'Disappointing' - Neil Allen’s verdict on Portsmouth’s transfer window, goalscoring problems, new midfield crisis, Michael Jacobs and much more

Pompey fell to a 2-1 defeat to Charlton on Monday night as the transfer window drew to a close.
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Here, we get chief sports writer Neil Allen’s verdict on the Addicks loss as well as his thoughts on the Blues’ transfer business over the past month.

Q The performance against Charlton on Monday night understandably left many fans frustrated. Is it a case that this new-look side needs time to bond or are there more signs that these players might not be good enough to see Pompey compete for play-off and promotion?

First of all we can’t judge the new players yet, they’ve only had three games. We’ve not even seen Aiden O’Brien so let’s not judge him yet.

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It’s the age-old problem – we say it every week, every game. We all know Pompey don’t use the ball well enough in the final third, whether it’s a pass, cross, shot, free-kick or even a header. It’s everything.

The amount of times the ball has been put into the box and no-one has got a decent header or foot on it.

Pompey’s efficiency in the final third is appalling. They make promising moves, get in great positions, but it’s just the use of the ball that is really poor.

We are seeing it time and time again with different players and it’s still the same issue.

Pompey head coach Danny Cowley    Picture: Robin JonesPompey head coach Danny Cowley    Picture: Robin Jones
Pompey head coach Danny Cowley Picture: Robin Jones
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We saw that Monday night, we’re seeing it in every game at the moment, and it is an age-old problem.

What’s the solution? Does he change the system?

Although the defensive solidity is there, they don't score enough goals. People are scared to have a shot and we’re all bored or seeing this.

You can’t moan about the players coming in, we’ve barely seen Tyler Walker and he’s only had three games, but we’ve barely seen him because he’s barely had the ball.

I think he’s had one shot which was in his first game against Wimbledon – and that’s all I can think of.

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They need the ball in the box and they need some creativity for them.

It’s only there when Michael Jacobs comes off the bench.

Q There's clearly a problem in the final third. Has that been adequately addressed in the January window?

It’s not because they can't score goals.

You can argue that the personnel are better.

Again, I’ll mention Walker, who we've not seen a lot of in an attacking sense, which is no fault of his own. It’s just a case of utilizing these players.

We know Lee Brown could not play left wing-back, Reeco Hackett can’t play there, so at least they’ve got someone who can play there and I was encouraged by him.

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He put some balls in the box, had a shot early on which flashed across the goal.

Mahlon Romeo is a very good player but we need more from him, more assists, more crosses, more goals.

We just need more from the wing-backs in this system.

It’s just not working out in terms of scoring goals and you can’t have goalless draws every game because if there’s one mistake from the linesman, like we saw Monday night, then suddenly you’re up against it.

Q Michael Jacobs can clearly provide so much for Pompey in that department. We know a recent illness meant he was unable to start against Charlton but do you really think the penny has dropped with Danny Cowley regarding how effective he could be for the team?

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He returned to training on Sunday a day before the game and there were concerns about his fitness and that’s why they couldn’t start him.

They wanted to start him and that was the idea until it happened.

Cowley knows he needs to get him in the idea and wants to get him in the side somehow – his performance at Sunderland showed that and he wanted him in the side against Charlton but it wasn't possible.

But we saw him in the match for 19 minutes and he lit up Pompey, he had some creativity, he ran with the ball, he looked class.

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We know that because we’ve seen him and many of us want to see him play more games and I think we’ve now seen that because there’s not enough creativity in that squad, and a small squad let’s not forget.

He needs to be utilised as much as possible. Who else will provide that spark?

There’s no-one in that squad who can do that at the moment.

Q Have Pompey left themselves short in midfield, especially after Shaun Williams went off injured against the Addicks?

Nobody thought that Williams would be leaving the stadium in a wheelchair on Monday night.

It was a horrible sight seeing him come off the pitch – Danny Cowley had to leave his interviews to speak to him on his way to an ambulance, he was in a bad way, on a drip as well, so best wishes to him.

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But you can’t predict these things, however suddenly it shows the weaknesses in the squad and the squad size.

There’s 20 in the squad, including Williams, and if he’s out for a long time that’s 19.

Ryan Tunnicliffe is still coming back from injury so suddenly you’ve only got two fit central midfielders, It’s hindsight.

Williams has a very good injury record for Pompey this year, he’s played regularly, who would’ve thought that could’ve happened?

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It’s an awful look on Pompey’s behalf that it should happen on the night of the transfer window.

Q Finally, what's your verdict on Pompey's January transfer window?

It’s disappointing. The manager’s disappointed and if he’s disappointed then I think it says a lot.

Speaking to him afterwards he was down about the result, but he wanted more players.

All managers do, but seven left and only five arrived, so they’ve reduced the squad and removed players.

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It was time for Ellis Harrison to go, was anyone upset about that?

Paul Downing, time for him to go; Lee Brown had lost his place and didn’t fit the system; John Marquis, there’s some fans still right behind him and still believe he can come good after two-and-a-half years of failure, but some fans were happy he left.

So Pompey have shipped out players who didn’t have a future here and would’ve left in the summer.

However, you have to replace them and they haven’t bought players in to replace them, have they?

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Goalkeepers are fine, at left and right-back they’re fine and at centre-half they’re fine.

But in central midfield he wanted to recruit another player.

For me, it’s yet another disappointing transfer window.

But let's be realistic, clubs don’t make the majority of their signings in January.

Clubs also sign players very late in January on deadline day, it happens at every club, every year, so it's not just Pompey being rubbish.

It happens at every football club, but looking at Pompey, they clearly should've signed more, wanted to sign more and for me that was disappointing.