‘What's the ambition?’: Former Portsmouth defender makes clear spending call ahead of crucial summer window
The transfer window opens on June 15 and it’s expected to be a busy summer at Fratton Park.
Paul Robinson is adamant the upcoming transfer window will be hugely defining in Tornante’s ambition at Fratton Park.
And the former Pompey defender insists the Blues now have the perfect opportunity to progress next term after two seasons of consolidation in the Championship.
John Mousinho’s men, of course, secured an 18th-placed finish last season, having flirted with the bottom three for much of the campaign.
Sporting director Rich Hughes has since confirmed owners Tornante have sanctioned an increase in the playing budget ahead of the window as the Blues look to shy away from another relegation battle.
And having solidified themselves as an established Championship outfit, Robinson, who spent 12 months on the south coast between 2014 and 2015, believes now is the right time for the Blues to loosen the purse strings.
In fact, the former defender has highlighted the importance the upcoming window has on the ambitions of the club as they bid to progress in the second tier moving forward.
Former Pompey defender’s clear spending calls
The 44-year-old told The News: ‘It’s important. Everyone’s looking for the club to progress.
‘After the way the last season went, there’s a bit of frustration building. It's another season in the Championship, which is excellent to say but it’s so tough.
‘I think everyone's now looking for that point, what's the ambition in the club? Is it happy with being the Championship side it is now?
‘I think everyone's looking for that statement, where actually do you know what, we're looking to really push on and really compete in the top half of the Championship, build and progress.
‘I think that the club (have to push on) after last season, for the fans but also for the ambitions of the manager and where the club wants to be. I think it is a really important window.
‘There is a lot of turnaround, there's been some departures now and positions to fill, some positions now that might need to be challenged a little bit on the pitch as well. Just nailing key areas really.
‘It’s always a balance. Everyone expects to go for it, but I think it's always got to be done in the wider interest of the football club.
‘For the team to improve, for the club to get the players that would help them challenge the top half of the Championship, it does take a lot of resources. It’s not cheap.
‘Even just staying in the Championship. Everyone looked at the financial figures of the Championship clubs, it's a very financially tough league to compete in.
‘Every now and again, you'll get that anomaly in terms of teams over achieving in the season, but in the main, you'll normally see the teams which have the biggest resources, they're able to buy the better players and normally have the most success.
‘For Portsmouth to want to do that, then that’s what it would take.
‘The Eisners have been a very steady hand and have shown they want to do it the right way as well as having ambition.
‘But if you want to be competing at the top end of the Championship, they probably do need to go a bit more than that.
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