What the next four games against Peterborough, Ipswich, Fleetwood and Hull City will tell Portsmouth about where their season is going

But the Blues manager doesn’t view the pre-Christmas promotion shootout as make or break to his side’s ambitions of making the Championship.

The clash with Peterborough marks the start of four successive games against sides with hopes of enjoying league success.

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The Posh showdown is the prelude to a testing trip to Ipswich, before Fleetwood come to Fratton Park and Jackett’s side then go to league leaders Hull City.

It’s a run which will tell Pompey much about where their season is headed, with the final three games arriving across a six-day period.

Jackett acknowledged the difficulty of the challenge but, while accepting its importance, also stressed he doesn’t see the run as defining for his side’s aspirations.

He said: ‘It’s true (you won’t get a harder run this season).

‘They are hard games, but again there’s different types of tests.

‘You have to respect the challenge but not be frightened of it.

‘Really, we have to try to embrace it, because we have great opportunities at the moment and it’s a period through to mid-January where there are a lot of games.

‘I would always prefer playing to training when I was a player, and I’m sure most players are the same.

‘I don’t think it’s make or break but I do think it’s a big period.

You do see different clubs recruit well in January and then go up.

‘You think where were they in the first half of the season?

‘That said, you can’t be too far away. You have to be within it.

‘I’ve got to say it’s an exciting period, too, because there’s some big challenges in there.’

Although the teams Pompey face on their run up to Chirstmas occupied the the top eight position before the weekend, they are all going through fluctuation fortunes at present.

Before this weekend’s games, Hull were in outstanding form while Fleetwood’s season was largely going in the right direction.

Peterborough had hit a rocky patch before arriving at Fratton Park, however, while Ipswich had won a single game in their past seven outings.

Jackett acknowledged that, along with the importance of Pompey getting their own house in order being a priority.

That was seen as optimism created from one league defeat in eight evaporated with an insipid showing at Blackpool on Tuesday night.

Jackett added: ‘There’s form to consider, but we feel if we get our game right we can playing against anybody.

‘Similarly, if we don’t get our game right and we don’t concentrate we are going to have to be very wary of the bottom teams as well.

‘Overestimating or underestimating opposition is something you have to be very careful not to do.

‘As ever, concentrating on yourself, getting your own team and your own game right and always continually trying to improve is important.

‘Then making sure your mentality from one game to the other is spot on is important, too.’

The game with Peterborough means over a third of the league season is now completed for Pompey as they enter the festive period.

They do so once again in play-off contention, with the challenge to this time avoid the painful endings experienced over the past two campaigns.

Jackett said: ‘It’s an exciting time.

‘We’ve had a third of the season and there’s been optimism in. it.

‘We’re looking at a busy period with a lot of points to play for now.

‘We feel again we have a chance and we want to maximise that.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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