The four key areas Portsmouth must strengthen before the end of the transfer window

That’s the verdict of The News’ Mark McMahon, who has insisted the Blues should look to add new faces at right-wing, left-wing, centre-midfield and at centre-back before the deadline.

There’s just over 24 hours before the market slams shut, with John Mousinho expecting a busy end to the month.

But how busy do Pompey realistically need to be in order to boost their play-off hopes?

McMahon highlighted the four positions he would like to see the Blues add to before Tuesday’s 11pm closure.

Here’s what he had to say on the latest Pompey Talk podcast: ‘The forward department needs to be looked at, in particular, the two wide areas.

‘With Ronan Curtis out, I don’t feel they have enough options down the left. We all know what a good player Michael Jacobs can be but he is so unreliable with injuries.

‘Pompey do need to look in that area. Dane Scarlett filled in there on Saturday but that isn’t his natural position.

‘It’s a similar issue on the right. We all like Owen Dale, we all know his work-rate, his energy and his tenacity, but at the same time, what is he producing?

‘You just have to look at his numbers to see he’s got one goal and four assists all season. I can understand why people are comparing him to Ryan Williams.

‘We all liked Williams, we all appreciated what he brought to the team, but when it comes down to the numbers in an attacking sense, Williams’ numbers weren’t great either. Hence why Pompey decided to let him go.

‘Owen Dale fits in to that category. He’s a good player at this level and he certainly enhances Pompey’s attacking threat, but he needs to improve his figures.

‘When you look at both flanks, there doesn’t seem to be a natural crosser to make the most of Colby Bishop’s aerial threat.

‘We all know what Bishop can do when he gets the service and he will score the goals.

‘I can’t see enough depth in the wide areas and having players who can take on defenders and getting to the by-line to put crosses in.

‘They also need to improve in midfield, although they are well-stocked and have plenty of numbers.

‘Harry Jewitt-White is back in the fold but he’s only back to make up the numbers. Joe Morrell was suspended (against Peterborough), Jay Mingi and Tom Lowery are injured and Louis Thompson is only just coming back.

‘We can’t expect Thompson to be the Louis Thompson we saw last season, he needs time.

‘If Pompey play a 4-3-3, you also wonder if he fits in that system, where they have two players in the number eight role, who run up and down.

‘Morrell can play that role really well and his absence was really felt on Saturday. Whether Ryan Tunnicliffe can do that regularly will be something to take a look at.

‘Mingi can do that role but we still don’t know how bad his injury is and how long he will be out for.

‘We also know that they also need a new centre-back. They’ve gone back to two central defenders with Ryley Towler and Sean Raggett.

‘Connor Ogilvie can play there and Clark Robertson as well, but he’s another who is unreliable because of his fitness.

‘I can see why they want to bring a new face in, in particular, a right-footed centre-half because it will be needed.

‘We all love Raggett and know what he can do, but we also might get a small error from him and sometimes it might be good to take him out of the side.’