Gaffer For A Day: Don't worry, Portsmouth are staying up. I'm sure of it - I've been right before
Gaffer For A Day, Dave Fawcett, aged 62 from Titchfield Common, analyses Pompey’s 2-2 draw with Blackburn...
How do you think Pompey performed?
I work for a children's cancer charity called Abby’s Heroes and there was a fundraising abseil down the Spinnaker Tower on Saturday morning, which I attended.
I then had to rush to Fratton Park in a taxi and made it to my seat 30 seconds before Zak Swanson scored. I thought I was a lucky omen!
Still, overall it was patchy. We started really well and obviously got the goal, but once Blackburn equalised we seemed to be all over the show and were scrappy.
In the second half we didn’t look great until the end, when we decided to really go for it. Once we scored that goal, our confidence was up again.
It was a fair result, they were very equal teams. We could have won because we had an awful lot of shots, but, ultimately, I can’t be too disappointed in a draw.
Who was your man of the match?
Definitely Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, he was a real threat. Every time he gets the ball he tries to beat his man, he’s quite happy to shoot when he can and he looks really, really dangerous.
He is so comfortable for his age and is obviously going to be a big player in the future and play at the top end of the Premier League.
There are an awful lot of wingers we’ve seen come on loan to Pompey before who never seem to want to beat their man, but he enjoys that challenge. That goal for Colby Bishop was the Chelsea winger’s determination to get the ball and make things happen.
Kavuma-McQueen looks the real deal. We’ve had a few duds in terms of players over the last few years, but he looks really good.
With Benjy Arthur out for three months, how much of a blow is it?
It’s a shame, he has looked like a really decent player. I’m not one of those conspiracy theorists in any way shape or form like some Pompey fans, but we do have some bad luck.
Benjy looked the most obvious guaranteed starter at centre-back. Now it might be Regan Poole and Madiodio Dia for Southampton and, not being our first two choices, it’s a bit of a blow.
We should all be concerned about Conor Shaughnessy’s latest injury because I don’t think he can stay fit for a whole season. He’s a good player and a goal threat, but you have to accept he’s never going to play 40 games.
At least we’ve got Connor Ogilvie coming back, who can play in there, and Marlon Pack can as well.
What do you make of Pompey’s start to the season?
I am pretty pleased with it. I know a lot of fans will say the start has been rubbish, but we’re doing all right.
We are going to stay up, I was confident in the previous two seasons as well, I never thought we’d get relegated in either - and I feel exactly the same this year.
We’re going to be in the bottom half, but we aren’t going down and our start is probably what I was hoping for. We have enough points on the board not to be in the bottom three, four or five.
Abu Kamara and Kavuma-McQueen have been good signings, and Tyrese Shade looks pretty decent. Our biggest weakness is still our midfield, it has been a problem for us.
We are still a little light of an attacking midfielder, the Rocco Shein role. Shein has been all right, but you wonder whether there is more to him? I don't know.
Daniel Bielica - 7
Zak Swanson - 6
Conor Shaughnessy - 7
Madiodio Dia - 7
Jayden Meghoma - 8
Marlon Pack - 6
Rocco Shein (Ebou Adams - 7) - 7
Abu Kamara - 8
Adrian Segecic - 6
Ryan Kavuma-McQueen - 9
Tyrese Shade - 7
Your Next Pompey Read: Portsmouth face anxious wait over Conor Shaughnessy after latest injury blow