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Former Championship hitman Sam Parkin thinks that Portsmouth’s management showed courage by utilising midfielder Marlon Pack’s experience in the centre-back role.
The 33-year-old midfielder is a mainstay in John Mousinho’s starting line-up this season and has featured in 16 league games for Pompey, picking up three cautions.
Mousinho decided to deploy Pack in a centre-back role and the veteran midfielder has helped Portsmouth pick up a four-match unbeaten run with two clean sheets in the process.
Parkin thinks that Pack brings a calming influence to Portsmouth’s defence and pointed out that Pompey’s management took a very courageous decision to play him as centre-back in the recent games.
He stressed that Pack is utilising his leadership and experience to give Mousinho’s backline solidity and believes that the 33-year-old’s switch to defence was a clever move.
“Marlon Pack, playing as a centre half, I thought that was going to be for a few sporadic minutes, but he seems to be staying there, whether it is alongside Regan Poole, who went off injured the other day, or [Tom] McIntyre, who came on and did well in his absence as well”, Parkin said on the Championship Check-In podcast.
“He is a calming influence and I suppose they are utilising his knowledge, aren’t they?
“His game understanding and his leadership qualities, over maybe his specialised position because he was struggling a little bit early part of the season.
“I mean, that is a ballsy move from the management, but also it has got to be acknowledged for being an incredibly clever switch if he is now performing better and they are picking up results.”
Portsmouth have managed to climb up from the relegation zone with their recent performances and tonight they are set to face Derby County at Pride Park.
