Portsmouth boss Kenny Jackett gives verdict on January business and task of keeping squad boosted in numbers happy

Kenny Jackett saluted his powerful Pompey options as the transfer window came to a close.
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Talk of interest in a defender surfaced but Jackett opted not to pursue a deal, with the Blues boss content with his improving defensive options.

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Pompey completed their key transfer work early in the window, bringing in Cameron McGeehan, Steve Seddon and Reeco Hackett-Fairchild.

That gives Jackett a 25-man squad to call upon at present with just Bryn Morris in the treatment room.

The options also provide depth and cover in all positions as Pompey air for glory on three fronts.

Jackett has no doubt about the quality at his disposal.

He said: ‘The group has been here for a while now. It’s not like it’s just been thrown together this month.

Kenny Jackett. Picture: PinPep Media / Joe PeplerKenny Jackett. Picture: PinPep Media / Joe Pepler
Kenny Jackett. Picture: PinPep Media / Joe Pepler
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‘We’ve got quite a few - four loans - where the lads feel here and part of it.

‘Three additions right at the start have fitted in and while there is quite a lot of players here. We do feel we have quite a good squad, a settled squad and the dynamics aren’t bad.

‘We’re not too top heavy. Whether we adjust that slightly in the summer, we’ll see.

‘There is probably the need to keep hold of one or two players that it might be different in the summer for.

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‘It’s the strongest we’ve been with only Bryn Morris not available.

‘It’s the first time with the three three lads coming in that we’ve upped the numbers slightly.

‘We’ve brought three lads in and people are asking about signing other players, but instead of signing them we’ve had other come back.

‘Haunstrup’s come back from an operation, Brown’s come back from an operation and we’ve had others come out of the treatment room.

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‘It’s as strong as we have been and as many as there has been. Long may that continue.’

One challenge Jackett will face moving forward is keeping his squad happy, with virtually all of the players at his disposal able to consider themselves established pros.

Six of those men didn’t even make the squad for Tuesday’s win at Lincoln, but it’s a task the Pompey boss feels he’s up to.

He added: ‘It doesn’t feel that way (it will be hard to keep the players happy) because the group has been together and they know where they are.

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‘There was a little influx. Both of the left footers were out so we took another in Seddon and strengthened with McGeehan and Reeco up front.

‘We’ve gone for one in every department and the dynamics of the squad have been exactly the same since then.

‘It doesn’t feel like a dilemma, it feels like a group working together albeit there’s some competition there’.

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