Cook: I'll pick entertaining Pompey team

Stanley – a team Cook used to both play for and manage – visit Fratton Park on Saturday (3pm), with Pompey looking to close a seven-point gap to the automatic-promotion places.

Successive defeats to Exeter and Wycombe has seen the Blues fall to seventh spot in the League Two table.

But ahead of Saturday’s clash with 19th-placed Accy, Cook believes the introduction of striker Eoin Doyle to his ranks has given renewed cause for attacking optimism heading into the final 18 games of the season.

He said: ‘You’re the manager, you pick the team – it’s your team.

‘I want to pick teams that I enjoy watching playing and that’s where I am now.

‘Personnel help any formation.

‘And when you have Eoin Doyle, Eoin’s qualities are to help other people look good – it’s a great quality to have.

‘Eoin’s comfortable stretching games and not being involved in them – it’s a great quality and allows other players to perform.

‘I thought Gary Roberts looked refreshed (at Wycombe).

‘I genuinely thought Kyle Bennett had a good influence.

‘Jamal Lowe is going smashing and Carl Baker and Kal Naismith can come off and play at any given time.

‘Conor Chaplin is in good form.

‘Nicke Kabamba and Noel Hunt are there – all of a sudden I feel the cogs are little bit better suited and more aligned.

‘That pleases me at the moment.’