Former chairman Iain McInnes on difficulty Portsmouth face to make it out of League One this season

The Blues were consigned to a fourth consecutive campaign in the third tier following their play-off semi-final defeat to Oxford in July.

McInnes, who spent four years as Pompey chairman during the fan ownership era prior to leaving in May 2017, felt Kenny Jackett's team should have made it to the Championship last term.

And he stressed the upcoming season was not the time to be stuck in League One.

The passing of a salary cap means all clubs in the division are operating to a £2.5m playing budget and squads are restricted to 22 players over the age of 21.

McInnes, who is now Gosport Borough chairman, stressed these constraints will work against the club the size of Pompey.

It was far from a convincing start to the new season for Jackett's side, either.

They had to battle past League Two side Stevenage in the Carabao Cup first round 3-1 on penalties having trailed 3-1 in normal time before pulling it back to 3-3.

And ahead of Borough welcoming a Blues' XI to Privett Park for a pre-season friendly tonight (7.45pm), McInnes said: 'They had to get out (of the division).

‘This wage cap thing is also a real kick for them.

‘This was not the season to be stuck in Division One.

‘They were good enough to get up, they should have got up and it’s a real shame they didn’t.

‘Sunderland and Portsmouth should have walked the division.'

McInnes is no stranger to Pompey play-off failure himself.

He was chairman when the Blues suffered a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Plymouth in the League Two play-off semi-final in 2016.

However, Paul Cook's side would then go on to win the fourth tier title the following season.

But McInnes admitted it wasn't any easier watching from a distance then it was on the difficult day at Home Park.

‘I’m really disappointed as a fan more than anything else,' added the former Pompey chairman.

‘I was kicking the cat, television and whoever came anywhere near me!’