John Swift's plea to Portsmouth boss as ex-West Brom man bids to prove worth to Fratton faithful
The Gosport lad has made 22 appearances for the Blues this season, scoring once
John Swift admits the Blues have still to see the best of him following his summer arrival.
But he’s convinced returning to the attacking role he has built his career upon can finally enable him to deliver the goals and assists Pompey crave.
The Gosport lad was surprisingly restored to the number 10 position against Sheffield United on Saturday, starting in place of the injured Conor Chaplin.
It represented a first start since New Year’s Day - and only his sixth start for Pompey in a favoured position in which he previously thrived in at West Brom and Reading.
With Mousinho desperately requiring creativity and guile for his struggling team, the 30-year-old produced arguably his most impressive 45 minutes at Fratton Park in the first half against the Blades
And Swift is hoping he will now be given more opportunity in attacking areas of the Blues’ side.
‘Maybe Pompey haven’t seen the best of me’
He told The News: ‘It’s like any player in the league, you want to play in the position where you've been playing most of your career. On Saturday, I got the chance to do that and I’m fairly happy with my performance, but, ultimately, it’s about the team and we didn't come away with the points.
‘I try to do as much of the defensive work as possible to help the team out, but I am going to get judged on chances, assists, goals and stuff like that. That’s what I’m in the team to do.
‘At the beginning of the season, I played as six when we had a few injuries. We started quite well and didn’t want to change anything, but, like anyone, you always want to play in your position and do the best for the team in your position.
‘On Saturday I got the chance to do that. I’m happy with my overall input into the game. Maybe Pompey haven’t yet seen the best of me. I’ve only got a couple of assists and one goal. I am not exactly really happy with the way I have been performing.
‘I will be a lot more confident playing in my position and hopefully I get a few more opportunities in the future and I can up those numbers.
‘I can bring what I have always brought in the Championship. That’s creativity, trying to get onto the ball in difficult areas, trying to play that last pass for the strikers and the wingers, getting into positions which are going to be threatening for the opposition.
‘Chappers has been doing really well and he’s got a slight knock, so it gives an opportunity for someone else to come into that position and hopefully do as much as they can for the team.’
Six successive starts as a defensive midfielder
Swift, who arrived on a free transfer from West Brom in July, started Pompey’s opening six league games as a number six, with Marlon Pack out injured.
Before Saturday, his last start as a number 10 was in the 4-0 hammering at Birmingham on November 1, with Chaplin subsequently establishing himself in that role.
And Swift came mightily close to capping his return to the side with a goal in the 1-0 defeat to the Blades.
He added: ‘I got into quite good positions on Saturday, especially in the first half.
‘My second-half shot was quite close. The distance the ball travelled and the way the pitch is at the moment, it started to bobble up a bit.
‘Looking back now, I could have maybe put it into the other corner, but it happened so quickly, I had to get a shot off.
‘It happened in the first half and I ended up getting a yellow card! So I had to make sure I got a shot off.’