Kenny Jackett: I'm not immune to Portsmouth fan comments, but I knew we could turn it around

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
The calls for the dismissal of Pompey’s manager reached a Kingsmeadow crescendo.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Since then, they have embarked on a 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions, while Jackett has been nominated as Sky Bet Manager of the Month for November.

Those supporter comments could not be ignored, yet the Blues boss possessed faith in his side.

He said: ‘As a manager you have to be resilient, but the nature of football these days is it comes on pretty quickly if you don’t win.

‘At Wimbledon, you can see the faces can’t you, and hear the comments.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

People say to managers “Do you feel it?” You feel it and know what is going on, people that say they don’t, well they do. You know what people think and people feel, 100 per cent.

Kenny Jackett has turned around Pompey fortunes with a 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions. Picture: Joe PeplerKenny Jackett has turned around Pompey fortunes with a 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions. Picture: Joe Pepler
Kenny Jackett has turned around Pompey fortunes with a 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions. Picture: Joe Pepler | JPIMedia

‘It’s not like you have some way of being immune to it.

‘We have given ourselves a chance. The big one in the football club is always the players. What are they capable of? Are they playing to their maximum? Are the combinations there? I always thought there was.

‘I always felt there was a lot of ability there – and I’ve watched them build up their confidence. You can’t just switch it on or off, you have to build it brick by brick.

‘It has slowly built to a stage where we have given ourselves a chance going forward, that’s it, nothing more than that.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘But we have a chance, we are in and around it, and now have a chance if we get it right.’

Pompey, who head to an Accrington side 18th in League One, are seeking successive League One wins.

Jackett added: ‘That Wimbledon game we were right on top, the stats I do in a lot of those games showed we were clear winners on many of them.

‘I am not saying that shows you deserve to win, it doesn’t. I think you get what you deserve.

‘Similarly, I did think with perseverance we could turn it around.’

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1877
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice