Gaffer for a day: I'd rest Pompey captain Pitman

Scunthorpe was a disappointing result and some of the comments afterwards have centred on playing well but with no cutting edge.

There have been games this season when we have created quite a few chances, but not a lot have ended up on target.

Still, you must allow some of these young players to make mistakes. This squad is a lot younger than last season and sometimes we forget that.

I think we can put too much on young players – and I am as guilty as anyone for that.

The squad has almost been rebuilt and it’s quite exciting really, without getting carried away.

There are changes I would make, though, and one is to rest Brett Pitman.

He seems to have been off the pace a bit recently, even if he was in the right positions at the right time against Fleetwood to score twice.

Pitman can appear quite slow up front, so I’d like to see Oliver Hawkins and Conor Chaplin paired together. They are mobile and I’ve always liked the little and large combination.

With Pitman, a whack on the head can take things out of people, and we’ve had our fair share of head injuries already this season! They’ll be comparing scars after the game.

I would certainly keep Stuart O’Keefe in midfield and I’d like to see him paired with Danny Rose. And it’s time to bring Kyle Bennett back on to the bench.