Pompey told: Time to deliver for this great club

Izale McLeod delivered a Pompey wake-up call and insisted: We're lucky to be playing for this great club.

McLeod has demanded the Blues stop feeling sorry themselves and forget using off-the-field problems as an excuse for their slump in results.

Pompey are now in the midst of their worst run in 37 years, after Tuesday’s defeat to Leyton Orient made it seven losses on the bounce.

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The 28-year-old admits he is in uncharted territory when it comes to the uncertainty enveloping the club.

Players are on month-to-month contracts and are waiting for their futures to become clearer as Pompey bid to exit administration.

But McLeod underlined the Blues squad are fortunate to be representing the club, and need to face up to the situation they are in.

He said: ‘I’ve not really known anything quite like this before.

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‘It’s month-to-month contracts and it literally is taking each day, week or month as it comes.

‘It’s football, though, we all love it and we have to get on with it.

‘I’m not here to make excuses. When we cross the white line we’re here to play football.

‘It’s a situation we’re in and we have to deal with it.

‘There’s a lot going on behind the scenes, but we have to do better than we have for the past few weeks.

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‘I’m a person who looks on the brighter side of life, and we could all be doing worse things.

‘We’re here playing football for a great club. The club may not be in the best shape but we’re still here doing what we love.

‘Every time we go out we have to give our all and turn our performances into wins.’

Pompey face a tricky trip to a resurgent Coventry on Saturday as they bid to end their barren run.

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The Sky Blues have won five of their past six games and have smashed in eight goals in their past two fixtures.

Pompey delivered a woeful first-half display against Leyton Orient, which saw them receive a half-time blast from the caretaker management team.

McLeod is demanding his team put that performance right at the Ricoh Arena.

He said: ‘We have to make sure on Saturday, when we go out, we’re firing from minute one.

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‘We can’t afford, in the position we’re in, to start the game in the second half.

‘We can’t afford to do that anyway, especially with the position we’re in.

‘On Saturday we have to go, start right and be more competitive.

‘We went on a run before this bad one where we went five games, won four and drew one.

‘We’re more than capable, but it’s just turning the corner.

‘We’re not far off it but we need a few things to go for us.

‘We’ll keep working hard and all the players believe that it will turn.

‘Now it’s about working towards that.’