Portsmouth can ease Colby Bishop goal burden with Kusini Yengi ready to be unleashed: View | OneFootball

Colby Bishop was Portsmouth's top scorer in League One last season.

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho is planning for life in the Championship.

After winning the League One title with 97 points last season, Pompey will play in the second tier for the first time since 2012.

Mousinho achieved promotion with Portsmouth at the end of his first full season in charge, bringing the club's seven-season stay in League One to an end.

The 38-year-old will now be focusing on establishing Pompey in the Championship, and has already brought in three new signings - teenager Reuben Swann from Sudbury, right-back Jordan Williams from Barnsley and winger Josh Murphy from Oxford United.

Portsmouth scored 78 goals last season, the joint-fifth most in League One, and they will need to ensure that they can find the net on a regular basis again during the 2024/25 campaign if they are going to compete in the division above.

Colby Bishop's goals helped Pompey to promotion

Charlton Athletic striker Alfie May was the only player in League One who scored more goals than Colby Bishop last season, as Pompey's number nine netted 21 times over the course of the campaign.

Bishop arrived at Fratton Park after signing from Accrington Stanley in the summer of 2022, and has been a huge success on the south coast.

The 27-year-old has scored at least 20 goals in both of his seasons at Portsmouth, and is now set to play Championship football for the first time in his career.

The forward's physical presence, finishing ability and hold-up play have made him a real handful for League One defences over the last five years, and he will hope that he can have the same impact against different opposition next season.

Kusini Yengi can ease the burden on Bishop

There will be pressure on Bishop to deliver next season, as Portsmouth need to be able to score goals if they are to have a successful first season back in the Championship.

However, Mousinho will hope that Australian international Kusini Yengi can also contribute his fair share after settling into English football nicely during Pompey's promotion season.

The 25-year-old, who has four goals in eight caps for his country, joined Portsmouth last summer for an undisclosed fee from Western Sydney Wanderers.

He is another physically imposing striker, and his ability to occupy central defenders and bring others into play compliments his work rate and willingness to run in behind.

Yengi scored nine League One goals in his debut season, and should be ready to kick on now that he is settled in England.

Arguably, his most memorable appearance of the season came in Portsmouth's 2-0 victory over promotion rivals Bolton Wanderers in December, which extended Pompey's lead at the top of the table to six points.

Bishop was unavailable for the game through injury, and Yengi performed outstandingly in his absence, standing up to the Bolton defenders and scoring Portsmouth's second goal of the game to secure the three points.

Mousinho will hope that Bishop and Yengi can both contribute goals in the Championship next season, as Pompey look to build on their promotion to the Championship and show that they belong in the second tier.

On both fronts, they can be confident of delivery.