WHY IT’S NOW UNTHINKABLE FOR A BLUES SIDE NOT TO HAVE CANNON’S SPARK
POMPEY’S victory over Peterborough United on Saturday represented a bittersweet moment for Andy Cannon.
Not merely for the fact that his previous outing against the Posh came while suffering from undiagnosed symptoms which strangely drained his usual highoctane presence.
Not long after that March encounter, it transpired he had coronavirus.
Nonetheless, Saturday marked Cannon’s
50th Pompey outing – accomplished in almost two years at the club.
The duration it took for the feat to be achieved reflects the strength of challenges faced by the determined midfielder since his January 2019 arrival from Rochdale.
Cannon has fought back to establish himself as a pivotal figure in Kenny Jackett’s latest team rebuild.
He was written off by many supporters following a long-term quad injury early in his Fratton Park career.
Cannon would feature for just 102 minutes of first-team action during the second half of the 2018-19 season as the League One title front runners collapsed.
That was sufficient for some to deliver damning verdicts on his ability.
Cannon’s talent was judged on the basis of two matches and a poorly-timed injury. Undoubtedly harsh.
By the opening Fratton Park game of the following League One season, he was receiving a standing ovation following his substitution against Tranmere Rovers.
That was August 2019, yet it has still taken the 24-yearold more than a year since to truly establish himself in Jackett’s favoured side.
Cannon totalled 28 games last season – already he has featured 20 times in the 2020-21 campaign.
This has been no rejuvenation from the softlyspoken lad from Glossop, not far from Manchester.
His re-emergence has primarily been driven by the manager’s discovery of his most effective position. And, of course, no injury woes.
In Jackett’s 4-2-3-1, his Rochdale recruit was deemed not equipped to serve as a number 10 where goals and assists are imperative.
As for one of the two holding midfielders, Cannon’s attacking instinct and impressive ability to drive forward with the ball also rendered him a poor fit.
Instead, he was condemned to bursts of energy from the bench.
Then, at Gillingham in mid-October, Jackett paired him with Tom Naylor at the heart of a four-man midfield. You know the rest.
Cannon has now started 11 consecutive League One fixtures. Yet 13 months earlier was an unused substitute in eight successive matches in all competitions.
Overall, since his January 2019 move, he has played in 50 of Pompey’s 103 games.
Now it seems unthinkable for a Jackett side to be without Cannon’s infectious spark.