'Room for improvement' - honest verdict delivered on Pompey signing who's already coming under scrutiny
Daniel Bielica is under scrutiny just four games into his Pompey career
The jury is still out on Daniel Bielica following the keeper’s indifferent start to his Pompey career.
The Polish shot-stopper has featured four times for the Blues after he replaced Nico Schmid in goal following the Championship defeat to Bristol City last month.
Two of those appearances have been accompanied by clean sheets against Cardiff and Charlton respectively.
Yet the €600,000 former NAC Breda man’s presence between the sticks hasn’t been without incident.
His error on debut after 16 minutes led to Derby’s opener in their 2-0 win at Fratton Park on September 1, while the 27-year-old was criticised for his role in both of Blackburn Rovers’ goals during their 2-2 draw with Pompey at PO4 on Saturday.
Bielica has three weeks to iron out any issues before the Blues return to action against Southampton on Sunday, October 11.
Yet, for some fans, there’s no guarantee the keeper retains his position in the team as a result of his mistakes.
Some are of the opinion that Schmid deserves an instant recall.
However, despite having his own reservations, The News’ Neil Allen believes the Pole needs more than four games to prove he’s capable of keeping goal for Pompey in the Championship.
Is Bielica an upgrade on Schmid?
Allen was asked if Bielica was an upgrade on Schmid in the latest episode of Pompey Talk.
Replying, The News’ chief sports writer said: ‘I don't know. He hasn't had enough games.
‘For me, one of Schmid’s outstanding attributes is his one-on-one (keeping). He is so good at one-on-ones. Excellent. You barely see him beaten in a one-on-one.
‘We've not seen Bielica have to deal with that yet, so we don't know how good he is at that.
‘Bielica looks smaller than Schmid as well, I like Schmid's size. Certainly, his kicking doesn't appear any better.
‘But we're still assessing him. We're still learning about him. Two of those games came with clean sheets. You don't necessarily learn a lot from a goalkeeper in those types of games.
‘We're still looking at the situation. But from the early signs, there are things that need to improve.
‘You've got to remember, though, that he's stepping into a new country, a new league. It's still early.’
Bielica spent six years playing for Gornik Zabrze in the Polish top flight and Warta Poznan (on loan) before moving to NAC Breda in 2024.
In Holland, he racked up 65 Eredivisie appearances for the Rat Verlegh Stadion outfit, but was unable to prevent NAC from being relegated to the Eerste Divisie at the end of last season.
Bielica’s move to Pompey represents his first taste of English football.
As a result, Allen believes the goalkeeper deserves the chance to prove himself.
Allen added; ‘He needs time to adapt.
‘We tend to judge players in modern football very, very early. I've already seen people writing off Iyad Mohamed completely.
‘He's only had a few minutes off the bench in a few games, give him a chance!
‘Bielica does need to be given a run in the team and we'll see how he fares. But he's been up and down in the first four games.’