Why two years on Portsmouth are finally now unthinkable without Andy Cannon

Not merely for the fact that his previous outing against the Posh came while suffering from undiagnosed symptoms which strangely drained his usual high-octane presence.

Not long after that March encounter, it transpired he had coronavirus.

Nonetheless, Saturday marked Cannon’s 50th Pompey outing – accomplished in almost two years at the club.

The duration it took for the feat to be achieved reflects the strength of challenges faced by the determined midfielder since his January 2019 arrival from Rochdale.

To his immense credit, Cannon has fought back to establish himself as a pivotal figure in Kenny Jackett’s latest team rebuild designed to yield Championship football.

As appears to be human nature, he was written off by many supporters following a long-term quad injury early in his Fratton Park career.

Cannon would feature for just 102 minutes of first-team action during the second half of the 2018-19 season as the League One title front runners collapsed.

That was sufficient for some to deliver damning verdicts on his ability, urging the Blues to swiftly jettison the injured midfielder on the basis of not being up to scratch.

Cannon’s talent was judged entirely on the basis of two matches and a poorly-timed injury. Undoubtedly harsh.

By the opening Fratton Park game of the following League One season, he was receiving a standing ovation following substitution against Tranmere.

The Fratton end sang his name upon that 68th-minute exit, while The News crowned him man of the match in the 2-0 triumph, with Hollywood superstar Will Ferrell curiously in attendance.

That was August 2019, yet even then it has still taken the 24-year-old more than a year since to truly establish himself in Jackett’s favoured side.

Cannon totalled 28 appearances last season – already he has featured 20 times in the 2020-21 campaign.

This has been no rejuvenation from the softly-spoken lad from Glossop, not far from Manchester.

Crucially, his re-emergence has primarily been driven by the manager’s discovery of his most effective position. And, of course, no injury woes.

In Jackett’s 4-2-3-1, his Rochdale recruit was deemed not equipped to serve as a number 10 where goals and assists are imperative.

As for one of the two holding midfielders, Cannon’s attacking instinct and impressive dribbling ability to drive forward with the ball also rendered him a poor fit.

Instead, he was condemned to bursts of energy from the bench, a will-o’-the-wisp figure to liven up a flagging side, dragging them further up the pitch.

Then, at Gillingham in mid-October, Jackett paired him with Tom Naylor at the heart of a four-man midfield. You know the rest.

Cannon has now started 11 consecutive League One fixtures. Yet 13 months earlier was an unused substitute in eight successive matches in all competitions.

Overall, since his January 2019 move from Rochdale, he has played in 50 of Pompey’s 103 games.

Now it seems unthinkable for a Jackett side to be without Cannon’s infectious spark.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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