Lee Brown believes that Portsmouth will be fully backed in the transfer window and ready to hit the ground running come the start of the new season.

In an interview with PompeyNewsNow, the first choice left-back is optimistic about the upcoming season on and off the pitch.

Brown gave an insight into his first season at Fratton Park about the squad harmony and his ambitions going into the new season.

FW: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview Lee. Firstly, did you enjoy your holiday and well-deserved break? Are you glad to finally have some time off football?

LB: Yeah it’s good to get away and recharge my batteries.

FW: How would you describe your first season at Portsmouth?

LB: It was a successful one up to a point. Obviously, we wanted promotion but as a whole I think the team came very close to achieving that. Being in the top 5/6 all season is a good achievement.

FW: Pompey played 61 games this season, which made for a gruelling campaign. How did you and the rest of the squad keep sharp during the season?

LB: I think we managed the work load very well in terms of training and games, but obviously 61 games for a squad is tough and I think it took its toll in the end.

FW: Do you think the amount of games finally caught up on the team by the end of the season, leading to Portsmouth missing out on promotion?

LB: Yes definitely, I think 61 games is a tough season but on the flip side we still won a trophy.

FW: In an interview with the Portsmouth News, you said that the team need to bounce back quickly after the play-off defeat to Sunderland. How will you and the rest of the squad galvanise yourselves for next season?

LB: I think everyone has gone away, recharged and is mentally prepared for next season. The players will be coming back with a little bit of extra grit to make sure we get promoted next year.

FW: With Portsmouth set for some new players this summer, how will you help them settle into the squad?

LB: I think naturally it’s pretty easy when new players sign for Portsmouth. The environment of 25 guys in one room laughing and joking makes people settle in pretty quickly. I’ve never seen it be a struggle.

FW: Thinking back to the EFL Trophy final, what was it like to play in front of a sold-out Wembley crowd?

LB: It was incredible to have 40 plus thousand [supporters] on either side of the stadium, amazing and with no corporate seats being sold, it made the atmosphere even better than an FA Cup final. So, we were all very lucky to have experienced that as a group.

FW: Do you think Portsmouth and Sunderland are rivals?

LB: Yes of course they are our rivals. We are both two big clubs in League 1, fighting for promotion against each other. There will always be rivalry there.

FW: Pompey fans are debating about whether the owners are ambitious or not. Do you think the team will be fully supported in the transfer window?

LB: Yes, without a shadow of a doubt. You clearly need to look at their history in business to understand that they are very ambitious and know how to make things work from a business point of view, so that can be very good for Portsmouth FC.

FW: Are you aiming for automatic promotion next season?

Without a doubt, we are looking to finish the season better than we did last year.

Freddie Webb

Photo: Joe Pepler