Portsmouth

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Was referee Josh Smith right to send Connor Ogilvie off at Fratton Park on Monday? Should Oxford's Brodie Spencer have gotten his marching orders in the second half?

I don't think so and probably, would be my answers but I'm not trying to re-open a debate about refereeing. I am highlighting just how tight things are at the bottom of the Championship.

Portsmouth have just six matches remaining. There is one point between the three sides in and just outside the relegation zone. Supporters of Pompey, Oxford and Leicester now have to accept that their survival could hinge on one marginal game-changing decision.

It's not purely down to fortune, sides have had 40 matches to avoid being in this position, those three clubs haven't been able to do that.

Without Leicester's six-point deduction things would look quite bleak for both Portsmouth and Oxford. Keeping it at six seemed the only logical conclusion following the appeal hearings. Any other decision would likely have relegated someone.

Those things should be decided on the pitch.

On paper Portsmouth have the toughest run-in. Three of their next four matches are against sides battling for automatic promotion. Although Pompey have taken 11 points from nine matches against sides currently in the top six.

They'll be hoping Coventry are already celebrating by the time they head there later in the month. Mid-table Stoke and Birmingham appear ideal opponents in the final two matches but there are absolutely no guarantees with this Portsmouth side still lacking in goals.

Blackburn aren't quite over the line yet but are close. West Brom certainly aren't safe but both have consistently picked up results in the past month.

Portsmouth could do with something from the trips to Middlesbrough, Coventry or home game with Ipswich. Those games sandwich a home match with Leicester which may well be season-defining and send the loser to League One.

We've reached the point where a whole year's work for the entire football club may come down to one moment. It's not for the feint hearted.

Image source, Opta

Middlesbrough welcome Portsmouth for a vital clash at both ends of the Championship table on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Having spent three months in the automatic promotion places, Boro slipped to third with defeat to Millwall and a draw at Swansea over the Easter weekend.

Relegation-battling Pompey have picked up just three points in eight games since their impressive 3-1 win at Millwall on 21 February, meaning they now sit just one point clear of Leicester in 22nd, albeit with a game in hand.

• Middlesbrough have won just one of their past nine league games against Portsmouth (D5 L3), a 3-1 away win in March 2012.

• Following their 1-0 win in October, Portsmouth are looking to complete the league double over Middlesbrough for the first time since 1993-94.

• Middlesbrough are winless in their past five Championship games (D3 L2), their longest run of the season. Since the date of that first winless game, they've had 48 more shots than any other side (126) and 122 more touches in the opposition's box than anyone else (272). Despite this, they've only scored four goals and have the worst shot conversion (3.2%), underperforming their xG by 8.9 (4 goals, 12.9 xG).

• Portsmouth have gone eight Championship matches without winning (D3 L5), their worst winless run since failing to win their first nine games of 2024-25.

• Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney has created the most chances both overall (83) and in open play (62) in the Championship this season. He's also completed 848 passes in the final third, the fourth-most by a player in a Championship season (excl. play-offs) on record since 2013-14.

"There was an audible gasp when the card went up.

"Two refereeing mistakes could have effectively lost Pompey their Championship future in that game."

Neil Allen from the Portsmouth News joins the Who Needs Mourinho podcast to debate whether left-back Connor Ogilvie should have been sent off in Portsmouth's 2-2 draw to Oxford on Monday for his challenge on Stan Mills.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Getty Images

A draw was never going really going to be enough for either side at Fratton Park.

However, given circumstances, it's a good point for Pompey and one that got away for Oxford.

Connor Ogilvie's early red card was very harsh. The reaction of the players and coaches on both sides showed no one was expecting it.

Oxford's Brodie Spencer was lucky not to receive a yellow card in the second half.

Referee Josh Smith had a tough day and looked visible affected by the backlash from the frustrated crowd. He was given an angry reception by fans waiting for autographs when he left Fratton Park

The real frustration for Pompey was they started the game really well and were looking dangerous in front of goal.

It took real character to fight back but the reality now is Portsmouth are likely to need to beat at least one side chasing automatic promotion to stay up.

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho said that he felt Connor Ogilvie's red card against Oxford United was not "clear cut" but admitted the defender did not need to make the challenge.

Ogilvie was dismissed after 17 minutes for a lunging tackle on Stan Mills, his sending off then triggered a furious reaction from the home support.

Portsmouth took an early lead before Oxford managed to work their way back into the game but the hosts scored late to rescue a point thanks to Andre Dozzell's goal.

"In real time I don't think anyone in the stadium was expecting it to be a red card including Oxford," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"In these games when stakes are so high, if you are going to do something as monumental as that I think you have to be one hundred percent sure and I don't think it's clear cut.

"I'm not going to hide away from the fact that I don't think Connor needs to make the challenge but if that's a red card then there should be a fair few more.

"It's still extremely tight down the bottom, we wanted to win the game today and I'm not sure the draw helped either side too much.

"In the circumstances we'll obviously take it, going deep into the game and then getting the equaliser."

Portsmouth are next in Championship action on Saturday when they travel away to Middlesbrough.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Getty Images

If you'd offered the 1,800 travelling Portsmouth fans a point before kick-off, I suspect pretty much everyone would have taken it.

Pompey were second best in the first half but dug in and were the better side after the break.

However, their limitations remained on show. They struggled to create opportunities and to put quality balls into the box.

That was until Andre Dozzell's free kick which was flicked on by Colby Bishop leading to an own goal by Pelle Mattsson.

Portsmouth had hoped Mattsson would score key goals for Pompey this season. They were very keen to sign him last summer but were financially outmuscled by Norwich.

The point was a welcome, unexpected surprise but will count for very little if Portsmouth lose to Oxford on Monday.

Pompey showed today they were up for the fight in the battle against relegation. Do they have the quality to survive? We'll find out over the next month.

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho said that their draw away at Norwich City was a "big point" on the road.

The Blues went behind in the first half as Pelle Mattsson struck home, but were able to claw themsleves level from a freekick in the final moments that eventually saw Mattsson poke the ball into his own net.

With Oxford and Leicesrer City also drawing on Friday, the point was vital for Portsmouth who still remain outside of the relegation zone.

"It feels like a bit point, the biggest thing for me today was the performance," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"After the QPR loss we were searching for answers and that was the lowest point of the season, to then go a goal down and respond like we did was really pleasing.

"We defended well and dug in when we needed to, Norwich have some very good players and we had to deal with those tough moments when they were on top.

"We were in the game when behind which was the most important thing, we weren't clinging on though and we were trying to be positive with the ball when we had it, I thought the subs did really well when they came on too."

Portsmouth are next back in action on Monday night when they face relegation rivals Oxford United at Fratton Park.

Image source, Getty Images

Championship clubs spent just over £69.5m on agents fees over the past 12 months according to figures released by the Football Association,, external an increase of £6m on the previous year.

The figures cover the period from February 2025 with Ipswich Town the top spenders, paying £11.7m having spent the first three months of the accounting period in the Premier League.

Southampton (£8.3m) and Leicester (£5.8m), who were relegated alongside Ipswich are the second and third-highest payers on the list.

Troubled Sheffield Wednesday were the most frugal when dealing with agents, spending £534,559.

Wrexham come in sixth on the list with an outlay of £3.6m while current Championship leaders Coventry spent just short of £1.5m.

Championship agents' fee spending, external

• Ipswich - £11,738,920

• Southampton - £8,381,358

• Leicester City - £5,866,587

• Sheffield United - £5,005,498

• Norwich - £4,020,206

• Wrexham - £3,660,584

• Swansea - £3,088,645

• Middlesbrough - £2,900,314

• Bristol City - £2,774,990

• Hull City - £2,450,431

• Stoke City - £2,088,886

• Birmingham City - £1,996,502

• Millwall - £1,982,348

• Preston North End - £1,831,233

• QPR - £1,829,036

• Watford - £1,612,833

• Coventry - £1,497,990

• Derby - £1,409,507

• West Brom - £1,346,030

• Oxford - £1,235,536

• Charlton - £904,698

• Portsmouth - £831,818

• Blackburn - £676,980

• Sheffield Wednesday - £534,559

Image source, Getty Images

Portsmouth forward Gustavo Caballero scored his first senior international goal as Paraguay were beaten 2-1 by Morocco in their friendly in Lens, France.

The 24-year-old came on as a second-half substitute to earn his second cap and headed in a cross from Juan Jose Caceres with two minutes remaining.

Caballero had made his debut for Paraguay, also as a substitute, in a 1-0 win over Greece last Friday.

He is on loan at Portsmouth from Brazilian side Santos and is set to be part of Paraguay's squad for this summer's World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico in which they have been drawn in a group with the USA, Australia and Turkey.

Caballero will now return to England for Portsmouth's Championship match at Norwich on Friday (15:00 BST).

Portsmouth will be seeking space between themselves and the bottom three as they head to Carrow Road on Good Friday (15:00 BST).

Pompey are only one point clear of the bottom three and on a dreary winless spell of six league games.

To add to their woes, Norwich will not be an easy opponent. The Canaries have been flying under boss Philippe Clement, winning five of their past six games (L1) to put them nine points under the play-off positions.

• Following their 2-1 win in August, Norwich are looking to complete the league double over Portsmouth for the first time since 1996-97.

• Portsmouth have won their last two away league games against Norwich, beating them 5-3 last season. They've never won three in a row against them before, while their two consecutive wins is more than they managed in their previous 15 visits to Carrow Road (W1 D7 L7).

• Since the weekend of Philippe Clement's first game in charge in November, no side has won more Championship games than Norwich (14, level with Coventry City).

• Portsmouth have lost five of their last six league games (D1), including the last three in a row. They last lost four consecutively in March 2021 in League One.

• Only Sheffield Wednesday (43) and Oxford (55) have had fewer big chances than Portsmouth in the Championship this season (58), while Pompey have the lowest big chance conversion rate (24.1%).

David Mohan
BBC Sport NI journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has called Portsmouth winger Millenic Alli into his squad for Tuesday's friendly against North Macedonia in Dublin [19:45 BST].

The 26-year-old earns his first call-up to the senior squad and took part in training at Abbotstown on Sunday.

Alli began his career in England playing non-league before signing for Exeter City in 2024, catching the eye of Luton Town who spent £1.5 million to bring him to Kenilworth Road.

The Dubliner scored four goals in the final six games of last season, but the Hatters would suffer relegation to League One.

Despite falling out of favour, Alli was picked up on loan by Portsmouth and he has started all 14 games since his arrival at Fratton Park.

He has scored once in the Championship club's bid to beat the drop and his performances have caught the attention of Hallgrimsson who brings him into the squad with others unavailable for Tuesday.

Midfielder Jack Taylor has left the squad for family reasons, while Sammie Szmodics has returned to Derby County to continue his recovery from a concussion sustained in Thursday's World Cup play-off semi-final defeat on penalties by the Czech Republic.

That defeat in Prague saw the Republic of Ireland's hopes of qualifying for this summer's World Cup come to an end, while North Macedonia were beaten in their semi-final by Denmark, leaving both nations to face each other in a friendly.

The BBC's 72+ EFL podcast team have taken a look at the Championship relegation picture, with some huge games in store at the end of the international break.

Easter Monday (6 April) sees Blackburn and West Brom face-off, level on points just above the drop zone, just hours after second-bottom Oxford United head to Portsmouth.

Third-bottom Leicester will also head to Portsmouth and Blackburn during the run-in.

Former Watford and Reading winger Jobi McAnuff said: "We know Easter weekend is absolutely pivotal and that Portsmouth v Oxford game is looming large, though they both have another game first (on Good Friday).

"It could genuinely could come down to those matches against the teams in and around you. They are absolutely massive.

"Portsmouth are, at the moment, the team I'd be a little bit concerned about in terms of their current form.

"You take it game by game, of course, but that is 100% one everyone in the squad is looking at going 'we need to win that game - if we are going to stay up that is a must win.'

"This two weeks now for Portsmouth is going to be the longest because it's doom and gloom - (losing) 6-1 against a team on their holidays in QPR (in their final game before the break)."

McAnuff also hailed the impact of interim West Brom boss James Morrison, who has taken eight points from his five games at the helm after replacing Eric Ramsey, winning the past two and only being denied three straight wins by a last-gasp leveller against Southampton.

"The big thing about those games - clean sheets," McAnuff said. "When you are in a battle, being hard to beat is the fundamental thing.

"They were really close against Southampton and got pegged back right in the last couple of minutes. It could have been a killer blow.

"To come back from that and now find those couple of wins, they'll have gone into this break absolutely bouncing. The confidence, that feeling back in the dressing room, is absolutely massive at this stage.

"Massive credit to James Morrison because there were a few eyebrows raised. He knows the club inside out and sometimes that's what it takes.

"At the moment he's had a really positive upturn."

"What Pompey simply have to do is make it hard to beat them.

"It's felt like teams recently had not had to work hard, not had to do anything significant to find victories."

BBC Radio Solent's Chris Wise and Andy Moon break down why team selection failed Portsmouth at the weekend in their 6-1 hammering by Queens Park Rangers and reflect on the negative atmosphere brewing within the fanbase.

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