Portsmouth sporting director Rich Hughes has delivered a frank assessment of the club's loan strategy, praising the immediate impact of this summer's three temporary signings. The arrivals of Benjy Arthur, Ryan Kavuma-McQueen and Jayden Meghoma have offered optimism as Pompey handle their second Championship season, currently sitting 18th in the standings with seven points from six matches.
Hughes acknowledged that the club's reliance on loan players since their 2024 return to the second tier has been a mixed bag. Seventeen players have arrived on loan in that period, with some like Freddie Potts and Isaac Hayden becoming key figures while others, including Kaide Gordon and Sammy Silvera, failed to establish themselves.
"Where we’ve potentially found ourselves in a different spot previously was that the loan players haven’t been good enough and that’s a big reflection," Hughes said. He stressed the club's aim is to avoid over-reliance on temporary squad members, especially if they are not influencing the starting lineup.
Positive early signs
This summer's window saw a more focused approach, bringing in just three loanees. All three-Arthur, Meghoma and Kavuma-McQueen-have quickly become vital components in John Mousinho's starting eleven. Their integration has been a bright spot in what Hughes described as one of the more challenging transfer windows the club has faced. The trio's contributions are particularly vital given the current injuries list, which includes Josh Murphy and Keshi Anderson.
"We never want to be a squad which is heavily weighted by loan players, especially when they’re not affecting the (starting) XI," Hughes added. The early performances have given the sporting director confidence in the squad's potential moving forward.
The team's form has been inconsistent, with a recent run of two wins, one draw and two losses from their last five outings. In that spell, they have scored 5 goals and conceded 7. They face Blackburn Rovers at Fratton Park this Saturday in their next fixtures test, looking to build on a solid goalless draw at Charlton last time out.
Hughes remains optimistic about the group's ability to climb the table, with the next test coming against Blackburn on 19 September.
The original report is at portsmouth.co.uk
