‘There has to be investment’: Former Portsmouth favourite makes strong financial admission ahead of summer window
Pompey are preparing for their third season in the Championship and playing budget talk remains rife.
Pompey have to loosen their purse strings in the transfer window if they want to progress in the Championship next season.
That’s the verdict of Gareth Evans, who believes increasing the transfer kitty would reflect on pitch improvements as the Blues look to move away from another relegation battle.
John Mousinho’s men were believed to have one of the smaller playing budgets in the division last term, making their survival achievement even sweeter as they secured an 18th-placed finish.
The head coach felt his side can move to the levels required to progress in recruitment, while also remaining sustainable - something owners Tornante have stressed the importance of during their nine-year tenure.
And while fan-favourite Evans, who secured the League Two title and EFL Trophy during his time at Fratton Park, believes Pompey still have to be sensible when splashing the cash, the 38-year-old stressed the Blues do need increase the transfer kitty if they do want to advance in the Championship.
Pompey have to increase the kitty to progress in Championship
Speaking exclusively to The News, he said: ‘Pompey have made a huge amount of progress in the last few years in terms of they’re now seen as an established Championship side.
‘But I think if they want to push on and make themselves a better Championship outfit by working themselves up the table, becoming a mid-table team, flirting with the play-offs that sort of thing, money is a big part of it unfortunately.
‘There are a lot of big boys in the Championship, who have got a lot of money to spend. I just don’t know whether Pompey will ever be in a position where they’re all of a sudden going to double or triple the budget and compete in that way.
‘Ultimately, if Pompey do want to compete towards the play-offs and towards the top of the Championship then they’re going to need investment (on the pitch) from somewhere.
‘The proof is in the pudding. If you put a bit more money into the playing squad, into the staff and the recruitment drive then it does, more often than not, reflect onto the pitch.
‘It isn’t always the case as we’ve seen with Leicester and what have you and it can be a gamble, it’s just whether the current owners are willing to take that gamble to try and reach the play offs and get back into the Premier League at some point.
‘There’s a lot of evidence in the Championship that the more money you spend the higher you finish in the league.’
Coventry City setting the benchmark for Pompey
Coventry City, of course, completed their return to the Premier League after running to the Championship title last term.
Evans has also pinpointed Coventry as the perfect example of recruiting and investing properly to reach the top-flight without the need of parachute payments.
‘If you look at the likes of Coventry that have gone on to do what they’ve done this season, I know that’s obviously in the automatics and they’ve won the leagues, they didn’t have the parachute payments and what not that some of the other clubs had.
‘They just had a huge amount of investment into the football club and that reflected onto the pitch.
‘Whether Pompey will be able to do that I don’t know but if Pompey want to work themselves up the league then there has to be investment somewhere in my opinion.’
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