Gaffer: Heart and head says Pompey will beat Bury

It always worried me coming up against teams struggling in the league.

Both my heart and head say victory tomorrow, especially with our good run of late. We should also be feeling pretty confident in the next few games, apart from Shrewsbury.

However, when off-form teams like Bury come to Fratton Park it’s a big day out and they can pull it out of the bag.

I have never bet on Pompey in my life, but let’s go for a 2-0 victory.

Looking at the team, I would bring Ben Close in for Stuart O’Keefe and Kyle Bennett for Conor Chaplin.

In the Pompey games I have seen this season, Close and Danny Rose work well as a pair. Both are very good on the ball and seem to be our strongest midfield partnership at present.

Close has grown as a player this season and despite O’Keefe’s Checkatrade goal the other week, he should make way.

O’Keefe has actually started here pretty solidly, but other players have since come in and upped their game a bit, especially Rose.

Elsewhere, taking out Chaplin is probably seen as controversial and I may get shouted at – but he could do with a bit of time out of the spotlight.

I don’t know if he is ready to start League One football on a consistent basis, so perhaps he should be used from the bench. With Kal Naismith out, Bennett should be the number 10.