Crawford: Pitman should be Portsmouth’s first-choice striker – I can’t understand why he isn’t

That is the verdict of former Blues forward Ray Crawford, who believes Kenny Jackett’s side have missed a natural goalscorer this season. 

Last term’s 25-goal top scorer has been forced to play a support-act role to Oli Hawkins during Pompey’s League One promotion push.

Pitman has netted seven times in 29 appearances to date – but only 12 have been starts. 

The January arrivals of Omar Bogle and James Vaughan – on loan from Cardiff and Wigan respectively for the remainder of the campaign – resulted in the captain being left out of Jackett’s match-day squad for the 1-1 draw with Doncaster last Saturday. 

Crawford, however, reckons the ex-AFC Bournemouth and Ipswich marksman should be spearheading the Blues’ Championship push. 

After falling from the top of the table, the former England international feels Pitman could reignite Pompey’s promotion charge.

Crawford said: ‘I can’t understand why Pitman is not in the side. I just cannot get that one.

‘He is an out-and-out goalscorer and has proved it. At every club he’s been at, he’s done well.

‘He can’t get in the side and I just don’t know why he is not playing.

‘Pitman is the goalscorer of the club. He is the one that you should be playing and others should be playing around him.

‘But the manager likes Oli and that is his prerogative. 

‘I’m just surprised Pitman isn’t in the team.

‘We seem to be a team who are lacking someone who is going to get stuck into his team-mates and get them to play better than they are.

‘Every team has their star player and at Fratton Park this season we haven’t had that.

‘We’ve got players who are all the same mould but don’t have a star player.

‘Pitman was the star player for me and he always has been since joining the club.

‘We're missing that star player.

‘My personal opinion is that he should be starting but, as I say, the manager picks the side.’

While Crawford appreciates the endeavour Hawkins shows, he feels the former Dagenham man lacks cutting edge in the box.

The former Ipswich man added: ‘Hawkins doesn’t lack effort but I don’t think he should be leading the line. 

‘He’s had a couple of injuries that have taken him time to get over.

‘I think he needs a bit of coaching. I’m not saying he hasn’t got the ability to do what Kenny Jackett wants him to do.

‘But he needs a coach because he gets into positions too early and gets marked instead of leading the space to go into. 

‘He is getting there too early before the ball is arriving.’