PUNT: MARLON PACK BOMBSHELL

episode

Pompey Sound Podcasts 12 min 5 chapters transcribed

▲ 0

Transcript

jump: chapters · find in transcript

Transcript

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

What are the latest updates from the Portsmouth news desk?

0:02

The latest Pompey news updates every day from the Pompey Sound Newsdesk. Despite the small matter of Christmas getting in the way, many minds in the Portsmouth speaking universe will today be focusing on the QPR Boxing Day game and the hugely important matter of team selection. When the team is announced at 2 o'clock on Friday afternoon most eyes will dart to the number 11 shirt, and a sigh of relief will go up from in and around Fratton Park, if the name against that number, the left wing position, is Josh Murphy. There has been an understandable total silence about the extent of the injury which contributed to the decision to take him off against Derby. If fit he would be expected to play, along with the other man of the moment Callum Lang, with Colby Bishop looking potent once more as the main man up front.

0:49

In behind them, Conor Chaplin continues to find his feet, and will probably start. Behind him, Andre Dizel is proving to be an absolute fixture in midfield for Pompey but comparative newcomer Mark Kosniewski put in a good shout for another starting position, with his performance against Derby. At the back, word is that Shocknessy and Knight are approaching 100% fitness, giving John Massino a pleasant headache as to which number five he plumps for.

How is team selection impacted by the upcoming QPR Boxing Day game?

1:15

With Nicholas Schmidt picking himself, the biggest conundrum facing the Pompey manager will probably be the identities of the two fullbacks, bearing in mind Connor Ogilvie's ongoing unavailability. With the glut of holiday fixtures lying ahead, it seems likely that John Massino may save the energy levels of some of his squad, meaning a possible start for the ever-energetic Adrian Sigacic. One name missing from that round-up is that of Marlon Pack. And he is the most influential Pompey footballer when he's on the pitch that we have at the moment, surely. Not as incisive in terms of scoring goals as the likes of Lang and Murphy agreed. And he doesn't make a great centre-half. But when he is on the pitch, the opposition drop back two yards.

2:04

They can see the menace that he has. I don't mean the physical menace, although that's there. I mean the menace that he has in his passing, in his tactical noose, knowing where to stand, making the right decision. Football's all about making a thousand decisions a minute about where to stand and what to do and where to go.

Who are the key players expected to start against QPR?

2:22

And he gets it right and right and right and right every time, every time. And when there's a stoppage, he goes across and talks to John Massino. And the two of them talk. You can see an increasing relationship going on there, which is what leads me to suspect something that I'll mention in just a moment. It's a bit of a bombshell, a bit of a bombshell, not a huge bombshell. You indeed may have suspected it yourself, but I will mention it in just a second. When he came on against Derby, Colby Bishop raced over to the touchline. and tore off the armband and gave it to him, knowing full well. It's a great demonstration of their recognition of who's the king on the pitch and around the pitch for Pompey.

3:04

I think events around Fratton Park indicate that there's a possibility that somebody may be soon appointed as a new assistant coach, assistant head coach, an assistant head coach player coach. Yeah? You get me? Pompey's Australian centre-half Hayden Matthews, a £1.2m purchase, is attracting a great deal of attention. His national team staff are keeping close tabs on him with the World Cup in mind. It's in the back of my mind. Obviously, I've been involved with the national team for three camps, but only played the one game. It's been good to be in and around everything. And every time I go, it's a really good experience and I learn so much. But it's all in the back of my mind at the moment. What's in front of us is this Christmas period and a really big time for football.

3:52

There's a lot of games and that's where all my focus is right now. I don't speak with him, Tony Popovich, directly, but I'm in contact with the national team every week. They're always checking in based on the result, seeing how things went and just keeping in contact.