'I don't think' - Sky Sports pundit shares honest verdict on Portsmouth following 'absolutely excellent' start to season
Pompey have made a solid start to their latest Championship season - but have been advised not to get too carried away after two wins and a draw from their first four games
Any improvement on last term’s 16th-place Championship finish should be considered a success for Pompey this season.
That’s the verdict of Sky Sports’ EFL expert Don Goodman, who believes consolidation and progress should once again be the primary objective at Fratton Park for 2025-26.
Pompey - who travel to south coast rivals Southampton on Sunday - have made a solid start to the new campaign, with John Mousinho’s side currently eighth in the table with seven points from their first four games.
An away win against Oxford United on the opening day of the season has been followed by a home victory against Preston North End and a draw at West Brom. The only fly in the ointment before the international break came in the form a PO4 defeat at the hands of Norwich.
It’s certainly an improvement on last season’s start, with the Blues having to wait until November 9 to secure their second three-point haul of the campaign.
Further investment in the squad during the summer - including fees paid for seven of Pompey’s 11 new arrivals - has aided the brilliant work Mousinho has done since his January 2023 appointment.
But while Goodman believes the Fratton Park club are now a ‘solid’ Championship outfit following their promotion from League One in 2024, he believes anyone daring to dream about promotion or the play-offs should rein in their expectations - for this season at least!
What Don Goodman has said about Pompey ahead of Championship’s return
With a host of other second -tier clubs boasting far superior resources, the former Wolves striker said: ‘Last season was a tough baptism of fire for Portsmouth.
‘We all flagged up that the fixture computer had been particularly hard on them.
‘When you reflect, they played all three teams that ended up getting promoted to the Premier League and also Sheffield United in their first seven matches.
‘They ended up winning one of their opening 14 games, so what followed was a really outstanding effort as they slowly found their feet at the level.
‘I think that would have given them confidence at the start of this season and they've become a very solid outfit. Two clean sheets in four championship games alongside seven points is absolutely excellent.
‘But I don't think anybody in the club should be or will be getting carried away that they can be really challenging at the top of the Championship.
‘I think 16th last season was mission accomplished in terms of survival and I think this season should be about consolidation and progression, you know.
‘Pompey are up against some huge clubs with plenty more resources than what they've got. So any improvement on last season would be a positive in my mind.’
South-coast derby v Southampton next up for Pompey
Pompey return to Championship action on Sunday with a trip to Southampton and the return of the south coast derby.
The Blues’ last win against their fierce rivals came in February 2010, when Avram Grant’s side steamrolled the Saints 4-1 on their way to that season’s FA Cup final.
Since then, that lot from up the road have held a slight advantage, winning one and drawing two of the three fixtures played.
However, it’s Pompey who sit higher in the table going into this weekend’s game, with Will Still’s side five places and two points worse off after picking up just one win from their four games played.
The Blues will be without Callum Lang and Harvey Blair for the game at St Mary’s. Other than that, Mousinho has plenty of options at his disposal, with club captain Marlon Pack reporting back to training during the international break following a procedure on his knee.
There’s also no indication that any of the five players who were away on international duty picked up injuries during their link ups with their respective countries.