'I don’t think anyone is hiding away from that': why Portsmouth need time to adapt to Championship - despite Leeds and Luton draws

That’s the verdict of The News’ Jordan Cross, who believes the Blues’ change of status from League One big-hitters to being part of the Championship crowd resulted in a tougher than usual summer of recruitment.

And, ultimately, that has had an impact on Pompey’s start to the new season, with seven of their 15 new arrivals coming after the season-opener at Leeds.

The Blues secured an impressive 3-3 draw with last term’s beaten Championship play-off finalists at Elland Road and have since picked up creditable points at home to Luton and away at Middlesbrough.

Yet John Mousinho’s side then headed into the international break with their first league defeat of the season coming against Sunderland at Fratton Park. 

They have since regrouped, with the majority of the players benefitting from a mini pre-season. And as Pompey prepare for their next challenge on their return to Championship duty - against West Brom on Saturday - Cross said the transition to their new surroundings was made that much harder by a complex transfer window that had many twists and turns.

Speaking on the latest episode of Pompey Talk, which is free to watch on Freeview, Cross said: ‘It’s not ideal, is it? But I don’t think anyone is hiding away from that.

‘You would long want the situation they had last year (when the majority of business was done early), but there’s reasons for that.

‘Last year they were able to go out and recruit their players without too much of a battle because they were a big-hitter in League One.

‘John said at his presser (press conference) this week that maybe they missed out last season on one of his major targets, but all the rest arrived.

‘We now know that they got down the list on certain targets (this summer) and didn’t necessarily get their number one or two (target) on the the list, which probably had four or five players in each department.

‘We know about George Edmundson, we know about Abu Kamara and we know Alex Robertson, so these were the issues that presented themselves to Pompey.

‘Pompey have had to respond to those and that’s the real narrative that creates the situation that they’ve gone into the season with, which hasn’t been ideal.

‘So it (the start to the season) has not ideal and probably could have been better had it been the way it was last year, but that’s just the way things have worked out and that’s the reality of it.

‘Pompey have to get on with it, they have to bed in. I think they’re a good enough group, but the proof is in the pudding.’