With Reading arriving at Fratton Park on Tuesday to take on Portsmouth, this is the perfect opportunity for some cup success at Pompey.
Portsmouth are shaping up to be a force to be reckoned with in League Two this season and optimism high on the South Coast. Paul Cook has instilled a new-found belief in a much-changed squad that is paying off with Pompey registering three wins from their opening three games for the first time in 27 years.
A 3-0 demolition of Dagenham and Redbridge was followed by the visit of Championship Derby in the first round of this year’s League Cup. In front of the (low-angle) Sky cameras, Cook’s team outplayed Paul Clement’s side to defeat them 2-1. The second Pompey goal showed an essence of Premier League class as Danny Hollands chipped-passed to Enda Stevens and Conor Chaplin delivered a sublime first-time finish.
The fact that Derby were played off the Fratton Park pitch is one of the reasons for why Pompey and Cook should at least attempt a cup-run. With several other big shocks in the first-round, the Blues have a decent chance to progress further in the cup. Cook also fielded a much-changed starting line-up which dealt comfortably with the promotion hopefuls, restricting the away side to one shot on target.
Attempting a cup run will also give the younger members of the Pompey squad valuable minutes that they would probably be unlikely to get as Cook’s men attempt an assault on the League Two title. Conor Chaplin for example broke into the first team last year and netted a fantastic goal to give the Blues’ victory in the first-round. Although he is a bright star, with players such as Gary Roberts, Kyle Bennett and Adam McGurk in the squad, it is improbable he will get anything but cameos in the League this season. Adam Webster is another player who would benefit from minutes in the cup. Christian Burgess and Matt Clarke are forming a formidable partnership at the back and Cook has seemingly pencilled Webster into Cup games.
Cup success this season would also be a great start to the Paul Cook era. While some may view the Cup as a distraction, a good cup run would bring in added revenue to boost either Cook’s playing budget or for much needed improvements at Fratton Park. If Pompey can beat Reading on Tuesday, a Premier League encounter could await in the third-round. Strong opposition would also be a great test for Cook’s side as they battle to get out of League Two.
With the ticket prices slashed for the game and the Championship opposition, there should be a reasonable crowd at Fratton Park. The atmosphere at the game against Derby will need to be recreated for Pompey to progress. With several home-grown players looking likely to play and the good form of the team, the Fratton Faithful will provide a fortress of noise to Reading. If the boys in blue can play as they did against Derby, with a high attacking line, then Reading are in for a tough night.
