Deadline Day Deals Done

Last updated : 31 August 2017 By Jim Bonner

In the busiest Transfer Deadline Day since Harry Redknapp was Portsmouth manager, four new faces have been brought to Fratton Park whilst four players have also been shown the exit door.

Dagenham striker Ollie Hawkins has signed a three-year-contract with Pompey for an undisclosed fee whilst wing back Damien McCrory has been loaned from Burton until January. Midfielder Stuart O'Keefe and winger Matty Kennedy both arrive on a season-long loan from Cardiff.

As for the outgoings, Nicke Kabamba has joined League Two side Colchester on loan for the rest of the season, Tom Davies has also dropped a division by signing for Coventry for an undisclosed fee whilst Michael Smith and Carl Baker have had their contracts terminated by mutual consent.

Smith has since signed for Bury but whilst Baker was expected to join a fair few of his ex-team mates at Coventry, it has been reported that he may well go and play in India.

Davies leaving is no big loss as he struggled to get into the team in League Two and never impressed when he was given an opportunity. Smith deserves some gratitude for scoring a couple of goals that helped Pompey win the league but his confidence was shot by an over-demanding crowd and therefore he was always going to struggle.

Baker leaves Pompey with his head held high and he will be fondly remembered for his contribution to the cause. Jackett clearly wants a younger team and, like Roberts, the writing was on the wall when he was frozen out of the team. Hopefully he has the end to his career that he deserves and who knows how much we'll miss him this season?

Kabamba leaving on loan makes sense as Colchester will give him some regular game time so we can all discover if he can make the step up to the Football League. The Pompey fans are going to have to find another "witty" song now the Tequila tune has died an early death...

Nicke's replacement seems to be Hawkins and it's a strange signing, in truth. His record in non-league is good but nothing special and he has only scored once since February. Daggers fans haven't been too happy with his attitude in recent months and aren't too bothered about him departing. So to pay a fee for an unproven striker in the same mould as Michael Smith doesn't really make sense, but the doubters will be happy to be proved wrong.

McCrory is an excellent addition to the squad, if only until the new year. He has won promotion twice with Burton and is highly regarded there so should be an adequate replacement for Tareiq Holmes-Dennis for the time being.

O'Keefe is arguably the most important signing of Pompey's deadline day as a physical midfielder is exactly what the team has been crying out for since Michael Doyle left.

The only question now is who he replaces in the team. The obvious answer to that is Adam May but Jackett's comments suggests that he wants O'Keefe to play alongside a young player who can pass the ball, so perhaps Danny Rose will make way?

Pompey's final piece of transfer business of the evening was to borrow another Cardiff player for the season in Matty Kennedy. He was a thorn in the Blues' side during the Carabao Cup tie in Wales earlier this month and he was a part of Plymouth's promotion winning side last season.

Argyle fans have mixed opinions about Kennedy with some saying he can make a huge impact on a team due to his pace and ability to attack players whilst others claim that he goes missing when it counts and won't track back. It'll be interesting to see what opinions Pompey fans will have on him as the season progresses.

Overall, it seems to have been a satisfying deadline day with the squad seemingly strengthened. If these four signings make the impact they're supposed to (and there's no guarantee they will), the left back problem is solved, the central midfield has the bite it requires, the squad has plenty of options in the wide areas and Hawkins will score over fifty goals this season and prove his doubters wrong.

Roll on Sunday!