Portsmouth boss outlines January recruitment plans

The Blues boss explained he's looking to make the most of the opportunity to strengthen the charge to make it to the Championship.

And Jackett stated he will expect his recruitment department to make him aware of every player who is on the move next month.

Those exacting standards are borne out of a hunger to ensure his team go through the second half of the campaign in a stronger position than when they started the season.

Jackett outlined his recruitment policy and made it clear he wants to be ready to pounce when the right player becomes available.

He said: '˜It's going well (searching for targets).

'˜As a manager and club you have to be aware of the market and who's available at what price.

'˜I don't like as a manager there being a move for a player I didn't know about.

'˜That's the mark of it, even if you're not going for them all of the time.

'˜That assessment has to be going on all the time.

'˜It's not something you crack because it's always moving.

'˜It's who's doing well, who's playing poorly, who's injured, contractual situations and what their appearance record is like.

'˜Curveballs do happen and that's when you do need a recruitment department who knows who's out there.

'˜Whether that's old, young under-23s, Ireland or maybe Scotland.

'˜You then go to the lower leagues, National League and a big one is players in our league who are established but there's a contractual situation and he's ready to move on - like Lee Brown.

'˜There's not a right or wrong, but you need all angles covered because a curveball can happen.

'˜It's early December and you're looking to get answers from people.

'˜You get maybes because people are looking to keep their options open. I'm the same when people phone me about my fringe players. I'm not going to commit myself.

'˜It's building information so the day you pull the trigger you are as informed as you can be.

'˜Every window should be an opportunity to come out stronger.

'˜You marry that with your own contractual situations and looking at exactly where your team is.

'˜It's almost like having one blueprint on top of another and, hopefully, ultimately Portsmouth come out stronger.

'˜If there are options to improve we have to take it.'

Jackett is confident he will receive backing from Pompey's owners to boost his options with a golden opportunity emerging to gain promotion.

He added: '˜They (the owners) will ask for a summing up of where we are.

'˜That's contractual situations and the health of the side.

'˜They'll want to know where and how I'd want to improve if I can.

'˜The bottom line is who can we get in that we want? Who fits our criteria?

'˜It's hard but you have to overcome that and improve it.

'˜It's always evolving and you have to move with it and, ideally, stay one step ahead.'