Robbie Blake: How Portsmouth finally got the best out of sensational but sulky Kal Naismith

Robbie Blake has revealed how Pompey finally managed to get the best out enigmatic attacker Kal Naismith.

And he believes that remarkable transformation was pivotal to the 2016-17 League Two title success.

Just 12 months into a three-year deal, it appeared Naismith had no Fratton Park future in the summer of 2017.

Manager Paul Cook and his coaching staff were at their wit’s end trying to tap into the Scot’s undoubted talents.

Yet Naismith would register nine times during his last 16 appearances of the title charge, becoming 17-goal top scorer as Pompey returned to League One.

Blake, a Blues coach at the time, said: ‘Cookie knew what was inside Kal, but Kal didn’t. He didn't see it until it started to drop a little bit – now he’s playing in the Championship.

‘Kal had everything. The height, pace, physicality, a great left foot, he could finish, the ability to cross, brilliant on dead balls. A lot of talent.

‘But sometimes when you’re young you are a bit naive and he didn't fully allow it to come out until later on. After Newport on Boxing Day he was sensational.

‘He had all the attributes and should he put a couple together then he was going to be huge for us – and Kal was a different class in the end.

‘With Kal, it wasn’t off-the-field problems, he just didn’t take football seriously. He didn’t knuckle down enough.

‘He felt he should be in the team but hadn’t earned that yet. He had a problem with the manager because he had a tendency to sulk, which Cookie doesn’t like. Cookie would rather have him score two and go over to the bench and give him the Vs.

‘The manager had him in the office untold times. Me and Leam would do it as well, repeatedly telling him “I know it’s there, go on Kal”.

‘Cookie was trying everything with him, leaving him out, bringing him in, giving him a chance. Although we did say to the gaffer that creative players can't play one game and dip out for two, they have to be given a run of games with shackles off to show what they can do.

‘When it got bad, Kal trained with the kids, they couldn’t be in the same room. But the good thing about Cookie is he never bears a grudge.

‘Other managers would say “Do you know what, you can get lost” but he never said the lad wouldn’t play for him again.

‘It was a case of “What else can we do?”, so he was stuck in with the kids for a couple of weeks and told to train with them.

‘We weren’t getting anything out of him, he wasn’t getting anything out of us. Then, all of a sudden, it clicked. Who knows if he’d had a chat with somebody, but it happened.’

Following Cook’s summer departure, Naismith never recaptured that scintillating form.

He scored twice in 26 League One appearances before reuniting with his former boss at Wigan on a free transfer in the summer of 2018.

Blake added: ‘The first thing Kenny did when he came in was to call me and ask about every single player. I gave glowing reports about Kal because of what he did from Christmas onwards.

‘He didn’t take us up almost single handedly, that’s not right. However, he had a massive influence on us getting promoted that year.

‘At the end of the day, you do have fall outs and disagreements but, on the grand scheme of things, you should all want the same thing – which is success.

‘To get that, there shouldn't be any hidden agendas, just man-on-man conversations – and respect.’

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