Gaffer For A Day: Never fall in love with a Portsmouth loan player - but we are with Spurs' Minhyoek Yang

Firstly, what are your thoughts on the sad passing of Milan Mandaric?

My first Pompey game was against Barnsley in May 2001, when we beat them to stay up on the last day of the season. I went with my mum and dad and, when I saw that Fratton Park pitch, my eyes lit up.

In truth, that 2002-03 season was the one which really cemented me as a Pompey fan. The team Milan and Harry Redknapp built were so great to watch. I still watch the season review on YouTube even now.

I was out on Saturday night and came back in a really good mood, then I heard the news and it dampened it for me. It was a bit of a shock, I didn’t know he had been ill.

How do you view that Pompey performance?

Overall, it was very, very good. Well-rounded, everything you wanted from a Pompey display. We grew into the first half and controlled it, then the second half we had to dig deep.

We are starting to do that now and are becoming more resilient as a Championship side.

It’s typical Pompey, though. Sheffield Wednesday aside, we’ve had a very good start to the season. You would have taken 13th. If the table was to stop now, I would be very happy with where we are.

Who was your man of the match?

There are five or six candidates, but the one who slightly stands out was Andre Dozzell. The way he goes about his job is so under the radar in that midfield.

Marlon Pack is the commander of the midfield at the moment, but Dozzell has so much energy, his defensive work against Middlesbrough was brilliant and he always seems to have that time on the ball now.

He’s a really important player in our team now and, with his contract expiring at the end of the season, has to be given a new two-year contract.

Dozzell has grown massively. When he first started last season he looked like a top-end League One player to me, someone we would have had in that promotion season. Now he would probably easily walk in 15-16 other Championship sides.

What have you made of Minhyeok Yang’s form?

I have a funny feeling Yang is going to become a new Abu Kamara. Don’t fall in love with loan signings, we should have learnt from that now!

He’s full of energy and plays that left-wing role differently to Josh Murphy, which is good for us to have. He's dangerous cutting in on that left-hand side of the box, with an almost identical goal to Watford.

I hadn’t seen a lot of him before the last week, but he looked like one of those players who you think: ‘He’s not going to cut it here’. But he has been fantastic the last two games.

My question is, where do you fit Yang in once Murphy is fit? Do you put him on the right wing? We seem to have about 14 players that can play the number 10 role, so not there.

I think he’s going to become the new Ben Thompson and Abu Kamara, every transfer window can we get him back?

Josef Bursik - 7

Jordan Williams - 8

Josh Knight - 7

Regan Poole - 7

Connor Ogilvie - 8

Marlon Pack - 8

Andre Dozzell - 8

Conor Chaplin - 6

John Swift - 7

Minhyeok Yang - 8

Colby Bishop - 6

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