The Portlist 2: Deadline Day Defensive Shake-Up

Deadline Day is as good an excuse as any to publish our second Portlist. Port’s two arrivals, two departures and news of injuries and recoveries slightly reshape the Portlist in the week before the T1 season finally restarts!

1 (1) Dragan Boskovic

If anything, the decision to keep Suarez over Nebihi just makes Boskovic even more important. Whereas Nebihi would have been able to function passably as a back-up front man, Suarez is clearly not cut out for that role, meaning that at any given time Port are one injury away from the completely unproven Arthit leading the line.

2 (2) David Rochela

El Capitan will have been happy with Kevin Deeromram’s arrival, as he should now be spending more time where he belongs in the centre of defence, and less time covering for errant full backs.

3 (3) Kim Sung Hwan

There are suggestions that the knock Kim picked up in last week’s friendly could keep him out of the opening day clash with Pattaya. What’s Korean for ‘get well soon’?

4 (7) Sergio Suarez

Suarez finally overcame Nebihi and kept hold of his place in the squad, but the big German being loaned out to Chiang Rai will create an interesting opportunity to compare their relative performances this season. Regardless, Suarez now has to focus on trying to perform as well as he did in the second half of last season for the whole of this season. If he can do that he will move still higher up the Portlist.

5 (4) Pakorn Prempak

Little changed for Pakorn on deadline day, although Kevin Deeromram will provide a left-footed option from corners and free kicks that could decrease Pakorn’s stock a little.

6 (5) Siwakorn Jakkuprasart

Kim’s potential injury just reminds us how much we rely on Siwakorn to move the ball around in midfield.

7 (6) Nurul Sriyankem

Nurul’s job on the left wing will hopefully have been made a little easier by the arrival of Kevin Deeromram. If these two can strike up the kind of productive partnership that Pakorn and Nitipong had last season, then Port will have significantly strengthened their first XI on deadline day.

8 (9) Nitipong Selanon

There is now a legitimate argument against Nitipong being Port’s best fullback.

9 (NE) Kevin Deeromram

But Kevin’s got some work to do. First he’s got to be picked ahead of Panpanpong, and then he’s got to do what Panpanpong couldn’t and find the right balance between defence and attack to keep Port tight at the back, and provide a useful attacking option. If he does this he will quickly lock down a place in the team.

10 (10) Rattanai Songsangchan

Video of Rattanai bouncing around the goal in training suggests that Port’s stopper is at or very near full fitness. Good, timely news!

11 (11) Todsapol Lated

In deadline day signing Worawut, Todsapol now has one more competitor with a legitimate chance of taking his place in the team. A clean sheet on Sunday would go a very long way to securing his place in what is now Port’s most competitive defence in some years.

12 (13) Bodin Phala

Bodin can expect a run-out off the bench in Port’s season opener, but he will have to deliver goals and assists in order to break in to the first XI.

13 (16) Adisorn Daeng-rueng

The prospect of an injury to Kim reminds us how big a role Adisorn could still play this season.

14 (17) Arthit Butjinda

Arthit is now the man Port will turn to in case of an injury to Boskovic. He could have very little to do, or he could find himself carrying enormous responsibility for this ambitious Port team.

15 (14) Elias Dolah

Dolah should still be starting on the bench come Sunday, but he now faces an even tougher challenge to fight his way in to the Port team after the arrival of Thai under 23 star Worawut.

16 (15) Worawut Srisupha

The fitter Rattanai gets the less we have to think about Worawut throwing his fists at crosses this season.

17 (18) Terens Puhiri

His off-field antics just make him more and more likeable by the day.

18 (19) Meechok Marhasaranukun

The final spot on the bench, where Meechok can expect to spend a lot of time in 2018.

19 (12) Panpanpong Pinkong

The biggest loser on deadline day, and the biggest Portlist faller. If you spend 40 million baht on a full back, surely you intend to play him ahead of your weakest link!

20 (NE) Worawut Namvech

An exciting loan signing for Port, who will hope to fight his way on to the bench and then in to the first XI. If his SEA Games performance was any indication, he’s got a decent chance.

21 (22) Athibordee Atirat

If Kim’s injury rules him out on Sunday that should mean a spot on the bench for Athibordee.

22 (23) Pummared Kladkleep

Or Pummared.

23 (25) Chakrit Rawanprakone

Still fifth choice winger, and unlikely to displace either Bodin or Terens on the bench any time soon.

24 (20) Jetjinn Sriprach

On deadline day Jetjinn went from being second choice left back with a decent chance of breaking in to the first team to third choice with little hope of getting anywhere near the first team save an injury crisis.

25 (26) Watchara Buathong

Third choice goalkeeper, with both number 1 and 2 looking fit.

26 (24) Thanakorn Saipanya

As yet unregistered in Port’s T1 squad, Thanakorn might be sent to add a bit of experience to Port’s B team, rather than wasting his time as back-up to the back-up’s back-up.

27 (27) Chanayut Jejue

With Port’s paucity of strikers it is possible albeit unlikely that Chanayut will be called on at some point this season.

28 (28) Sarawin Phakdeekan

With Worawut’s arrival Sarawin went from having almost no chance of seeing any first team action in 2018 to having actually no chance of seeing any first team action in 2018.

99 (99) Tana Chanabut

Number 11 on paper; number 99 in our hearts. But there’s more than just my instinctive distaste for mustachioed moochers that goes in to these Portlist placings. They’re calculated by maths and stuff.

Bear with me while I struggle through some simple addition. Firstly, the Portlist tells us that there are 26 players in the first team squad. Port B, the u16s and the u14s ought to have average squad sizes of about 24 (because it’s convenient for my calculations) which means a total of 72 youth players. 26 first teamers plus 72 youth teamers makes a total of 98. And who better to bring up the rear than that bloke who doesn’t even turn up to training because he’s doing a 4 month police training course?

Tana Chanabhut

Tom Earls

Having moved to Thailand aged 10, Tom has been playing or watching football in Thailand for more than 18 years. A keen follower of the Thai National Team and an avid fan of Port FC, he is a regular contributor to The Sandpit.

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