Gaffer: A wasted Portsmouth season. We need to be inspired by Plymouth - the pressure is on Rich Hughes

You sound in good spirits, happy with that result?

I travelled to Derby with very low expectations, genuinely expecting a 4-0 defeat, so a 1-1 draw and the performance pleasantly surprised me.

Ahead of the game, John Mousinho had talked about players not being on the beach and I took that with a very large pinch of salt, but where was that display five weeks ago?

Walking to the game with Derby fans, they weren’t expecting anything at all. One guy insisted that, beyond the first-team, they had a very weak squad and expectations had been built up.

They would have snapped off your hand for the play-offs at the start of the season.

How did Pompey play?

They were all right, but it was two teams who are going to finish where they deserve to finish.

I don’t think Derby are good enough to go up, you only have to look at Ipswich and Plymouth to see that.

You can argue about budgets, but take Plymouth as an example, it goes back to recruitment. They’ve shown you can do it properly, which is something we can take heart from.

Although it always goes back to that 2018-19 season, when we missed our chance and lost to Sunderland in the play-offs. Since then the league has got stronger and stronger.

I suppose we go again next year.

Who was your man of the match?

Colby Bishop led the line well and took his goal brilliantly, I was positioned right behind it and it was a great header.

I’m part of Clan Pompey and he has won our player of the year by an absolute mile. I’m coming down to present it to him at Fratton Park next Sunday.

Unfortunately, I have a feeling Pompey will cash in on Bishop and Joe Morrell this summer, the board have always said you eat what you kill.

You could probably sell Morrell for decent money and reinvest it. I hope they don’t, but it wouldn’t surprise me if a decent offer came in.

After all, we’re League One.

What next for Pompey?

It’s a wasted season, like the previous few years, but now it’s over to Rich Hughes, he’s your man.

I look at his first transfer window and he didn’t do too badly. Compared to other January windows, it was a stand-out one.

It’s a new structure, the sporting director appears to be calling the shots with transfers, so the pressure’s on him. Give him a go and see what he can do.

I have no problem with this method whatsoever. Bringing in young players and selling them on after a couple of years for profit is the way forward.

Matt Macey – 7

Joe Rafferty – 7

Di’Shon Bernard – 7

Ryley Towler – 7

Connor Ogilvie – 7

Marlon Pack – 7

Joe Morrell – 8

Paddy Lane – 8

Joe Pigott – 6

Michael Jacobs – 6

Colby Bishop – 8