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Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric has revealed how new manager Velimir Zajec will build his team around youngsters such as Matt Taylor and Gary O'Neil in a revision of club policy.
Former boss Harry Redknapp put his faith in experienced players - the likes of Steve Stone, David Unsworth and Patrik Berger.
Unsworth has been allowed to join Ipswich on loan since Redknapp’s exit, and while there will continue to be a role to play for the remaining senior players at Fratton Park, Mandaric insists that youngsters hold the key to the club’s future.
“These are the bright young players we want to lead us,” said Mandaric.
“They are the type that Velimir has very much in his plans and they are the sort I always wanted to see develop into top Premiership players with us.”
Midfielder O’Neil is 21, and full-back Taylor is 23. They rarely made Barclays Premiership starts under Redknapp but both have been to the forefront of Portsmouth’s plans under Zajec.
It will take a dramatic slide for Portsmouth to run into relegation trouble now, but coach Joe Jordan said: “I wasn’t very happy by the way we performed at Tottenham last Saturday.
Portsmouth lost the match 3-1, with Tottenham Hotspur’s new signing Mido scoring twice on his White Hart Lane debut.
“We just did not put enough pressure on the ball to prevent Spurs’ first two goals,” said Jordan. “And we didn’t cope with their pressure anything like as well as we have done at places like Liverpool, Newcastle and Bolton.”
O’Neil has strained a groin muscle and was forced to drop out of the England Under-21 friendly against Holland, making him a doubt for Portsmouth’s home clash with Aston Villa on Saturday.
But striker Lomana LuaLua is available again after a four-match suspension following his sending-off against Blackburn Rovers on January 15, and £1million Greek signing Giannis Skopelitis is pushing to make his first start.
Meanwhile, the club have assured goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown that he remains in Zajec’s plans despite the purchase of Kostas Chalkias and his elevation straight into the side.
Chief executive Peter Storrie said: “Jamie is only 24 and one of the players Velimir is building the future around.”
For all the Barclays Premiership statistics on Portsmouth, click here.
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Pld
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54
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17
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