Portsmouth should compete with Birmingham City for Man City talent: Opinion
POSTED TWO HOURS AGO BY ISAAC STACEY STRONGE
The Premier League loanee might be exactly what St. Andrew’s needs.
Manchester City’s Alex Robertson
KEY POINTS
Robertson might be Birmingham’s key to returning to the Championship.
His prior success at Pompey demonstrates his versatility and worth in League One.
Robertson would receive vital playing time for his future development if he joined Birmingham.
Birmingham City ought to apply their own temporary bid for young Manchester City midfielder Alex Robertson, drawing from Portsmouth’s successful loan market operations from the previous campaign.
Robertson played for Fratton Park on loan during the previous season, but he was unable to play the entire season because of a hamstring injury he sustained in January that kept him out of action.
His early efforts definitely helped Pompey eventually succeed in being promoted back into the Championship.
Robertson might be prepared to return to the third tier and accomplish the same thing given the remainder of the summer to heal and recuperate.
He was a crucial Portsmouth early performer.
Australia’s Alex Robertson
The 21-year-old, who had a brief spell with Scottish team Ross County in 2021, signed a season-long loan with Portsmouth from City in August of last year. This is his second senior loan spell.
He quickly established himself as a key member of John Mousinho’s squad, making 23 league appearances—the majority of which were as a member of the starting lineup—and chipping in four assists and one goal.
Robertson’s season in League One according to WhoScored
This season, Robertson was used in all areas of the midfield, from sitting in front of defense to moving forward as an offensive midfielder, demonstrating his versatility in fitting into practically any setup.
Had it not been for his untimely injury at the start of the season, which kept him out of action for the rest of the season, he probably would have contributed even more to the team’s League One victory.
Heckingbottom, Paul Sheffield United Connection
Plymouth Argyle and Birmingham City are competing for a 46-year-old
Blues are reportedly keeping an eye on Paul Heckingbottom, which could worry Plymouth.
Birmingham should be keeping an eye on Robertson.
The Blues’ relegation to League One will surely result in roster changes as players who consider themselves above the third division go and the team evaluates its options after a challenging campaign.
There will also be a change in the dugout at St. Andrew’s as the new manager will have ideas about who they want on the club for the upcoming season after Tony Mowbray stepped down due to health issues.
Given the strong interest from the Premier League and Serie A, Jordan James, a 19-year-old midfielder for Birmingham who scored eight goals in 42 games the previous season, is unlikely to be sent down to League One.
Therefore, Robertson might be a great fit for the Midlands team, offering a quick and inexpensive replacement for a player like James as the team looks to return to the Championship and rebuild from there.
It would seem to be a great short-term move for the team, given Robertson has previously demonstrated his ability to compete at that level in a championship-winning squad.
Nigel Pearson, Ian Evatt, Alex Neil, and Gareth Ainsworth (Combined Picture)
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The four Birmingham City managers need to think about the following Tony Mowbray’s advancement
For Robertson, it might also make sense to switch.
Given his impressive results in the first part of the previous season, there may be an incentive to attempt and push Robertson up a level, possibly back with promoted Portsmouth, but there would also be value in the player moving to Birmingham.
Although Robertson performed admirably during his brief stay at Fratton Park, he has yet to play a complete season of senior football, which will be crucial for his growth going forward.
That game time will be less of a guarantee now that Pompey is performing at a better level as they want to strengthen their team in preparation for an upcoming battle.
The youthful midfielder may be able to continue where he left off, injuries aside, with the Blues, who are predicted to be in a similar situation as Portsmouth was the previous season.
Before Birmingham faces a challenging season, there will probably be another chaotic summer, but luring a player like Robertson in on loan might help things get off to a good start.
