Scoring goals remains the issue for Portsmouth, especially if they want to return to the Championship. Marcus Harness leads the way in the Pompey ranks with ten goals and the next down from him is on four.
Enter, Tyler Walker.
Walker has been loaned in from Coventry having struggled to get in the side ahead of the likes of Matt Godden and Viktor Gyokeres.
Tyler Walker Joins Portsmouth
Looking for Playing Time
Walker was a Nottingham Forest player for a number of years but rarely featured, often finding himself out on loan. His destinations included Mansfield Town and Lincoln City, with these temporary homes being where he showed just how good he is. The striker was then snapped up by Coventry in 2020 and whilst he has appeared for them nineteen times this term, only four were starts.
DONE DEAL: Pompey have their new number nine! Tyler Walker has sealed his arrival from Championship Coventry on loan for the rest of the season. pic.twitter.com/s0IwFIj6wB
— Jordan Cross (@pn_jordan_cross) January 18, 2022
In terms of his parent club, Coventry have been remarkable in the Championship this season. They were tipped by some to face a relegation battle but at the time of writing, they sit ninth, with the promotion playoffs being a very realistic target. They may not be prolific goalscorers and so there would arguably be a chance there for Walker to make an impact, but alas he has struggled to sustain a regular spot in the starting team. Two goals in just under 500 minutes isn’t an awful return for a player on the fringes but it became evident that Mark Robins wasn’t planning on playing him regularly enough.
What Can Walker Bring to Fratton Park?
Like Coventry, Portsmouth aren’t known for being particularly spectacular in front of goal. Only four teams have scored less than Pompey which is very worrying when you can consider that they’re ninth, and even more so when taking into account how the expectations are that they will soon gain promotion. John Marquis was the frontman for the Cowley brothers but that relationship may well have broken down, with the striker joining Lincoln City and Walker being brought in to replace him.
As it stands, Walker is one of only two centre forwards at the club along with George Hirst who himself has managed just two league goals to date. Winger Harness leads the scoring charts with the recently departed Marquis, Reeco Hackett-Fairchild and Ronan Curtis for company on Portsmouth’s list of goalscorers. The three still remaining at Pompey are all primarily wide-men.
Automatic promotion is surely out of the question now with Wycombe Wanderers, Wigan, Sunderland and Rotherham all fighting it out for those two coveted positions.
A Loan Move That Could Be Made Permanent
Walker interestingly enough crossed paths with the Cowley brothers at Lincoln City. The Englishman moved on loan to Sincil Bank from Nottingham Forest, his new managers claiming that “he’s been on our wish list forever”. He netted sixteen times in 34 games for the Imps and so was recalled halfway through the season, only for Sabri Lamouchi to use him nearly exclusively as an impact sub. Walker’s loan being cut short was a huge blow for Lincoln although they then brought in Tyreece John-Jules from Arsenal who wasn’t too bad in front of goal either. That being said, Walker finished the season as the top scorer despite leaving in the January window.
Lewis Grabban is getting no younger and with Brennan Johnson and Alex Mighten being amongst the attacking youngsters to get chances under both Chris Hughton and now Steve Cooper, maybe there is a City Ground future for Walker.
Tyler Walker, son of former England defender Des, is still just twenty-five so despite how reactionary football can be these days, there is still a chance for him to establish himself in the Forest team. Should he stay at Fratton Park beyond this loan or go elsewhere away from Nottingham, a team will have an excellent player with an eye for goal in their ranks should they sign him. It would come as no surprise if Walker was excellent once again under the Cowleys and spearheaded their push for the playoffs.
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