IPSWICH Town fans could be forgiven for having mixed feelings about Ellis Harrison's departure to Portsmouth.

The front man has penned a three-year deal on the south coast after just one injury-hit season at Portman Road.

Some, the realists and pragmatists, will see it as the natural evolution of Paul Lambert's League One squad.

Players were always likely to come and go and it's hardly a surprise that one who featured so little (generally through no fault of his own) has been moved on.

However, I, for one, have doubts and reservations.

Don't get me wrong, I wish him the very best of luck.

By Harrison's own admission, no thanks to injury, he never got going during his season at Ipswich. He deserves a fresh start.

On the other, I have a sense of both disappointment and unease.

Disappointment because I liked what I saw of the 25-year-old, who joined last July in a £750,000 switch from Bristol Rovers.

His goal in the friendly against West Ham was the defining moment amid a summer of optimism, supposedly the dawn of a new era with Paul Hurst at the tiller instead of previous boss Mick McCarthy.

If only we knew then what we know now.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but, in Harrison, I genuinely thought Town had a gem - a player more than capable of stepping up to Championship level.

Pace, power and a proven track record in front of goal, albeit at a lower level. There was good reason to be excited.

Alas, it wasn't to be.

Injury - an ankle ligament problem suffered in training, later followed by a back issue - restricted him to just nine starts, eight substitute appearances and one competitive goal.

And that's where the unease comes in.

Town have sold a striker to one of their League One rivals. Promotion rivals, hopefully.

And not just any front man. One that is hungry, keen and desperate to make up for lost time.

Worse still, it would seem, one with a point to prove.

"Coming here is a no-brainer," Harrison said upon his arrival at Fratton Park.

"I’ve got a manager who trusts me and has put his full faith in me, so I want to repay that."

Possibly a dig at Paul Lambert, who clearly wasn't impressed by his ability or fitness levels? Maybe, maybe not.

Lambert is better placed than me to make judgement calls on his players, obviously.

Only time will tell but I have a feeling he might regret this particular piece of business. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.