The Portsmouth management change John Marquis believes can have him terrorising League One defences again

And the Blues striker believes a change in playing style can add to his potency over the remainder of the season.

Marquis made a goalscoring return to injury in the 2-1 success over Shrewsbury, as he grabbed his 16th goal of the season

The 28-year-old was then controversially dismissed and faces a three-match ban, although Pompey will appeal the decision.

That would be a blow for both the player and his team after Danny Cowley’s side moved back into the play-off places after back-to-back wins.

After toiling through the final months of Kenny Jackett’s reign, Marquis feels a move away from high balls played up to the poacher can help him to cause more worries for League One defences.

Marquis said: ‘I think the way they play, I’m a natural fit for that if I’m being honest.

‘I think a high-pressing number nine with good mobility who can drags defenders around, not just for myself but to make space for others, I think someone like that will work with them.

‘My strengths aren’t always back to goal, balls up to my chest and balls up to my head.

‘I can improve on that and I have been improving on that, but my strengths are getting into positions where I can score goals.

‘I’ve scored a lot of tap-ins since I’ve been here, but that is no coincidence, you have to be in those positions and it’s a natural instinct.

‘It’s the process of getting there and the build-up.

‘Sometimes you have to gamble and get in the right areas.

‘With the style and the passing change I feel there will be more opportunities in the box, which is where I feel I can be dangerous.’

Marquis has faced criticism for his form as Pompey struggled for much of 2021, but he feels his goal return in his time at Fratton Park stands up to inspection, especially viewed in context.

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But the man who bagged 26 strikes in two of his three seasons at Doncaster is confident his goals-to-game ratio can be ramped up under the Cowleys.

Marquis added: ‘I don’t think I’ve been terrible since I’ve come here. I’ve still got a good amount of goals.

‘This was my 16th of the season and I got 14 last season when playing number 10 for a third of the season and I was on the bench for a lot of it.

‘Straightaway speaking to the manager and Nicky, you can see there’s a lot of good ideas there. ‘There’s a lot I feel personally suits my style.

‘It’s based on movement, getting numbers around me, forward passes, interchanging and movement. That suits me.

‘Over my three years at Donny both managers, Darren Ferguson and Grant McCann had similar ideas to the manager we now have here, so there’s a lot of positives to look at.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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