Portsmouth leave the past behind at Ipswich and prove they crave a bigger and brighter future

And the second-half withdrawal of former Fratton Park front man Oli Hawkins during the FA Cup clash at Ipswich suggested it was recent acquisition Rasmus Nicolaisen who came out on top in this intriguing battle of wills.

An indication of the direction the Blues are currently heading perhaps.

Hawkins was allowed to leave the Blues in the summer after three seasons, 96 appearances and 18 goals.

The decision to let him go came as a surprise to the former Dagenham & Redbridge forward.

It was a choice Kenny Jackett agonised over – but this week the Pompey boss admitted the need to ‘evolve’ as a team was a key factor in his conclusion.

That desire to progress and try something new would have been central to the decision to explore the European transfer market and bring in Nicolaisen from Danish outfit FC Midtjylland on loan.

The centre-back has had to be patient since arriving in September, with Jack Whatmough and Sean Raggett ahead of him in the pecking order.

But you get the sense his presence and the quality he brings symbolises the vision Jackett has.

Last season and the campaign before, the manager might possibly have utilised Hawkins in the centre of defence for a game like that at Portman Road.

With no Whatmough to call upon and Paul Downing and James Bolton out of the picture, the former non-league man would have been asked to step in.

He might even have been leading the line alongside John Marquis, rather than Ryan Williams or Marcus Harness.

Not now, though. There’s an urgency to think bigger and better.

In fairness, Nicolaisen wasn’t one of the Blues’ star performers against the Tractor Boys.

He helped contain Hawkins, despite being roughed up a couple of times, and managed to nullify his threat.

However, he was lucky to get away with a tug on the now Ipswich front man’s shirt in the second half – an action which prompted home calls for a penalty.

Meanwhile, it was his clearance, which was sent straight back into the Blues’ defensive third, that allowed James Norwood to score with his first touch of the ball.

There’s clearly still work to be done with the Dane.

Yet, Hawkins’ substitution just after the hour mark following an average appearance against his former employers proved a point and demonstrated Jackett was right to let him go.

Yes, he might be a decent player, a nice guy, and might pose one or two defences a problem this season.

But the Blues do need better than what they had last season.

There’s nothing to be gained by standing still and sticking by those who failed to deliver the ultimate goal – promotion.

Jackett has recognised this even more in recent weeks, as he’s proven more flexible with his formations and been more receptive to throwing caution to the wind

There’s definitely been a need to evolve – something many supporters have been demanding for quite some time.

Saturday’s events at Portman Road, though, showed it’s developing as we speak, with Pompey’s ability to grind out a 3-2 win further proof of that.

And there should be no apology made to those who are left behind and cast aside in the process.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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