Tom McIntyre was one of a few players that was allowed to leave Pompey during the winter transfer window.
He had fallen down the pecking order at Fratton Park, despite enjoying a run in the side from mid-September to early November. Up until the 4-0 defeat to Derby County, McIntyre had made 12 league appearances, but then was an unused substitute for the next 10 matches.
After being left out of the squad against Burnley, McIntyre joined Charlton Athletic on transfer deadline day on a loan deal until the end of the season. With the 26-year-old under contract with the Blues until the end of the 2025/26 campaign, his loan move to the Valley has at least opened the door for him to return to the South Coast in the summer.
Charlton’s plan for Tom McIntyre
McIntyre is yet to make an appearance for Charlton. He was an unused substitute against Stevenage but since then has been left out for the games against Peterborough United and Birmingham City.
Despite his lack of first-team minutes in South London, a plan has emerged for the former Reading defender. His position is mainly as a centre-back but Addicks boss Nathan Jones has admitted that he could consider playing him as a centre midfielder if there is a need to.
McIntyre has played more than a 100 games at centre-back but has also filled in at left-back, and has 14 appearances to his name as a centre midfielder. Versatility is key in football and if he can develop himself in another position then he could be useful to Pompey when he returns at the end of the campaign.
‘They (Greg Docherty and Conor Coventry) have been key players but we have just brought in Tom McIntyre, who has played in that position,’ said Jones to the South London Press.
‘Karoy Anderson can do that – he’s an eight who can do both roles.
‘The way we play, we don’t play with an out-and-out sitting midfield player anymore. It is more of a fluid midfield and we’ll continue to want to involve so it won’t be one definitive position.
‘Every decision we made in the window was very, very structured. We let REG (Rarmani Edmonds-Green) go and got cover in that area. We had to do the deal for Tom and then we allowed REG to go, because he wanted to go and play football. He didn’t want to leave Charlton, but he wanted to play football, so we couldn’t guarantee him that.’
Pompey’s centre-back options
The reason McIntyre was allowed to leave is during the transfer window two new centre-backs came in. Rob Atkinson arrived from Bristol City at the start of the month and has proven to be a smart piece of business. He spent a long time out with injury but needed game time and is getting that with Pompey.
Pompey then spent big money on signing Hayden Matthews from Sydney FC. January was an important month for the club and recruitment had to be right but the Australian defender is someone who John Mousinho saw as someone who could affect the here and now.
For the last few months Marlon Pack has been slotting in at centre-back in the absence of Conor Shaughnessy who has been out injured and looks set for another spell on the sidelines. Regan Poole has also been injured but is back in contention again, whilst Ryley Towler is also an option. Ibane Bowat was recruited in the summer but he’s yet to make an appearance for the club after suffering a season ending injury in training.
Discussion about this post