​One of the reasons Portsmouth chose Ireland for this year’s pre-season camp was the weather. After three seasons of training in southern Europe, where heat could be brutal, the conditions in Ireland have been ideal: clear skies, sunshine, and temperatures hovering in the low to mid-twenties. It’s been cool enough to sustain a demanding training schedule without tipping into exhaustion. During the season, matches pile up and there aren’t many opportunities for high-intensity training, but here that isn’t the case. The players have been through double sessions, some of them lengthy and intensely physical.
On the training ground, John Mousinho stands out with his clear vision for each drill and his insistence on high standards. Beyond building fitness, these weeks are about refining patterns of play and working on set-pieces. There’s still a lot of work to be done in the transfer market, and only two new faces have joined the group so far.
Those newcomers include free-agent signing Odin Bailey, who is keeping an eye on his close friend Jude Bellingham’s exploits at the World Cup, and young forward Eoin Kenny, who flew from Ireland to Portsmouth for his medical, only to return to his homeland with his new squad. Kenny looks to be in impressive shape. In one of the runs, he led the group but was outsprinted to the line by Marlon Pack, as a coach shouted, “don’t let him beat you, he’s 40!” Pack, who is far from 40 and far from finished as a player, takes pride in maintaining exceptional fitness.
In a rare break from training, a Padel tournament was organized for Thursday afternoon. It would be bold to bet against Pack emerging victorious. He is good at nearly every sport and is fiercely competitive, which makes him a valuable presence for squad morale and engagement.
Bonding among the players is another important objective of the week. There is a sense of hope, optimism, and determination that this campaign can be different from the previous two, during which Portsmouth spent much of the season fighting relegation. The club has increased the playing budget, though it is understood to still sit in the bottom quarter of the Championship. Key signings are expected soon, though sporting director Richard Hughes was reticent when asked about Estonian midfielder Rocco Shein and Serbian striker Marko Milovanovic earlier this week.
There is more money available to spend than in past years, but outgoings will also be necessary. More than half a dozen players are likely to depart to ensure the 25-man squad is balanced. Moves away for Jacob Farrell and Ibane Bowat have already been discussed by Mousinho, with others to follow. Wrexham’s interest in Terry Devlin, the club’s player of the season, has not disappeared. The hard work is underway, and while progress is being made, there is still a long road ahead to secure the squad and shape a campaign that could finally break Portsmouth’s recent cycle of struggle.