Argyle v Portsmouth (build up)

Portsmouth News

Andy Cannon and Jack Whatmough may be pushing for a place in the squad to face Plymouth at Home Park on Monday night after making good recoveries from injury.

But Tom Naylor and Sean Raggett are new doubts as Kenny Jackett weighs up his options for the trip to Devon and TV clash with Argyle.

Jackett told the club website: 'We’re waiting for news on a few people, with Andy Cannon and Jack Whatmough possibly returning to fitness and having a chance.

'But Tom Naylor and Sean Raggett both have knocks, so it’s been a busy weekend for us to see where those guys are. We’ll have to see how they clear up. Either way, though, the side we put out at Plymouth on Monday will be ready for the game and looking forward to it.'

Jackett has been glad of a longer than usual break of nine days between league games - having played a team featuring plenry of academy players against West Ham U21s in the EFL Trophy last midweek.

He told the website: 'It’s a great opportunity for us in front of the television cameras and it’s an occasion we’re looking forward to. Plymouth’s home record is excellent – with five wins and a draw – and they are very well coached, while they also have momentum after coming up last year.

'Both sides are within touching distance of the top of the table with so much of the season still to go and a good run can get you right in there. With the game being played on the Monday, it has given most of the first team lads a bit of a break, although not from training.

'Having a little bit of a breather can hopefully get a few of the guys fit and ready because the matches are coming thick and fast again. There’s been a lot of travelling, but we’ve got a couple of home fixtures coming up against Crewe and Oxford, followed by King’s Lynn in the FA Cup

Gaffer  for the day: Harry Haskett, aged 25 and from Paulsgrove, previews Pompey’s trip to Plymouth.

We used to be friends - the new hyped-up rivalry between Portsmouth and Plymouth is bizarre

It does baffle me, Plymouth were quite a nice club before this stupid made-up rivalry.

This is not a derby, never in a million years. We have our own proper rivals, they have their own rivals, the national media have blown it out of all proportion.

I remember when we went there for a League Cup game in August 2012 with our kids playing because the club was in so much financial trouble.

Before kick-off, Plymouth had a band playing in a tent outside the ground with fans mixing, there were no problems. I have photos and everything.

Then, during the match, they helped us pass a banner around, which was really good of them.

So I find it bizarre that this is now considered a rivalry with this hyped-up edge on a game.

It does annoy me a bit, it’s so unnecessary. The mind boggles why it is now considered that way.

Still, it has been a bit of an up and down season for Pompey and it’s great that Kenny Jackett has now given the fans what they’ve wanted for a long time.

Finally we have an extra person up front in support of John Marquis – and it's a really good combination between him and Marcus Harness.

When we signed Marquis from Doncaster, I remember watching a compilation of his goals. Later it was clear we were not playing to his strengths.

I follow a Donny fan on Twitter and he’s laughing every week about us ruining him. Marquis is not a target man, he needs help.

I was actually surprised when Marquis came back to Pompey. He would take so much stick every time we played against him as he always scored and his first Fratton Park spell didn’t end too well.

Now a small tweak and he’s back to his normal self. The change of system also helps Andy Cannon, which is suddenly less defensive.

Cannon needs a few more goals to his game, but Ben Thompson was never a great scorer either. However, both have that energy to push us forward from midfield.

Picking a team is hard because Pompey have so many injuries and we don’t know who has trained since Friday.

If fit, though, I would select Jack Whatmough alongside Rasmus Nicolaisen in the centre of defence, replacing Sean Raggett.

With Ronan Curtis away on international duty and Michael Jacobs injured, we’re struggling for someone on the left-hand side of midfield.

I would play Jordy Hiwula there. He hasn’t played a league game for almost a year, but it’s a case of needs must.

Pompey (4-4-1-1): MacGillivray, Johnson, Nicolaisen, Whatmough, Pring, Williams, Naylor, Close, Hiwula, Harness, Marquis.

Having won four consecutive games in all competitions, Argyle face one of the toughest tests of the season so far on Monday night.

The Sky Bet League One fixture against Portsmouth sees the division’s best home and away records clash live on Sky Sports.

Ryan Lowe’s Pilgrims have accrued five wins and one draw from their opening six league games at Home Park this season, while Kenny Jackett’s Pompey remain unbeaten on their travels, winning four of their five league fixtures away from home.

The two sides sit on the fringes of the play-off pack, with Pompey, who have reached the League One play-offs in both of the last two seasons, recovering from a sluggish start to the 20/21 campaign to sit two points clear of Argyle before kick-off on Monday night, having played one more game.

Results on the road for the Fratton Park side include the notable scalps of high-flying Lincoln City and Sunderland in recent weeks, with striker John Marquis bagging a double on each occasion in 3-1 victories. In Emirates FA Cup action last weekend, the south coast side added another impressive victory against Ipswich Town, with Sean Raggett netting an extra-time goal to give Pompey a 3-2 victory – although a heavily-rotated Portsmouth side did lose out to West Ham United’s under-21 side in Papa John’s Trophy action in midweek.

Lowe’s side will arrive at kick-off without fear, having generated some excellent results in recent weeks. A much-changed Argyle side saw off Newport County 3-1 in their Papa John’s Trophy dead rubber in midweek, adding to a superb 1-0 win on the road at Charlton Athletic in the first-round of the Emirates FA Cup.

Last time out in the league, Argyle put four past Swindon Town, courtesy of a Luke Jephcott double, Joe Edwards, and a sublime Conor Grant free-kick.

The Greens will be without top scorer Jephcott for the clash with Portsmouth, as the Pilgrims’ Academy graduate is on international duty with the Welsh under-21 squad. However, apart from Jephcott’s absence, Lowe has a near fully-fit squad to choose from, save for long-term absentee Gary Sawyer, and midfielder Lewis Macleod, who has returned to training after a knee injury.

Portsmouth will arrive at Home Park without talismanic winger Ronan Curtis, who is on international duty with Ireland, while summer signing Michael Jacobs is also unlikely to feature due to injury, joining captain Tom Naylor and last weekend’s match-winner Raggett on the sidelines. Meanwhile, midfielder Andy Cannon and defender Jack Whatmough face a race to get fit in time for Monday night.

ARGYLE AT HOME TO PORTSMOUTH IN THE EFL

The record: P 29 W 12 D 9 L 8 F 41 A 30*

Argyle media

Tgwu wrote:

Gaffer  for the day: Harry Haskett, aged 25 and from Paulsgrove, previews Pompey’s trip to Plymouth.

We used to be friends - the new hyped-up rivalry between Portsmouth and Plymouth is bizarre

It does baffle me, Plymouth were quite a nice club before this stupid made-up rivalry.

This is not a derby, never in a million years. We have our own proper rivals, they have their own rivals, the national media have blown it out of all proportion.

I remember when we went there for a League Cup game in August 2012 with our kids playing because the club was in so much financial trouble.

Before kick-off, Plymouth had a band playing in a tent outside the ground with fans mixing, there were no problems. I have photos and everything.

Then, during the match, they helped us pass a banner around, which was really good of them.

So I find it bizarre that this is now considered a rivalry with this hyped-up edge on a game.

It does annoy me a bit, it’s so unnecessary. The mind boggles why it is now considered that way.

Still, it has been a bit of an up and down season for Pompey and it’s great that Kenny Jackett has now given the fans what they’ve wanted for a long time.

Finally we have an extra person up front in support of John Marquis – and it's a really good combination between him and Marcus Harness.

When we signed Marquis from Doncaster, I remember watching a compilation of his goals. Later it was clear we were not playing to his strengths.

I follow a Donny fan on Twitter and he’s laughing every week about us ruining him. Marquis is not a target man, he needs help.

I was actually surprised when Marquis came back to Pompey. He would take so much stick every time we played against him as he always scored and his first Fratton Park spell didn’t end too well.

Now a small tweak and he’s back to his normal self. The change of system also helps Andy Cannon, which is suddenly less defensive.

Cannon needs a few more goals to his game, but Ben Thompson was never a great scorer either. However, both have that energy to push us forward from midfield.

Picking a team is hard because Pompey have so many injuries and we don’t know who has trained since Friday.

If fit, though, I would select Jack Whatmough alongside Rasmus Nicolaisen in the centre of defence, replacing Sean Raggett.

With Ronan Curtis away on international duty and Michael Jacobs injured, we’re struggling for someone on the left-hand side of midfield.

I would play Jordy Hiwula there. He hasn’t played a league game for almost a year, but it’s a case of needs must.

Pompey (4-4-1-1): MacGillivray, Johnson, Nicolaisen, Whatmough, Pring, Williams, Naylor, Close, Hiwula, Harness, Marquis.

Didn't seem to be all that friendly when a hail of bricks came over the wall from the alley behind the away terrace or driving back to Plymouth with no windows left on the bus. As for 1983..........

Not many Pompey fans see us as rivals - as far as they're concerned they have only one rival.  Argo fans really need to stop viewing everyone as 'rivals' when they're not.  Whether we like it or not we have only one 'rival' where the sentiment is actually reciprocated.

As for the match I think we'll be in for a bit of a tonking live on Sky.

I would have thought that every team we played against was a rival, aren’t they ?


noun. a person who is competing for the same object or goal as another, or who tries to equal or outdo another

I fancy us tonight 3points in the bag surely

Portsmouth trained in Millbay Park today


Portsmouth send message of thanks to South Devon Premier League side Windmill FC for allowing them to use their Millbay Park facilities ahead of tonight’s game at Plymouth.

Graiser wrote:

I would have thought that every team we played against was a rival, aren’t they ?


noun. a person who is competing for the same object or goal as another, or who tries to equal or outdo another

Everyone knows what 'rival' means in football. All we have is the A38 expressway (LOL) 'rivalry'.

Freathy wrote:

Graiser wrote:

I would have thought that every team we played against was a rival, aren’t they ?


noun. a person who is competing for the same object or goal as another, or who tries to equal or outdo another

Everyone knows what 'rival' means in football.  All we have is the A38 expressway (LOL) 'rivalry'.

All except you it would appear