‘A concern’: Portsmouth’s threadbare squad fighting fatigue across gruelling schedule
How Pompey are taking on an intense run of Championship fixtures with 13 players still in the treatment room.
Pompey are limiting their training regime as their beleaguered squad fight a relentless fixture list.
And skipper Marlon Pack acknowledged the Blues continually going to the well across a gruelling run of games is a legitimate ‘concern’, as the group digs deep through five games in 15 days.
Pack: ‘At the minute, the games are the priority’
John Mousinho’s men have put back-to-back wins on the road together, as they followed up mid-week victory over Charlton Athletic with a statement success at Millwall on Saturday.
Pompey do so despite having 13 players sidelined in an unrelenting tale of injury woe, Makenzie Kirk being the latest player to join those in the treatment room.
Incredibly, Pack’s side didn’t look particularly fatigued at The Den on Saturday, with the midfielder acknowledging going through the latter stages of the win with a two-goal advantage was a benefit to his team.
But Pack feels Pompey’s management team are being smart in the manner in which they preparing for games, with a trip to North Wales up next against Wrexham.
He said: ‘That (tiredness late in games) is a concern and it was a bit against Charlton as well.
‘The scoreline helps, it definitely helps with the turnover to the next game. We could actually start holding on to ourselves more, lock out instead of progressing bodies forward too much. That said, Regan (Poole) made a great overlapping run towards the end!‘Listen, we need to manage the game as we see fit
‘The scoreline helps but we’re professional footballers and this is what we do.
‘The coaching staff have been great in terms of limiting training hours.
‘At the minute, the games are the priority and we have to make sure everyone is ready and fit to go, as best they can in these games.’
Pack has put back-to-back stars together as he forms an impressive midfield trio with Ebou Adams and John Swift.
Swift has been a revelation in a more advanced role recently helping dictate games with Pack, as Adams continues his outstanding form since arriving from Derby County last month.
The Buckland boy feels it’s necessary to try to implement some expansive play with natural ability on the ball in the starting XI.
‘In terms of improving, I think we can be a bit braver because we see it every day in training.
‘First and foremost, we have come up against two opponents who are very good physically - so we’ve had to battle and then earn the right to play.
‘But I think there’s been a bit of fluidity, perhaps more so at Charlton because they were man for man so we tried to drag them over the pitch and play.
‘Even against Millwall, though, I thought there was some really good passages of play.
‘Swifty is one I trust to give the ball, because I see it day in, day out in training.
‘Technically he’s outstanding and can take the ball in tight spaces and have those little shimmies. There’s those little touches he has, too.
‘Ebou is a good foil for us both, too. He covers a lot of ground, very athletic, physical and aerially dominant.
‘He’s become a fans’ favourite - and rightly so. When you talk about Pompey and that Pompey represent, that’s him in a nutshell.
‘You know what you’re going to get from him and his quality actually goes under radar.
‘He can play. People would’ve initially felt he was coming in as a combative midfielder.
‘But he got a bit of everything to his game and he’s added something different to the group.
‘At the minute we complementing each other really well. It’s very promising.’