Lowe Expectations

Signed from non-league football in 2017, Portsmouth winger Jamal Lowe is arguably the jewel in Pompey's crown heading into the 18/19 season. Playmaker club Specialist Paul Stevens (Twitter: @paulstevens1995) gives us the Lowe-down on one of League One's hottest prospects...

Main man

If Pompey are to achieve their ultimate goal of promotion, they will need to pin their hopes of creativity on the shoulders of Jamal Lowe. A dynamic winger with an eye for goal, Lowe has adapted seamlessly so far to the rigours of the EFL since joining from National League South side, Hampton and Richmond Borough, in January 2017.

Lowe had a breakthrough season in 2017/18 with his lung-bursting runs and consistency impressing fans and coaching alike, meaning it was inevitable that he would soon become a mainstay in the team. His seven goals, five of which came in the league, would arguably have been more if he had not been sent off in last year’s opener against Rochdale for a high boot. His first eye-catching moment last year had to wait until September when he netted a brace against Fleetwood Town, first scoring from a rare header and then a stunning solo run and finish from an almost impossible angle. 

Clear progression

His burgeoning talent is unquestionable and he will only improve as he plays regular, first team football, hopefully with Portsmouth of course. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury in our final pre-season match against Dutch outfit Utrecht which will rule him out against Luton this weekend but Pompey fans will be comforted by the fact that he will not be a long-term absentee. 

In both seasons at Fratton Park, it has taken him a period to adjust to the step up in level before really exploding into life. He himself has pointed to an earlier stage of his career where he had to establish himself when he was let go by Barnet before having to rebuild from lower down the football pyramid with Hemel Hempstead Town. Now with Pompey, he is rejuvenated with a desire to succeed at this club and help it on its way back up to the Championship before too long. Like many Kenny Jackett signings, he has a preferred position out wide where he can most terrorise defenders with his direct running instincts although he can also play as an extra forward to showcase his versatility.

📈 @JamzLowe for @officialpompey (fr. 16/17; L1 + L2):
🏟 58 Games
👍 44 Starts
⏱ 4179 Mins
⚽️ 10 GOALS
🅰 7 ASSISTS
⚡ 2 Doubles
♦ 1 Red card
🔶 4 Bookings
🇼 30 Won
🇩 7 Drawn
🇱 21 Lost#Pompey pic.twitter.com/AdsWnKurvp

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) August 3, 2018

Big game player

At the same time, he has gained a useful habit of scoring vital games in games, as exemplified by his promotion-winning goals at Notts County which ensured his name went down in Pompey folklore. He appears undaunted by the responsibility to create and score goals which may have been expected from him given his rapid surge up the leagues and he has proven to be a valuable asset to the club as a result of this. 

Lowe’s signing was underlined as a precedent for signing young hungry players from the Non-League scene including Nicke Kabamba and Oliver Hawkins, a trend which has continued this summer with the signing of Bromley attacker, Louis Dennis. If he can ingratiate himself to the supporters in a similar way to Lowe, Pompey will have found themselves another gem. In an era where our American owners have pledged not to fritter away money on expensive marquee signings on extortionate wages, this transfer strategy may work out to be a wise and profitable one. 

PLC - Pompey's offensive trio

An attacking trident of Lowe, Brett Pitman and Ronan Curtis has the potential to strike fear into any opponent in their league. Lowe may be allowed further freedom to venture forward with added solidity behind him now that Pompey appear to have settled with a central-midfield pairing in Walkes and Naylor that can both sit and attack in equal measure. Furthermore, it should relieve some of the burden on the winger as one of the few sources of attacking momentum from last season if Curtis’ direct running and intelligence on the ball are anything to go by in pre-season.

With a sustained run of games and responsibility within the team, there is no reason why Lowe cannot achieve a goal tally of double figures this season and spearhead a promotion challenge.