Portsmouth's forgotten three: Surplus to requirements, available for transfer - but still at Fratton Park

Tom McIntyre’s absence from Pompey’s opening friendly was explained by John Mousinho as a ‘slight knock’ sustained in the previous day’s training.

‘Nothing too bad, we are just being a bit cautious with him,’ he told The News following last week’s 1-0 victory at Woking.

The defender subsequently missed encounters with Farnborough and Crawley. It remains to be seen whether he returns for a Reading reunion on Saturday - or if there is any appetite to.

McIntyre, like Matt Ritchie and Abdoulaye Kamara, has been informed he possesses no future at Fratton Park. Where the situations contrast, however, is at least he has trained with the first-team this summer.

The trio have been rendered surplus to requirements - publicly and privately - yet a month into pre-season they remain on Pompey’s payroll, still unable to be moved on.

The Blues are presently progressing in adding Mark Kosznovszky to their ranks, while maintaining focus on filling other glaring holes within their squad, yet there is also the necessity to offload.

Unsurprisingly, McIntyre, Ritchie and Kamara were not allocated squad numbers last week. The clear likelihood is they also won’t be registered for Pompey’s Football League 25-man squad once the transfer window shuts on September 1.

Matt Ritchie’s intriguing exclusion

Of the threesome, Ritchie’s ongoing exclusion is the most intriguing, particularly as his quality would still be hugely welcome in Mousinho’s first-team set-up. More to the point, he has yet to be replaced.

Unquestionably, the Blues are stronger with the 35-year-old at their disposal. Last season, he was preferred to Paddy Lane and Harvey Blair on the right flank when all were available. Now they are earmarked to replace him.

A disagreement over his potential game time for the forthcoming campaign initially occurred at the end of the 2024-25 season. Following more talks last month, it has effectively signalled a parting of the ways with 12 months remaining on his Fratton Park contract.

There were early suggestions of Ritchie negotiating with Championship clubs as a route out, although if his stipulation is solely based on regular first-team starts, the options could be restricted.

With Ritchie’s quality and immense fitness, by rights he should be remaining at this level. Yet with the clock ticking down towards the season’s start, he may well be forced to lower his sights to League One or League Two.

Incidentally, those seasons kick-off on August 2 - which is 12 days away. The Championship begins a week later on August 8-9.

Big reputation but little substance

Kamara remains a classic case of a player whose reputation was elevated by his association with previous clubs. Boasting the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund on his CV, it was an intoxicating signing.

In truth, once at Pompey, by all accounts he didn’t convince that he was of the required standard. Particularly on the training ground, where he was assessed far more in depth than six fleeting first-team outings.

Granted, there was a hugely encouraging debut off the bench against Sunderland in August 2024, signalling a flurry of three appearances in five games, before the young midfielder disappeared from view.

Kamara never made another first-team squad following a full debut against Wycombe in the third round of the FA Cup, although, in fairness, the January transfer window significantly strengthened playing options anyway.

He returned for testing on the opening day of pre-season last month - and was swiftly informed he had no future with Pompey, before being sent away again. The 20-year-old was not even around by the time of the first full training session.

Struggled to return from Derby demolition

Finally there is McIntyre, who was handed an extra week off having been involved in Charlton’s League One play-off success, albeit not making any of the squads for the semi-finals or final.

It would always be difficult for the defender to come back from that Derby performance in December 2024. Indeed, he hasn’t featured for Pompey in the Championship since.

His loan with the Addicks yielded 10 appearances, of which four were starts, as he was unable to dislodge members of an outstanding defensive unit. In hindsight, it was a thankless task.

Although McIntyre travelled to Slovakia with the rest of the Blues squad for their training camp, before its conclusion Mousinho revealed the 26-year-old had been informed he would be moved on.

Yet the trio remain. In Ritchie and Kamara’s case, not physically, while McIntyre’s injury keeps out of training and friendlies to date. They have no Fratton future, but continue to be part of the present.

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