SWANSEA STARTING LINE-UP
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What injury concerns are affecting the Swansea game?
Pompey fans will be in the dark about the extent of the injury to Regan Poole until the publication of the team sheet at 6.45 on Tuesday night. John Massino has remained clear in his view that Pompey's defence has functioned well no matter which of his players make the start, or even which position they play in. Pompey have looked secure even with Connor Ogilvie and Zach Swanson playing out of position. The possible loss of Reagan Poole for the Swansea game would have been a much bigger blow had not Connor Shaughnessy made such a towering return to first-team football when he replaced the injured Poole against Blackburn. If Poole is available on Tuesday night, it gives Massino a welcome selection headache.
If he twins Poole with Shocknessy, a partnership which many believe is best at the centre of defence, it will surely mean a return to left-back for Conor Ogilvie, and a place on the bench for the unfortunate Zach Swanson. Either way expect to see Hayden Matthews back on the bench as first reserve centre-back and if Ogilvie remains in the middle and partners Shocknessy, Massino has no fears about the reliability of Swanson. Up front, Masseno remains a huge fan of Colby Bishop's all-round play, but in Jacob Brown he has a player who, in clamouring for a first-team start, marks himself out as the kind of player Masseno wants indeed requires. He likes men who are constantly pushing for a first-team place, and Brown's comments over the last few days have made it clear he has that mentality.
Yes, John Masseno has made it clear earlier in the season that he doesn't want players who are happy to be on the bench. He wants players who are clamouring to start. And if they're on the bench clamouring to get on the pitch, that's a healthy thing. It's the kind of thing that a manager in any business wants. People who are eager to do the job, who step up for it, who volunteer themselves. And clearly he believes that in Brown, he's got a player who is doing exactly that.
How does John Massino view his team's defensive capabilities?
Who is saying, I can play next to Bishop. I don't have to necessarily replace Bishop. I can play next to him. It's a position I've played in before. I've scored a lot of goals doing that by feeding off the staff from the main target man. Because let's not forget those who are saying that Bishop should be dropped to the bench or whatever. What Colby Bishop does is provide our keeper with the alternative if and when he decides that he needs to go long. You watch, if he goes long, Schmidt always picks out Bishop. He looks up and he's looking to see where Bishop is and where Bishop is going to be when the ball arrives because they think in that kind of detail. And he picks out Bishop. If we don't have Bishop, we don't have a target person who can get there first and who can hold the ball up when the opportunity arrives or who can flick it on or knock it down and do something useful with it.
It's an enormous contribution he makes. Of course it's a shame he hasn't scored 10, 15 goals so far this season, which he's managed the last two seasons. We must never forget he can do that. It's just not firing at the moment.
What impact does Colby Bishop have on the team's performance?
It hasn't fired for some months. But if John Massino thinks that he's making a big enough contribution elsewhere, and it's an important contribution, then surely that is good enough for everybody else. As the 2025-2026 season enters its final phases, attention increasingly shifts to next season. Setting aside the question of whether Pompey will retain their championship status, or suffer a drop to League One, another big issue will be which of our out-of-contract players to retain, and which, if any, to allow to leave. There's also the question of whether some bigger fish will be circling Fratton Park with a view to spending money on some Pompey stars. The two star names that Pompey fans can expect to hear talked about once the summer transfer window opens are Josh Murphy, and perhaps to an even greater extent Terry Devlin.
Josh Murphy's season-ending injury appears to have worked to Pompey's benefit in one way, namely that the clubs that have previously expressed an interest in him are likely to have their enthusiasm dampened until he has shown himself not only match fit but able to produce the goods as he did before.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What injury concerns are affecting the Swansea game?
0:02–1:54
2
How does John Massino view his team's defensive capabilities?
1:54–3:01
3
What impact does Colby Bishop have on the team's performance?
3:01–6:20
4
Who are the key players at risk of leaving Portsmouth this summer?
6:20–9:33
5
What makes Terry Devlin a valuable asset for Portsmouth?
9:33–11:32
6
What predictions are being made for the upcoming match against Swansea?
11:32–13:00