Marc McNulty is a better bet to fire Pompey to success than Matt Tubbs.

So says a former Pompey player who knows a thing or two about goalscoring - Ray Crawford.

He told The News rthe Blues must try to keep the on-loan Sheffield United man for the whole season in order to spearhead their promotion ambitions.

Crawford said: ‘McNulty is a good player — and it is a must that we keep him. I don’t think we will ever have enough money to buy him but we have to keep him here as long as we can.

‘In the form he is on, his parent club will want him back — unless he’s had some aggro up there and they don’t want him. McNulty likes to drop off and drift out wide, he always wants the ball, is always open, is always showing for the ball. He wants it wide because he’s got a bit of pace and that is where we got the goal against Accrington.

‘He held off, got the ball, went on a run and when he’s on those runs he is hard to stop. The lad is more mobile than Tubbs. Tubbs is a goalscorer but not mobile, he doesn’t link up, he doesn’t show from the back, he is always running the other way.

‘I am not criticising because he is a great goalscorer but all you see is the number nine on his back. As a front player you want to see his chest, you want him coming off, getting the ball down, knocking it and then going but Tubbs is not like that. He is a drifter, just in and out the game, and gets himself free in the box.

‘In this division you cannot be like that, you’ve got to have people up front who really want the ball, to hold it up, give it and then go. I feel sorry for Tubbs because I am a fan of his, he is goalscorer but he doesn’t do enough and I can see why Paul Cook doesn’t play him.’

Follow @Pompey_Fans

Click here to sign up for an account and reserve your username! You can then post on the Forum and add your comments to articles

Photo: Action Images

Portsmouth Polls