Christian Burgess: I felt for under-fire Portsmouth gaffer at AFC Wimbledon

Portsmouth defender Christian Burgess (6) thanks the travelling fans during the EFL Sky Bet League 1 match between Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth at Adams Park, High Wycombe, England on 21 September 2019.

And the central defender insists players and staff are sticking together during troubled times for the Blues manager.

Pompey host Lincoln on Tuesday evening craving a win to kick-start a spluttering season – and relieve some of the pressure on Jackett.

There were once again chants of ‘We want Jackett out’ during Saturday’s last-gasp defeat at Kingsmeadow.

With the Blues’ travelling support positioned behind the away dugout, it created an uncomfortable situation for Jackett.

And that reception was noted by Burgess, who has every sympathy for his manager.

He said: ‘We are all on the same side, we are all in it together, l want success, as do the staff, the players, everyone behind the scenes.

‘It’s up to us to start putting something together to back the manager. We must stick together, work hard and I think eventually things will go well for us.

‘Wimbledon is one of those grounds where the fans are so close. It can’t have been easy to be over on the touchline.

‘I absolutely felt for the gaffer, especially towards the end when that goal went in. It wasn't great, we were all disappointed.

‘When there’s stick, there's not a lot you can do other than your job. It’s not like we want to lose or enjoy being where we are – we agree our performances are under par and where we are in the table isn’t good enough.

‘When things aren’t going well, there’s going to be lots of different opinions, negative thoughts out there, you can’t affect that.

‘You just have to get back doing what you are supposed to be doing – which is performing well, winning games and climbing back up the league.’

The Imps head to Fratton Park on the back of two wins in their last 14 matches.

And Burgess is seeking a strong Pompey start.

He added: ‘It’s definitely important to start well, an early goal can change dynamics.

‘We have to be patient, keep believing in ourselves, and we play like we did in the first half at Wimbledon, when I thought we were pretty good.’

Christian Burgess: I felt for under-fire Portsmouth gaffer at AFC Wimbledon - and we're sticking together