Pompey Talk Bite Size - 7th May 2025

The News, Portsmouth

yesterday

Transcript

00:00Hello and welcome back to PoppyTalk, the bite-sized version of the main programme where me and

00:06Jordan Cross are discussing transfers, Jordy. We're getting into that part of the year where

00:11focus turns to the transfer market. What areas do you think Poppy will be looking at to bolster

00:21their numbers in the summer? Probably which areas aren't would be the response to that.

00:28What I would say is it's not the major surge we've seen of the 13 and 13 signings we've

00:33had in the past couple of years. I don't see it being that significant. It won't be to

00:37the extent of the previous summer, so they're not much further in the stage of the team's

00:41evolution now. That said, I think if you look at it, I mean, goalkeeping department looks

00:50good. Schmid and Stab is there, you know, they take Killit, they take Archer, that's fine.

00:57Right back department looks good. If they keep, you know, you've got Williams, you've got Devlin,

01:04possibly got Swanson. Left back, yeah, Cohen Bramall if he goes. You've got Farrell coming

01:12back, that's, yeah, Ogilvy there. I think that Pompey are broadly happy with that. Obviously,

01:18the caveat to that would be, let's see how Jacob Farrell comes back as well. Beyond that, Mark,

01:23then, yeah, I think you're looking at business in all the other areas, really, aren't you?

01:28You're certainly looking at strengthening at the centre-back. You've got good...

01:30Can I just enter, Jack? Yeah, yeah, sure.

01:32Why is it obvious at centre-half? I know Pompey have had the rest of the centre-half this season,

01:38we have Shaughnessy, Poole, Matthews, potentially Atkinson, or does that include Atkinson? Like,

01:46there's four good centre-halves. Did Pompey need... is that one more Atkinson or...? Yeah,

01:53yeah, you won't need anyone. I mean, that's a good group then, haven't you? I mean, probably

01:57four stroke five, haven't you there? So, obviously, Chuck Nessie, we need to kind of take a view to how he's

02:05going to come back and, likewise, even more so a Bainville at, at what level he returns.

02:11I forgot about him, actually, yeah, yeah. But I think Atkinson would be the one to give that,

02:17give that, you know, decent veneer, and then you've got kind of... Again, the question would be,

02:24can we keep, you know, do you want someone that's probably got a better fitness record than Atkinson?

02:30I think Pompey would, you know, look, they're going to... If they get the chance to sign Rob Atkinson,

02:34they're taking. Yeah, yeah. So, that would be the one. No more beyond that.

02:38Midfield, obviously, yeah. I mean, you're looking very light there, aren't you?

02:42Andre Dezell will be here now. We know there's a clause to invoke a new deal.

02:48Marlon Pack's been on the bench for a good chunk of the season finale, and it's Abdoulaye Kamara

02:54is not... Basically, he's basically one out of favour. Yeah. So, real focus on that midfield area.

03:01Yeah. Never say never with Freddie Potts, but you have to be patient with that one.

03:06You know, the story from us this week showing the realism that Pompey are taking.

03:11Then, if Cine Yenge goes, naturally, Omani's gone. I think Pompey were probably one heavy on the striker situation,

03:19striker numbers this season, and they probably would have anticipated given what happened with Colby.

03:25So, yeah, one there. And then strengthening in wide areas as well.

03:32Yeah. When you look... I've just been writing down names when you've been talking, or midfield to me is...

03:38I don't know if you'd agree. Is that... that has to be the priority position, like...

03:42Priority position, Mark. Yes. I'll give you a... give you a headlong and you write one of our stories off the back of Pompey's book.

03:47Midfield is the priority position. Yeah.

03:50When you look at Dezell, Peck, Devlin, Kamara, that would be Pompey's options at the here and now, like...

03:56And we all know that that midfield would not be good enough.

03:59No, that's quite right. And you need the kind of injection of youth and energy.

04:05And you need the kind of right blend of options, don't you?

04:08But, really, I mean, the one that you would say would be a regular starter there, Andre Dezell, isn't it?

04:14Yeah.

04:15So, you need... they need at least a couple there.

04:18So, to kind of supplement that department.

04:22And the right kind of... yeah.

04:25He's going to need an injection of youth, I think, that would be... would be fair.

04:28So, well...

04:29Well, see, I mean...

04:30Actually, Kamara's got a contract.

04:32And it won't be easy to shift with things.

04:34I think it's three years, isn't it?

04:35Because he's got a lengthy contract.

04:36So...

04:37But I think Pompey...

04:38Pompey had the opportunity to get rid of him.

04:39They would...

04:40They would do.

04:41Because it's fill up one of the...

04:42GBE quota space, which he takes up as well.

04:44So, I think Pompey, on that note as well, it's going to be really interesting to see which markets they go into.

04:51I know Preston have been heralded as they're kind of where they've done their recruitment aboard.

04:55And I think they see good value there.

04:56Yeah.

04:57I think you're going to see a lot of Pompey...

04:58I think you wouldn't be surprised to see Pompey do a decent amount of work on the continent this summer.

05:03They have to work that within the confines, as I say, of the GBE quota.

05:08Which means they've got...

05:10So, you know what...

05:11For the listener, for the viewer, the GBE quota, you've got the relaxed criteria where you can get players in.

05:17I think it's four or five.

05:19I can't remember off the top of my head.

05:21But they've got players in that slot at the moment.

05:23But Jacob Farrell's been taken out of that now.

05:25Niko's been taken out of that.

05:26So, there's spaces.

05:27But the likes of Kamara and Oshish, Matthews, Milosevic,

05:31would have filled those slots in the last window.

05:34But it does give Pompey some chance to get value on the continent.

05:38And then, you know, players that don't get the quota for 16...

05:42Hit the 16-point ceiling.

05:44Which means they don't have to take up one of the relaxed spaces.

05:47I don't write off Pompey doing that for one or two as well.

05:50Yeah.

05:51On BBC Solent, at the end of the game on Saturday,

05:54Guy Whittingham was asked the question, what did Pompey need?

05:57He emphasised the need that we need backup for Kobe Bishop.

06:01Again.

06:02No, I would, wouldn't he?

06:04Yeah.

06:05But again, you can see the sense in that or the logic behind it.

06:09If you've got Bishop, Sadie and Lang, maybe Yang,

06:12we don't know what's going on there.

06:13But again, you do need a good backup striker if Kobe Bishop,

06:20and Kobe Bishop, God forbid, picks up an injury at some stage next season.

06:23Like, you do need to have that depth there, don't we?

06:26Well, Kobe just takes a heck of a lot on his shoulders, doesn't he?

06:30And he's sort of, sort of, gone back from heart, major,

06:33major surgery and heart surgery.

06:35And so the robust and get the turnout, the games that he has done,

06:39is a testament.

06:40But you can't expect him to do it all the time.

06:42Yeah.

06:43And, you know, you've got form and all these other considerations as well.

06:46You know, if there's a drop off and he needs to be pushed,

06:49I think he needs to be pushed harder than maybe he has been this season.

06:54I think it's been Kobe or no one, hasn't it?

06:56Yeah.

06:57So, totally fair.

06:58Obviously, Omani goes back, did okay in spells,

07:02but first, you know, slightly difficult, tumultuous season for him,

07:07by his own admission.

07:08And then you're kind of looking at what they do with Sadie.

07:11I mean, he's not really, he offers something different,

07:13and it would be sad for him to go.

07:14But as a squad evolves, you have to raise the bar.

07:17You have to look to improve things.

07:19So does he fall into that category of someone that's, you know,

07:21really, thank you, been a big part of the past,

07:24but, you know, moving forward, as Pompey has done ruthlessly,

07:27they want to improve things.

07:28Where does he fit in?

07:29Yeah.

07:30And there's a number of players in that category, isn't there?

07:32That kind of fringy category where they've not, sort of,

07:35really kind of played significant parts now.

07:38So even though they're contracted, I think there'd be one or two like him

07:42that might well be told, you know,

07:44with an opportunity comes up a few hours where you might well move on,

07:47in which case, you know, then that puts focus on being replaced.

07:51I'm going to ask you about that in a second, but I literally just remembered,

07:55I forgot to mention Thomas Waddingen there.

07:57Yeah.

07:58Again, what's the, what's the plan for him?

08:00Is this, is next season going to be the season where we actually see him

08:03riveling Bishop for that third number nine shirt?

08:06Or again, are we expecting too much off him at this moment?

08:09I think that's a big ask.

08:10He's a young lad.

08:11He looks to me at the moment like he's got potential.

08:14That said, Coventry away, I was really surprised for him.

08:18I've got, I had like really low expectations for Waddingen at the moment,

08:21just to, you know, come into a new country.

08:23But he looked, he looked okay.

08:26He looked okay at the level at Coventry that, that night.

08:28I mean, he ran out of steam and he got taken off early in the second half.

08:32But that, that may be indicated a bit more to me for me.

08:36I was thinking maybe like a league one loan for him.

08:39Maybe.

08:40Yeah.

08:41That, that seems to be like it's level, but I don't know.

08:44Yeah.

08:45If I'm honest, I haven't quite got a handle.

08:47It's something we will put to these sort of questions.

08:49We're going to have a wrap up with John Massino.

08:51He's treated his staff to a breakaway quite right too.

08:55All expenses paid by John Massino to Portugal for their, their efforts this season.

09:00He's taken the back room staff away for a couple of days for a puddle tennis tournament on the,

09:05probably on the Algarve somewhere.

09:07I can imagine how competitive that's going to be.

09:10But then we will come back and we will,

09:12we will sit down with John next week and kind of really, we have a,

09:15I mean, sort of betraying any confidences.

09:17We have a long chat with him.

09:19I kind of wrap up of the season.

09:20Yeah.

09:21Yeah.

09:22The retain list.

09:23These are all the sort of things.

09:24And Thomas Waddingen would definitely be one.

09:25So I haven't quite got a handle on it at the moment,

09:27but I think he's close to being a part of things.

09:29And perhaps.

09:30Yeah.

09:31Maybe I think, maybe I thought going in.

09:33Yeah.

09:34I thought he might be just one to get out on loan,

09:36but I think like a bit like Harvey Blair,

09:38I thought he'd be one,

09:39but I think they're mindful to keep Harvey Blair around next season as well.

09:43So yeah, for Thomas, it's the continuing the education.

09:50Don't expect too much for him.

09:51I think you need more experience on top of that.

09:53You need someone more of a front line and then Thomas Waddingen,

09:57but he's certainly the future.

09:59Okay.

10:00Um, what about numbers?

10:02What, what sort of numbers are you forecasting for Pompey in Cummings this,

10:06this summer?

10:07You need these questions beforehand.

10:10Yeah.

10:11Yeah.

10:12Yeah.

10:13I said to you, what are you going to, what are you going to ask me?

10:15Oh, okay.

10:16I'll wing it.

10:17And then you put me on the spot.

10:18Uh, center back.

10:19Um, I think we're okay.

10:20As I say, goalkeepers.

10:21I think probably two midfielders, um, striker.

10:24What we got, we might need one, a couple out wide.

10:27Matt Ritchie's not getting any younger.

10:28Harvey Blair's kind of.

10:29Paddy Lane's not really done it.

10:30You're looking at probably, uh, I'm getting up to sort of eight, eight.

10:33I'm getting up towards the top end of double figures here.

10:35Aren't I?

10:36I mean, you obviously you have loans to supplement the squad as well.

10:38I'm getting up to sort of eight, eight.

10:40I'm getting up towards the top end of double figures here.

10:41Aren't I?

10:42I mean, you obviously you have loans to supplement the squad as well.

10:43I'm getting up towards the top end of double figures here.

10:45Aren't I?

10:46Um, I know they won't get to the full quote.

10:48They won't go to six loans again.

10:49Um, I don't know how many I've done there, but I'm getting up to about eight signings.

10:51I think.

10:52Something around there.

10:53Someone's going to question your maths.

10:54I was on fiver.

10:55But anyway.

10:56Yeah.

10:57Maybe I'll just put a couple on top.

10:58Don't do a headline on that one, Mark.

10:59No, it's definitely not.

11:00Um, what was I going to ask you something?

11:02Um, in terms of outgoings.

11:04No, actually, hold on.

11:05Before that, there probably have been like,

11:07I don't know.

11:08I don't know.

11:09I don't know.

11:10I don't know.

11:11I don't know.

11:12I don't know.

11:13I don't know.

11:14Hey, hold on.

11:15Before that, there probably have been linked.

11:16I actually probably have been linked to the Uncrista Palace attack.

11:19Yes.

11:20Hindulu Mustafa.

11:21Hey, on YouTube.

11:23Oh, my God.

11:24Some of the goals.

11:25He scores.

11:26Fantastic.

11:27You can see why.

11:28There's a couple of clubs looking at him.

11:29Absolutely.

11:30Well, at least if you did get a chance to look on that there,

11:32my question isn't necessarily about him.

11:34It's about, are Pompey still looking at that Premier League 2 level for recruitment?

11:41Burnham Main, success and failures of it this past couple of seasons.

11:46Do Pompey again need to focus on the here and now?

11:49That has to be the priority.

11:50Or can they afford to sort of a delve into those markets, develop that type of player,

11:55and see where it brings them?

11:57You've just reminded me I've got a story to that exact extent.

12:00I think we had this conversation and I tucked it away and I spoke to John Massino the other

12:05day and I said, right, what are we going to do?

12:08You know, he talks about the strike.

12:09He gave his polite answer, his standard reply about not talking about players at other clubs.

12:14So then I developed it on the broader issue of do we exactly that?

12:17Because players will, fans sorry, will look at it and think, okay, are these what we want?

12:23You know, is it going to, are we going to establish ourselves in a championship?

12:27Of course, these are players that can come in and impact.

12:30It's not going to be the kind of the crux of the, it's not going to be the foundation of the recruitment plan,

12:36but it's one strand of it and Pompey aren't going to ignore, run away from that.

12:41So, he does, yeah, I keep calling him Mufasa, Mustafa, Mustafa, that's the Lion King, wasn't it?

12:48Indelo Mustafa, he does look, he looks the part on the clips and there's a three minute,

12:55if you want to look around on YouTube, there's a three minute clip of his performance against Chelsea

13:01last Friday where they showed every touch and he had an absolute stormer.

13:06John Messina there in person to watch that one as well, up at Gander Green Lane, I think it was.

13:13So, Crystal Palace stuffed Chelsea 6-0.

13:16This lad looks the part, he's 18, he's powerful.

13:19He is confident, he's got the trickery, he's got, you know, he's got the finishes.

13:25Both goals were fantastic, weren't they?

13:27He's a full international for Sierra like Leone already at 18 and scored a goal for them as well.

13:33I had a chat with Svetslav Todorov on Monday, Alan Knight's charity match, the prostate cancer awareness game

13:42and Toddy gave Hindelo Mustafa, Mustafa, Mustafa, Hindelo Mustafa his scholarship.

13:51Oh, okay.

13:53And so he knows him well and we had a good talk about him and what he's got and where he can improve.

14:00And I think it was, it had been observed of him that perhaps for all the talent he needs to maybe, like,

14:09he's going to come in and affect Pompey in the championship.

14:11He would need to put the yards in, put more work in and more mileage in than what we're seeing from him at the moment.

14:19But he's a young lad, he's learning the way he's 18.

14:22I think, you know, some time under John Cassino's choose to just certainly knock that into him, that's for sure.

14:27Because that's been central to what Pompey, and will continue to be important to Pompey moving forward.

14:31But my understanding is there is some interest in the player.

14:36It wouldn't necessarily be seen as a frontline option, potential backup option to come in.

14:43So you wouldn't be kind of, but why shouldn't Pompey look at these Premier League two players?

14:47Because they can come in and there's examples of them.

14:50It's not, it's not easy to find them, but we've seen before, we've seen the Alex Robertson's and like,

14:56who, and players like this, who can come in and step up from that level.

15:00Perhaps they have, they, you know, Pompey would be mindful, ideally, to get the player on their second line.

15:07Because that first one's a tough one for them as they step up to senior football.

15:11But this lad looks exceptional, doesn't he?

15:13He looks exceptional.

15:15Yeah.

15:17Just like that news, wasn't there, there was one of the, was it Fabrizio Romano?

15:22Wasn't there a line about some international international as well?

15:24Yeah.

15:25Was it Ajax in the final?

15:26Yeah.

15:27And apparently three loans.

15:28He's already been given three loan options and Burnham A were still dead at their season.

15:33Yeah.

15:34Toddy wasn't aware.

15:35I spoke to Toddy about that.

15:36He wasn't aware of that.

15:37He, that was news to him, but obviously he's, yeah, finger on the pulse.

15:41But yeah, anyway, we were just having a chat, just, you know, chewing the fat about him really.

15:46He wasn't kind of giving me any sort of great ins, but he just talked generally about the player and his ability.

15:51And he seemed very positive about him and looking at the information and the video out there of him and that game.

15:57The fact that Messina is watching him.

15:59Yeah.

16:00Yeah.

16:01There's, you know, certainly potential there with that player.

16:04Okay.

16:05I'm very conscious.

16:06This is meant to be a bait size video, but we're, we're stretching the boundaries of bait size.

16:10One last question.

16:11And just going back to the point you were making about Christian Serie.

16:14Is there, the retain list is going to be coming out this week.

16:18There's going to be players told they can leave Pompey.

16:21In your opinion, is there fringe players, players who haven't played that much this season or who have struggled with the step up the championship.

16:29Is there a possibility Pompey could be giving them the freedom to leave Fratton Park as well this summer?

16:36Yeah.

16:37Yeah.

16:38It's, well, it's been explicitly stated by John Messina.

16:40Of course he wouldn't name names, but when talking about last week about the, the retain list, obviously you've got the out of contract players, which is a bit more clear, clean cut really.

16:54Because, you know, Pompey's control over that, but, um, he said that there will be a couple of conversations with those type of players.

17:01Um, he says, obviously not, I've given the players the contracts.

17:04So it's within their gift to sit tight.

17:07Um, as Riley Taylor has done, even though, you know, he's been clear that he's out of favor.

17:13Uh, he, yeah, he, he was keen to stay and, uh, fight for his place, but there will be some of those conversations.

17:20Riley Taylor would, would be one, wouldn't he?

17:22I think Christian Sadie would certainly be under consideration to be one of those.

17:26Abdoulaye Kamara is not featured.

17:28That would naturally be one.

17:30Paddy Lane, um, again, stepped up to the championship.

17:34Not, but, you know, it would be disappointed, but I think, you know, he got a, you know, an argument to say that he could make that transition.

17:42Uh, we'll see how things pan out with Paddy.

17:44Obviously he needs to get himself fit and, uh, see how things play out there for them.

17:48But there's a number of those type of players.

17:50I think you'll probably, I've probably covered the bases there really in terms of the contenders for that.

17:56Will McIntyre remember?

17:57Oh, sorry.

17:58Yeah.

17:59I'll dismiss McIntyre.

18:00He's yeah.

18:01He's obviously on his, you know, would be on his way with the opportunity to do so, but that would be the other one.

18:06I always forget about Tom cause he's been out on the line.

18:08Yeah.

18:09Um, but they would, they would be, and it's not me saying that we've, you know, I'm being tipped, you know, a wink on that and told these players, it's just, they're the obvious people.