'If you don't spend the money...' - Blunt message delivered to Portsmouth after QPR humiliation
Pompey find themselves in real trouble at the bottom end of the Championship table following their visit to Loftus Road on Saturday
Pompey have been told a blunt home truth as John Mousinho’s side battle against Championship relegation.
The Blues have been unequivocally informed quality costs money, and that there’s a significant lack of that key component among the current first-team squad.
That was the honest verdict of Pompey legend Guy Whittingham as he assessed the club’s fight for survival in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s 6-1 humiliation at the hands of QPR.
The defeat, which was the Blues’ fifth in six games, leaves Pompey just one place and a point above the drop zone with just eight matches of the season remaining. It has also left fans outraged with their team’s plight, with supporters at Loftus Road at the weekend turning on the head coach, players and owners in a rare moment of defiance.
In fairness, the money Pompey have spent on player recruitment under owners Tornante has often come under the spotlight. In fact, you’d be hard pushed to find a member of the Fratton faithful who believes the Blues’ player budget, which is among the lowest in the Championship, is sufficient to really compete in the second tier of English football.
The £4m spent on player purchases during the last financial year is what some Championship clubs spend on a centre-back, never mind 12 new additions. Meanwhile, it’s questionable whether searching in far-flung places like the Norwegian top flight or the Australian A League for hidden gems is really the best tactic for such a competitive division.
That’s where the Blues find themselves, though, under Michael Eisner’s stewardship of the club.
And that’s not lost on former player and manager Whittingham, who believes finances, and the resultant lack of squad depth and quality, have a lot to do with Pompey’s current situation.
‘That's where Portsmouth are in terms of bringing players in’
Whittingham, who currently acts as a pundit for BBC Radio Solent, spoke on the matter after being initially asked about Adrian Segecic’s performance at QPR - a player who arrived at Fratton Park from Sydney FC last summer.
The attacking-midfielder remains Pompey’s top scorer this season with six goals, but has been struggling for form in recent months.
In response, the former Blues striker said: ‘Look, I'm not protecting him here, but I'm just saying he’s another player that's come over from Australia that's (gone) straight into the Championship. You know, that's where Portsmouth are in terms of bringing players in.
‘We've said this before, you know, if you don't spend the money, you won't get the quality of players. And that's what John Mousinho has had to deal with.
‘And when your best players are out for a certain amount of time, both defensively and attacking-wise in terms of (Conor) Shaughnessy and (Josh) Murphy, then you're going to have problems.
‘And, you know, that's what hits Portsmouth. You haven't got enough, you know, quality players with the money that's being spent on the pitch.’