Stat's no worry for Pompey as they prepare for big guns

Pompey boss Kenny Jackett, left, with assistant manager Joe Gallen Picture: Joe Gallen

But Kenny Jackett isn’t giving too much credence to the fact his side have failed to do so to date this term.

The Blues boss acknowledged it’s likely they will have to arrest the stat over the coming weeks, however.

The clash with Scunthorpe marks the start of three of the top five coming to Fratton Park in the next six games.

Jackett feels, when it comes to his outfit failing to defeat the teams above them, there are a lot of different factors to consider.

The winning habit, though, is one his team need to be feeling to maintain their play-off charge.

‘One way or another you have to work it out. You have to win most weeks if you want to be up there,’ said Jackett.

‘I don’t necessarily go for analysing if it’s the bottom or the top of the division, though.

‘Similarly, when you play sides there’s different opportunities as well.

‘If you play Northampton in three or four weeks when they’ve taken a high number of players, it will be different.

‘So you have to look a little bit deeper than if it’s a top side. Similarly, a top side can end up getting injuries or have a high number of games in a short space of time. Then it’s a good time to play them.

‘So you have to look at an overall view and perhaps sometimes dig a bit deeper.

‘We’ve got them all though (top sides over the next six games), so we’ll be looking to win. On the day of these games we need to look like a force as well - because we’ll be playing clubs who will be.’

Jackett is pleased with Pompey’s position in the final play-off place as the players head for home in the race to reach the Championship.

But he knows there’s still plenty of twists and turns to come - pointing to Barnsley reaching the Championship in 2016 after being bottom in November and losing boss Lee Johnson in February.

Jackett said: ‘We’ve had 26 games and we’ve got 20 left.

‘We’re not too far away. That’s a good thing.

‘There’s not too much ground to make up.

‘If you’re in the bottom four you can still do it.

‘Barnsley did it the year before last and went from bottom to winning the play-offs.

‘It was an unbelievable turnaround and a time when the loan market worked really well for them.

‘The likes of Ashley Fletcher and Adam Hammill came in and they had a great run.’

– JORDAN CROSS