Predicted Portsmouth Lineup To Face Rochdale On The Opening Day Of The Season
Portsmouth are looking to hit the ground running in League One following their ascension last season and have got a very winnable home game to kick off with against Rochdale.
Kenny Jackett’s men need a positive result to gain some early momentum and could be doing it with a now very familiar 4-2-3-1 shape. The following players may well be entrusted with the task of getting Pompey off to the best possible start in their new division:
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Manager: Kenny Jackett
GK – Luke McGee
Although little is known about the new arrival, he comes from Tottenham Hotspur and as such, it’s difficult to believe he will not be up to the task of keeping goal in League One.
RB – Drew Talbot
The 31-year-old may be relied upon here for his experience and may get a starting berth.
CB – Nathan Thompson
A free signing from Swindon Town, Thompson has obvious quality and should step straight into the Pompey line-up.
CB – Matt Clarke
Although there is plenty of competition for places at the back, youngster Clarke may be given the chance to impress this season and is on the up.
LB – Tareiq Holmes-Dennis
The valuable left-back is on loan from Huddersfield Town and the Terriers hope he’ll turn into a very good player eventually.
CM – Danny Rose
The midfield looks concerning to me with not a lot of experience floating around, though Rose is an exception on that score.
CM – Ben Close
Plenty of young players are looking for a midfield role at Portsmouth right now and Close may get the nod to start the first game of the campaign.
RW – Gary Roberts
May well be used here for his nous and can cut in from the right-hand side onto his left foot to very good effect.
CAM – Conor Chaplin
The youngster is one for the future and his precociousness may win the day when Jackett mulls over his first team sheet of the season.
LW – Milan Lalkovic
The Slovakian has a touch of quality and may start the season out on the left-hand side of the attack.
ST – Brett Pitman
A cracking signing from Ipswich Town, the 29-year-old could well be prolific in this league and is head and shoulders above anything else Portsmouth have had for some time. For any team to do well they need a proper goal scorer and despite the obvious deficiencies in other areas, they may have been wise to ply the money into getting Pitman down to the south coast.