Verdict: Portsmouth boss Kenny Jackett must recruit proper number 10 this summer

That’s the verdict of Will Rooney in the latest edition of Pompey Talk.

Kenny Jackett's side will spend a third season in League One after being knocked out of the play-off semi-finals at the hands of Sunderland on Thursday.

It means the boss’ summer recruitment is again under way as he looks to plot the Blues’ way into the Championship.

Rooney believes Jackett must find a specialist to play in the hole behind the striker of his favoured 4-2-3-1 system next term.

While Gareth Evans did a sterling job in the role during the first half of the season, a natural number 10 who’s pivotal to most attacks must be unearthed.

Rooney said: ‘The one position for me Pompey have suffered is they haven’t had a proper number 10.

‘They haven’t had a real creative midfielder.

‘Don’t get me wrong, Gareth Evans was superb in there in the first half of the season – he had energy, tenacity and scored goals.

‘But he’s not an out-and-out number 10 who’s pivotal to everything and threads passes through.

‘He was someone pressed the line high and worked hard.

‘The only one you’d think of who’s like it is Louis Dennis and Kenny Jackett hasn’t fancied him all season.

‘Jack regards Andy Cannon as a number 10 and it’ll be interesting to see what he does in pre-season because he had a big injury after arriving from Rochdale.

‘But Pompey definitely need a proper number 10 who can get goals and assists and cause headaches for defences.

‘They need someone who can show that bit of intelligence, thread a pass through and create something out of nothing.’

Watch the rest of Pompey Talk on the video above.