Tempest abates in Fratton downpour as 'proper Pompey' finally remind themselves who they are

It was an identity crisis threatening to totally derail Pompey's campaign.

- by Jordan Cross

Nicolas Schmid was recalled after missing 10 league games through injury

Like a book who'd lost its author, the Blues were headed into the rump of the season searching for inspiration and a sense of self missing through a Championship narrative which had taken an alarming plot twist.

A tempest was brewing amid six winless games, a single success in 11 and home form which had seen fan patience start to wear thin in a manner not remotely witnessed in John Mousinho's Fratton tenure, even through a single second-tier victory in the first 14 games last term.

The international break had provided a period of introspection, with questions quite rightly asked over where the focus lay for the struggles of a group looking ill-equipped to deal with demands of what is to come.