Portsmouth recruitment chief on why 'different' Luton loanee is the man to solve goal-scoring headache
The centre-forward scored twice in 19 Premier League appearances in the 2023-24 season
Jacob Brown’s ability to offer a ‘different dimension’ to a goal-shy attack set him apart from other candidates in Pompey’s pursuit of a new striker.
That’s the verdict of Rich Hughes, who oversaw the deadline-day recruitment of the 27-year-old to bolster centre-forward options at Fratton Park.
As the second-lowest scorers in the Championship - and with Colby Bishop registering just once in the league this term - John Mousinho’s side were desperate for attacking reinforcements in January’s transfer window.
Luton’s Brown was identified as the ideal recruit, possessing Premier League experience, 30 Championship career goals and offering a contrasting playing style to the long-serving Bishop.
And Pompey’s sporting director is convinced the ‘hard-working’ former Stoke man will be a success on the south coast.
‘Jacob gives us something a bit different’
Hughes told The News: ‘With Jacob, we feel we have a player that has played and scored in the Premier League. He has also affected teams in the Premier League and Championship.
‘He has a real point to prove and we thought it would be a good bit of recruitment. Certainly in his 69 minutes against Preston, I felt he gave us a different dimension in our attacking play.
‘He led the line really well, I thought he was aggressive and mobile and different to what we’ve got. We wanted to strengthen in that position and what Jacob does is give us something a bit different.
‘What we have seen of him previously, he’s a player who can affect the Championship and even beyond when he’s on his game. It’s our challenge to get him back there and get him back to those standards.
‘There aren’t many like-for-like with Colby, whose skill set is unique. I recently saw a graphic about hold-ups and Colby was 25 clear of the next number nine in the Championship, so actually finding somebody who plays the same is really tough.
‘Colby is incredibly physical and powerful, he has that great ability to pin centre-backs and bring others into play, so it was important to sign someone who can offer something different. To give the team a bit of a different angle in attack.
‘When you speak to anyone that has crossed paths with Jacob in football, they will tell you what a good lad he is and how hard he works. It’s never going to be an absence of work-rate or desire with Jacob.
‘Most forward players thrive on confidence and, if we can give him that back, I think he’ll do really well for the football club between now and the end of the season.’
Pompey moved late in the window for Brown, with Barnsley among a number of clubs closing in on a loan deal for the Kenilworth Road man.
Having recovered from injury to feature for the first time this season in November, the attacker went on to feature seven times in League One for the Hatters - although had been overlooked for their last six squads.
Regardless, Pompey swooped for the 27-year-old, having also missed out on another centre-forward addition int he window’s final 48 hours.
And Brown, who has already featured twice, is in the frame to face Charlton tonight (7.45pm) for the start of three successive matches away from Fratton Park.
‘It was one we moved towards in the last 36 hours of the window’
Hughes added: ‘There was interest from a couple of other clubs in Jacob as well, so it was one we moved towards in the last 36 hours of the window.
‘You have until 7pm to conclude a deal. You can afford to keep as many things spinning as possible until that last point in the window.
‘At that moment, you then have to make the best decision for the best of the season - and we felt, all things considered, that bringing in Jacob allowed us to do that.’