'Pompey should be confident of staying up'
It felt like a crucial transfer window for Portsmouth with the signings this month potentially deciding whether they remain a second-tier side next season, so how are the Blues shaping up?
Is the first XI stronger? Yes, but by how much is unclear until we've seen a few more performances, particularly how Adil Aouchiche performs.
Is the squad stronger? Definitely. John Mousinho hasn't had the options on the bench to change matches. He still doesn't have multiple £1m+ players amongst his substitutes like many Championship clubs but he has more individuals who might be able to come on and change a game.
How does the squad look in the long term? The key assets are tied down beyond the summer so there's no danger of losing them cheaply. This feels like the least important issue for this window though.
The eight arrivals can be split into three categories. Four new loan additions, two coming in on short-term deals, and two Australians arriving on longer contracts.
I wrote a few weeks ago about the importance of signing players who could make an immediate impact. There's no question Rob Atkinson has done that. The level he's performed at after not playing for nearly two years has been very impressive and he looks a high-class Championship centre-back.
Isaac Hayden has done OK so far and he certainly strengthens the central midfield position. Aouchiche is an exciting forward and Kaide Gordon provides another option on the wing, although only five of the six loan players can be included in the matchday squad so someone will have to sit out each week.
Signing a back-up left-back was a sensible move, and Cohen Bramall offers something different to Connor Ogilvie. Allowing goalkeeper Will Norris to leave and bringing in Ben Killip, who has played a lot of games this season, is a big financial saving for the club.
As for the two Australians, Hayden Matthews acquitted himself fairly well when being thrown in against Millwall. Although with Conor Shaughnessy fit he's down to third-choice centre-back and could potentially drop further down the pecking order when Regan Poole is back.
Thomas Waddingham provides another option up front but likewise will drop the down the pecking order when Mark O'Mahony and Kusini Yengi return. Hopefully, Matthews and Waddingham will go on and have excellent Pompey careers but this window will be remembered for whether Pompey stay up, rather than whether these two turn out to be bargains.
The six departures were all sensible moves which have helped reduce a bloated squad. Making a profit on Owen Moxon and getting the fee paid back for Elias Sorensen is smart business although not season defining. There is now one space in the 25-man squad if an appropriate free agent appears, although there are no imminent plans to sign one.
Will it be enough to survive? It might be. Although Portsmouth really cannot afford any notable injuries to key players.
The spending by some of the sides around Portsmouth has been eye-watering but Pompey are right to be confident that they can still compete with them.
The outcome of the season is binary. Either survival or failure. It's probably going to be fairly close either way.
