Cook's never feared Pompey sack

And the Blues boss paid tribute to his board for allowing him to deliver success at Fratton Park on his terms.

Cook’s side today aim to deliver the most remarkable of finishes to the campaign after securing promotion.

Pompey need to grab victory against Cheltenham and better Plymouth and Doncaster’s results to win the League Two title.

The odds are against them, but Cook feels the script is written for his men to deliver an unlikely success.

Whatever the outcome, the 50-year-old feels promotion wouldn’t have been achieved without unflinching support from above.

Cook said: ‘From day one I’ve had the utmost support I could possibly have.

‘At no time in my tenure have I ever felt I was close to being sacked. Never.

‘You know, as a manager that’s an amazing thing to have from the people behind you. I thank them deeply for that.

‘By the way, I probably was close a few times – but I never felt it. They were good at hiding at it!

‘Seriously, it’s a great credit to them because managers must feel confident.

‘You must manage how you believe.

‘The people who brought me to the club, which was the chairman, Mark Catlin, Tony Brown and the board of directors have given me amazing support.

‘I’ve had two years now and I’ve genuinely felt nothing but support.

‘That’s with regard to bringing players in and if I’ve wanted to change or do anything.

‘It’s a great credit that I’ve felt that support.

‘I want them to be thanked for that.’

Cook highlighted how he’s been able to manage without outside interference as another reason to credit the Blues’ board.

He said: ‘Before the last four or five away games we didn’t train the day before we played. We’ve wanted our players to be rested, so we managed it.

‘You know if you’re losing and my bosses know we’re not training, people could call it unprofessional.

‘We don’t do anything that we don’t think will wins us the game.

‘But when you’re travelling away with all the journeys and everything else, if you throw training in it could be too much.

‘They are little things you need support with.

‘Because people could ask why aren’t you training or doing this or that.

‘In football, that many managers feel under that much pressure that they don’t manager properly.

‘I think you end up managing for other people.

‘If you are to be a successful manager, for me, you must do it your own way.

‘The biggest credit I can pay them is that I’ve been able to do it.’