Kenny Jackett admits Portsmouth lacked energy and fluency in Hull defeat - but can't put his finger on why exactly

Kenny Jackett admitted his team didn’t look their usual selves against Hull today – but couldn’t quite put his finger on why that was the case.
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Pompey came up desperately short against their promotion rivals, passing up the chance to overtake them in the league as they suffered a 4-0 humbling on home soil.

And rather than climbing the table and gaining ultimate control of their own destiny, they actually dropped to fourth, with Peterborough leapfrogging the Blues into third following their 1-0 win at Ipswich.

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With four points now separating them from the automatic promotion places, Jackett said his team lacked energy and fluency.

Yet he was at a loss as to why on their biggest day of the season to date.

The Pompey boss told The News: ‘I didn't think we had our usual energy today.

‘First half, they deserved their lead – we didn’t handle their set-pieces, which is unlike us, and in open play we didn't have our usual fluency.

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‘The full-backs didn't necessarily get forward enough and for us we didn’t create the type of chances we normally do. Obviously, then, from start to finish, we weren’t threatening their goal.

Kenny Jackett saw his side suffer a 4-0 home humbling at the hands of Hull today.  Picture: Joe PeplerKenny Jackett saw his side suffer a 4-0 home humbling at the hands of Hull today.  Picture: Joe Pepler
Kenny Jackett saw his side suffer a 4-0 home humbling at the hands of Hull today. Picture: Joe Pepler

'It's a tough one (why we were like that).‘Hull are a good side and were a good side today, but we have to work hard to make sure we recover, get back to what we do well in terms of being able to press, being able to pass quickly.It's been a good part of our game but it wasn't quite there today.

‘We didn’t look like our normal selves.’

Pompey trailed 1-0 at the break following a Jack Whatmough own goal on 23 minutes.

That promoted a double substitution at the break, with Ben Close and Harvey White replacing Andy Cannon and Ryan Williams respectively for the start of the second half.

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The tactical switch backfired though, with Hull netting three further goals to claim a handsome win – including another Whatmough OG.

Jackett admitted the game unexpectedly continued to get away from his team in the second period.

‘In every phase of the game, we couldn't quite get there, it wasn't quite there today.

‘At the start of the game we didn’t have our usual energy and as we made changes in the second half the game went further away from us rather than closer.'Both Ben and Harvey were lively in the second half, but unfortunately we gave poor goals away and just couldn't get that cutting edge up from, get the ball to our key player to be able to work their goalkeeper.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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