Portsmouth braced for another League One battle off the pitch - but the stakes are higher than ever

An understatement if ever there was one given recent events.

The Fratton Park chief has been in the ring, battling for the Blues, ever since the coronavirus pandemic brought football to a standstill in March.

He was up against the ropes as clubs in League One fought about whether the division should be completed.

A scrap then ensued over who should be in the play-offs.

Meanwhile, there was a bruising encounter as the fight turned to which points-per-game formula should be utilised to determine final league placings.

To his credit, Catlin stood firm throughout – going toe-to-toe with his adversaries in the best interests of Pompey.

And while he didn’t succeed in delivering his main objective of the 2020-21 season ending under natural circumstances, with all games completed on the pitch, he remained standing.

Battle-wary, no doubt, with the scars to show, but with the majority of Blues fans firmly in his corner.

Yet with such wounds now almost fully healed – despite the sucker-punch of that play-off penalty shootout defeat at the hands of Oxford – a rematch with now familiar League One opponents looks on the cards.

Only this time, the stakes are higher. The impact could have longer-lasting effects. There’ll be no climbing up off the canvass on this occasion if a body blow is suffered.

The EFL’s determination to enforce a wage ceiling on its divisions is not surprising given the impact that Covid-19 has had on clubs, particularly those at the lower end of the pryamid.

For the record, Pompey are all for sustainability in the game and ensuring clubs operate within their means.

After all, the Blues know all about the dangers that lie in wait if finances are stretched.

However, the league’s proposals appear a step too far in that general direction and will effectively punish clubs like Pompey who have the means to conduct their business at a certain level despite their League One status.

The £2.5m yearly salary cap falls way short of the estimated £4m budget the Fratton Park outfit utilised for the 2020-21 season.

And while some might argue it was hardly money well spent given the Blues’ failure to achieve promotion to the Championship at the third time of asking, surely it a club’s prerogative to spend their cash as they see fit, especially if it’s within their operational means.

Pompey announced a profit of £2.05m back in March, with a turnover of £11.57m.

Their £4m playing budget was clearly affordable.

So why impose stringent ceilings on a key aspect of a club’s make-up?

Why not introduce a wage cap indexed to turnover?

That’s what Pompey, and the likes of Sunderland and Ipswich have proposed.

And surely it makes for a better argument than that presently favoured by the EFL and some of the so-called smaller clubs.

Some of these outfits, don’t forget, don’t currently have a budget that comes close to the proposed £2.5m.

So, in theory, while the powers that be advocate sensible levels of spending and clubs operating at an appropriate standard, there's nothing stopping owners ploughing extra money, which is often their own, into their clubs to get them up to the level suggested.

Where’s the fairness in that?

An owner can overspend in one instance, while Pompey, with potentially money to burn in their pockets, are prevented from doing so in another.

When talk is all about creating level-playing fields, the Blues & Co could suddenly find themselves at a disadvantage.

And the flaws don’t end there, either.

Pompey’s average wage per individual stands at roughly £3,500 a week – which is well-above the £1,300 set to be recommended.

Again, that’s well within their means – and whether or not they’re getting value for money is another matter.

But moving forward, that will need to be drastically reduced, especially if Pompey remain in League One.

Simply put, that means players of lesser quality calling Fratton Park their home.

And even if a successful promotion push is achieved, the £18m salary cap proposed for the Championship dwarfs that for the third tier.

That most likely creates a yo-yo culture where clubs promoted are likely to come straight back down given the gulf in levels of spending.

Sides dropping from the second tier stand to profit, though, as any contract(s) offered while in the Championship will not send a club’s spend over the £2.5m limit.

They’ll fall under the ‘league average’ category – irrespective if the player(s) is on say, £8,000 per week.

The proposal also incorporates player bonuses, signing-on fees, national insurance contributions, agents’ fees, and relocation costs.

And we all know living down south costs a lot more than in the north.

However, budgets cannot be boosted by money generated by player sales – which is often the lifeblood of many clubs.

It will not take into consideration, either, those players whose deals are due to expire.

The Blues have 11 players out of contract at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, including the likes of Tom Naylor, Andy Cannon, Jack Wahtmough, Ben Close and Ryan Williams.

At present, Kenny Jackett’s summer transfer plans are on hold – simply because he doesn’t know at this moment in time what funds he will have available.

That’s also the case when it comes to those now in the final 12 months of their contracts.

The club cannot begin the process of talking new deals to those they might want to keep as finances restrict them from doing do.

Meanwhile, they might not be able to afford the desired new wage demands, which increases the risk of players leaving on free transfers or players being sold before their contracts expire.

Fans can therefore expect a higher turnover of the playing squad, which will prove destablising – and doesn’t necessarily take a player into consideration.

The timing of such a proposal and the speed at which it could be implemented also fails to generate confidence.

Clubs are still taking stock of the impact of coronavirus on their operations – although, the wage cap is seen as part of the solution.

That’s why many of the smaller outfits are in favour of a wage cap being rolled out.

However, fairness should not benefit some at the expense of others when such a disparity exists.

A vote at the end of the month will determine whether the proposal will be set in motion, with 16 of the division’s 24 clubs needed for it’s passing.

That means more sparring is on the agenda for Catlin as he once again prepares to head into ring.

He’ll no doubt know his tactics for yet another massive fight and will be well versed on how to defend Pompey’s interests yet again.

Hopefully, he’ll be able to deliver a knock-out blow to the specific proposal.

If not, current Blues ambitions could be out for the count.