Pompey v Notts County: Gaffer for a day

I am still optimistic about automatic promotion and let’s not forget we still have Plymouth to play.

I believe it remains a possibility – but we need wins.

We cannot afford to draw matches any longer, while we have still not won more than two in a row all season.

That has to end if we are to break into the top three.

Mind you, Notts County have a new manager in Mark Cooper, someone who did very well at Swindon and will be coming here trying to cause an upset.

We always seem to get clubs here who have just changed the manager and it has given them a lift.

For tomorrow’s match, I’d like to see Gary Roberts come straight back into the side following his suspension, with Michael Smith dropping out.

We can then have Marc McNulty as the striker, who has more legs than Smith.

I was at Accrington and thought Smith played very well, his hold-up play was good.

But I don’t think a big man up top suits us with the system we play.

With Roberts, he can come in behind McNulty.

I don’t believe he has made the impact everyone thought he would since arriving from Chesterfield, but he has done okay in his first season.

I would also bring back Gareth Evans for Kal Naismith on the flank.

As for Paul Jones, if Ryan Fulton cannot play then he would be the obvious call to make.

Brian Murphy has a calf injury, we have Alex Bass not ready yet, while Jones has kept four clean sheets out of a possible eight and is in good form. It’s a good decision.

He is a bit dodgy from corners but a good shot stopper and should be okay in the team. I believe we still need a decent keeper in the summer, but Jones will do the job now.