The work rate wingers get through in the modern games, phenomenal. So, they need to be taken off as well.
17:01 And then you need to trust your next batch of wingers. And at the moment, they're trusting Scully, White and Martin. They need another winger.
17:10 Fair enough. You said you spoke to Rich Hughes this week. How was he feeling?
17:17 Obviously, we knew Robertson's injury was going to happen. Did he seem upbeat? Did he seem dejected?
17:25 Did he feel the pressure on his shoulders? Because a lot of Pumpey fans are expecting an awful lot, aren't they?
17:31 So, how was he? He's a very impressive individual, Rich Hughes. He's completely transformed the club.
17:39 How it's run, how it's organised, how efficient it is, really. He takes charge of all the football matters.
17:47 Incredibly approachable, very popular among the staff. Got a very close bond with John Massino.
17:54 After games, he's always there to chat to Massino. Win, lose or draw, he comes down to the touchline and speaks to him after matches as well.
18:01 Needless to say, he's an impressive individual who's done a very good job at Pompey to this point, so far.
18:08 Obviously, his mission is to get them out of this league. But so far, he's done a very good job. He's laid the foundations.
18:15 And he's fully aware of the challenge ahead. He had a challenge last January.
18:20 He had a challenge in the summer to overhaul the squad and bring in 14 players.
18:24 And he's got the challenge now, hasn't he, for this huge, pivotal transfer window.
18:29 So, yeah, he relishes it. His stock's high as well, isn't it? He must be confident because of the players he's brought in.
18:37 So, it's not like they're struggling. So, they've brought good players in. So, again, they have our faith.
18:44 So, he must be confident. So, yeah, he wasn't at the training ground yesterday, from what I saw.
18:50 But, yeah, he's a busy man. He carries his two phones around with him.
18:55 And, you know, thankfully, he gave me time out of his busy schedule to speak to me while he was doing laps at the training ground.
19:03 I think he was walking around the training ground. But, yeah, he's hard at it.
19:08 And, again, when the window's open, we will then be able to judge accurately how successful this window's been.
19:14 We shouldn't be criticising him after 11 days of the January window.
19:19 Oh, God, no, definitely not. Definitely not. Well, just to say more, like, outgoings, we've already, well,
19:24 Josh O'Wemmey looks like he's about to leave. That's very, very close to happening.
19:29 And there's still Denver Hulme. God help Denver Hulme.
19:33 Can we expect him to leave? Not that I'm trying to push him out the door, like, but is that when we can definitely expect this?
19:40 Yeah, Pompey's been very open about this for a long time now.
19:45 They tried to move him on in the summer transfer window and they're trying to move him on again.
19:52 He's under no illusions over his future. By the way, just credit the lad as well.
19:58 He's still given his all in training, by all accounts. He's played a couple of games and fully committed as well.
20:04 Not done too badly. But, yeah, everyone knows the situation. It's all honest and open. It's all amicable.
20:11 They expect him to leave this window. Like, they expect him to leave last window.
20:16 But it's down to him as well. He needs to find the club he wants to move to as well.
20:20 He's in the final six months of his contract as well. So, it's an interesting one.
20:25 But, yeah, they've said all along they expect him to leave. And with Joshua Uemi as well.
20:32 We saw him at the training ground yesterday. He's really nice lad.
20:38 Came over to shake our hands as well. He was very upbeat. Relishing his chance in Finland as well.
20:46 He's got six months left in his contract. He wasn't going to play any more, was he?
20:51 He played nine games last season. And, yeah, he's well done in pecking order.
20:58 And he moves into Toby Stewart, of course. So, yeah, he's gone elsewhere.
21:02 But then he wasn't in much anyway. He signed a one-year deal after coming on as a trial.
21:07 Pomby took up the option, which does not increase his wages by that much of anything.
21:12 So, they're not particularly saving any money there with him leaving.
21:16 Whereas Dan McCume, you can imagine, he wasn't very well paid because he came in as a 200-grand signing from Sunderland.
21:23 So, yeah, that could help them as well.
21:25 So, it's geared up then to be, what, 20, 21 days left in the window?
21:30 It's all geared up to be quite an intense two-and-a-half-week period now, three-week period?
21:35 Yeah, hopefully. Yeah, we'll wait and see who they sign.
21:40 But John McSaneer was indicating they're not going to expect anyone to arrive before Saturday.
21:46 So, yes, it could be a little way. But we just don't know, do you, again?
21:53 No. OK, then. Well, Pomby, it's over to you. We'll sit here ready and waiting to see what happens.
21:59 But, Niamh, thank you for your time, as always.
22:02 And thank you all for watching. We'll be back soon. Enjoy the rest of your day. Goodbye.
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