Time to go, Mr Jackett
After six decades of supporting Pompey, you get to learn – to paraphrase Kipling – to treat those imposters, triumph and disaster just the same. Never get too excited, never get too down. I have never (with the exception of Alain Perrin) called for the manager to be moved on. However, I think Mr Jackett is now on borrowed time.
When the Eisner family took over in June 2017, I willingly voted to sell them my share. I liked what they said about respecting the heritage of the club and building slowly from the bottom up. No rash promises, no splashing the money around, living within our means. In line with this, Mr Jackett’s appointment seemed sensible. A safe pair of hands who’s been there and done it before.
What has since emerged is that we have a conservative manager whose tactical priorities seem to be:
1. At all costs don’t concede a goal,
2. Set pieces and and crosses are THE way to score goals,
3. An older head is always better than young potential (unless they’re on loan from a higher league),
4. Linked to number three – don’t take risks, always act with caution.
It is because of these that it has become – at times – painful to watch and so deadly, deadly dull. If you play with six players with a defensive brief, you’re never likely to have more than two in the penalty area when you attack (except for set pieces). We are too risk-averse.
Also we only have a plan A. The formation is 4-2-3-1, full stop. If it isn’t working – even if it is still 0-0 – then the onus is on us to change it up and make something happen in the division, as most teams see a draw as a good result against Pompey.
Also, the building-up approach from the academy up seems to have gone out the window. Being risk-averse, Mr Jackett is loathe to throw in a few academy (and ex-academy) products and will only go with the older heads. Hence Chaplain, May, Haunstrup and others with potential have been let go.
I believe the majority of Pompey fans would be happy to support a team containing five or six players who have come up through the ranks if we finished in mid-table or above. They all leave because of lack of game time, as will probably happen to Mnoga and maybe Close.
For the above reasons, sadly, I think it is time to bring some dynamic leadership and new ideas into the club and shake it up a bit.
Keith Martin Penny Street, Old Portsmouth