Gaffer: Portsmouth have blown their play-off chances already

The start to the season has been very underwhelming and disappointing.

It’s hard to put your finger on why that’s been the case.

But the team has just seem scared and frightened at times.

At the start of the season I was not confident about what was to come.

They’ve blown their play-off chances already, the inconsistency is costing them.

You just can’t see them putting a run of four or five wins together at any stage of the season.

We’ve still got two games in hand on the majority of the teams in the division.

The true reflection of where Pompey really are will come at the end of November.

But we need to win these games to come in the next month, playing the right type of football as well.

There hasn’t been a match this season that has been won playing pretty.

I’ve not been satisfied with the performances, there needs to be more cohesion in the team.

Even though we beat Lincoln, the team still did not produce a lot.

Kenny Jackett is continuing to put square pegs in round holes.

He’s reverted back to playing Ross McCrorie as a full-back, the Scotsman needs to be playing in midfield.

James Bolton should be back in the team as a right-back.

Ben Close has played well for Pompey in the past, but he needs a break out of the team now.

I’d also change the system for the game against Oxford.

It needs to be more attacking-minded, so John Marquis and Ellis Harrison should be partnered in a two-man attack.

Pompey (4-4-2): Craig MacGillivray, James Bolton, Christian Burgess, Sean Raggett, Lee Brown, Marcus Harness, Andy Cannon, Tom Naylor, Ronan Curtis, Ellis Harrison, John Marquis.