Whatmough: Stick with us
Whatmough lauds team spirit and insists fortunes will change
JACK WHATMOUGH delivered a wholehearted address to Pompey fans doubting their team as he pleaded: Please stick with us.
And the club’s longestserving player insisted the character in the current dressing room is the best he’s known in his time at Fratton Park.
Blues fans were left fuming after their side were left looking over their shoulders in the League One play-off hunt after the 2-1 defeat at Doncaster last night.
Pompey were left to rue a formation switch to a back three, which failed and was ditched after 25 minutes as they fell a goal behind.
A second goal followed for the home side in the second half before John Marquis’ stoppage-time consolation, but it’s now four points for Kenny Jackett’s side from a possible 15.
Gosport boy Whatmough fronted up after the latest disappointment on his first start for seven games.
And with so much anger present among fans, he called for unity at a crucial point in the season
Whatmough said: ‘I’ve been in and around this first team for seven years – and this is the best group I’ve been involved with in terms of team spirit.
‘People just need to stick with us because it will turn around. I’ve been here a long time and been in a lot of different dressing rooms – and this is the best one.
‘There’s a real togetherness. Everyone is here for the same reason – to get promotion – and we’ve spoken about that after the game.
‘We all want promotion and we won’t stop working towards that.
‘It’s not going for us at the moment, but stick with us because we’ve got the ability and the squad to turn it around.
‘We’ve definitely got the characters in the dressing room to do it.’
Whatmough accepted it’s clear it’s not clicking for Pompey at present after just one win in five games.
It means they will fall out of the play-off places if Doncaster and Ipswich below them win their games in hand.
The 24-year-old was at pains to promise fans the players are feeling as exasperated as they are.
He added: ‘It’s frustrating and we as players are as frustrated as anyone.
‘Maybe it’s easy to say but from the board to the players to the fans we want the same thing.
‘So stick with us and we’ll turn it around. It’s not clicking but it will, so stick with us.
‘There’s a lot of points to be played for and there’s a strong group in there.’