Numbers not adding up - the glaring problem still not resolved despite Portsmouth's summer strengthening

Yet while playing numbers add up in terms of central midfielders, there remains an ongoing concern – goals.

The impressive trio of Marlon Pack, Joe Morrell and Tom Lowery have been reinforced by the arrivals of Terry Devlin and Ben Stevenson.

Throw in Harry Jewitt-White and the versatility presented by Conor Shaunessy and John Mousinho is blessed with plenty of options in the centre of the park.

Indeed, with a preference for employing a 4-3-3 – his central midfield often consisting of a sitter with two a little more advanced – the head coach is well served in terms of bodies and ability.

Nonetheless, there’s undeniably a distinct lack of goals among all contenders, raising the question of whether a glaring weakness from last season has been resolved in the forthcoming League One campaign.

Granted, Pack’s return of five goals last season represented his highest for a decade, when he plundered seven in consecutive years for Cheltenham in League Two.

It’s an improved tally which included what was voted as goal of the season against Exeter at Fratton Park and several excellent free-kicks.

However, irrespective of such welcome input, a total of just nine goals arrived from central midfield areas in 2022-23.

In addition to Pack, finding the net once were Morrell, Louis Thompson, Ryan Tunnicliffe and Jay Mingi, while Lowery failed to register in his 21 outings.

Now Devlin and Stevenson have been recruited, with Thompson and Tunnicliffe having left and Mingi expected to follow.

Yet the two newcomers hardly boast the goal-scoring pedigree to provide the greater firepower the central midfield area so urgently requires, especially in a team hoping to sustain a promotion challenge.

Stevenson has 11 goals in 224 career appearances, his last arriving in a League Two fixture against Harrogate Town in October 2020.

While Devlin, a 19-year-old regarded as an exciting prospect, netted four times in 35 games for Glentoran in Northern Ireland’s Premiership last season.

Before then, he had failed to net in 44 matches for Dungannon Swifts after clambering through the ranks.

They join Morrell (five goals in 165 career matches), Lowery (13 goals in 196 career games) and, of course, Pack.

The Buckland boy totals 39 goals from 601 appearances and represents the most potent of this present crop of Pompey central midfield options.

That is unless the unknown quantity of Devlin can hit the ground running in his maiden Football League season, fulfilling those star prophecies.

Otherwise, those absent goals may have to be delivered from elsewhere – and the indefatigable Colby Bishop continues being burdened with Pompey’s scoring hopes.