Pompey plot League One assault

Boss Paul Cook met with Leam Richardson, Mark Catlin and finance director Tony Brown yesterday morning following the Blues’ successful promotion.

Dominating the meeting was the make-up of the Pompey squad in League One next term.

The Blues have 16 players out of contract this summer, including Gareth Evans, Michael Doyle, Enda Stevens, Jack Whatmough and Kyle Bennett, who all started the 3-1 victory against Notts County which clinched promoted.

Cook was also walked through next season’s playing budget now Pompey’s fate has been decided.

And Catlin believes plans over retainment and recruitment can now be executed.

The club’s chief executive said: ‘It was straight back to work following promotion and early yesterday morning Paul met with myself, Leam and Tony Brown.

‘We are already discussing the plans for next season, which hopefully will start to be put into place in the coming days and weeks.

‘We had a wide-ranging three-hour discussion, which was the first time we had really talked about League One budgets and what it meant for existing players and targets.

‘We are all now a lot clearer among ourselves in the direction we want to go with players that are currently contracted to us, out of contract in the summer and targets.

‘Now we just have to let Paul and Leam do their work. They will have a couple of days to take in what has gone on and I’m sure they’ll speak to the players.

‘Myself and Tony won’t be speaking to any agents until Paul’s had time to digest what they want to do.’