Sky Sports pundit reveals Portsmouth FC "worry" despite huge Colby Bishop boost | OneFootball

Don Goodman believes that Colby Bishop's return will give Portsmouth a huge boost and that things are looking more positive now

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman believes that Portsmouth's next ten games are a defining period for the club, but things are beginning to look more positive for John Mousinho's side.

Pompey recorded a much-needed 3-1 win over Preston North End prior to the international break, their second Championship win of the season and a result which took them off the bottom of the table.

It's been a baptism of fire for Portsmouth in their first return to the Championship since 2012, but Saturday's result, and the subsequent return of Colby Bishop have given reasons to be optimistic.

Bishop was Pompey's main man last season and topped their scoring charts with 21 league goals, only second to Alfie May in League One, who scored 23, but a heart scan identified a potential risk during the off-season, and he underwent open-heart surgery.

Many people were surprised to see him named on the bench for Pompey's clash with Preston, and he came on to score a penalty in his first appearance of the season, a timely boost for the club.

Goodman believes that Pompey have a favourable run of fixtures after the international break, and that they need to pick up as many points as possible in the next ten games.

Don Goodman on Portsmouth's defining period and Colby Bishop's return

Sky Sports pundit Goodman believes that Portsmouth's win over Preston, coupled with Bishop's return, has given them a timely boost, and that the next ten games will be a defining period for their survival hopes.

He said: "It was almost a must-win for Portsmouth against Preston, and they delivered their win. In the first-half, they dominated, and the players needed it more than anyone. Yes, they needed points to get within touching distance of teams above them, but the players also needed it for their self-belief after a tough start.

“They're now entering a period where, in my opinion, they won't be playing what I’d consider any of the Championship's top teams across the next ten games, and it will be a defining period which needs to go well for them. If they don't pick up a decent amount of points from that run, I will worry for them.

“Colby Bishop's return will be a huge boost and help when it comes to goal-scoring and creativity. It's gone from doom and gloom to looking a lot more positive.”

The next ten games will define Portsmouth's season

As Goodman says, Pompey don't face any of the Championship's top sides for a while, and their fixtures between now and their trip to Sunderland on the 5th January provide them with a chance to pick up a substantial haul of points.

Bishop's return couldn't have come at a better time for Mousinho's side, and if he's able to get anywhere near replicating his League One form in the Championship, then it wouldn't be a surprise to see them start moving up the table.

However, you fear that if Pompey don't pick up a considerable number of points over the course of the next ten games, then they are in serious trouble, and this period will ultimately define their season.

The win over Preston and Bishop's goalscoring return took Pompey into the international break with some much-needed confidence, and the challenge for them now is to string a run of results together - the next ten games will give them the perfect chance to do so.