My Guys need luck

GUY WHITTINGHAM is keeping his fingers crossed that Portsmouth can end their 27-year play-off hoodoo.

The club’s former striker and manager was part of the team that lost in the play-offs to Leicester in 1993 – and Pompey’s record in the annual end-of-season finale now reads played six, won none.

It’s a dismal record that will have to change if Kenny Jackett (right) and his side are to earn a place in the Championship for the first time since 2012.

Having lost in the play-off semi-finals in

League Two and League One in the past four seasons, the club are due a change of luck. And having reached the play-offs on a points-per-game basis to face Oxford, Whittingham believes that they may have already enjoyed a sizeable shift in fortunes.

“It looked like there were a couple of ways that the season was going to be decided and one of them would have seen Pompey miss out,” said the 55-year-old. “So you could argue they have had a big slice of luck to be where they are now anyway. “Either way, this is going to be a play-off match like nothing else.

“You usually find that one club has made a last-minute run into the play-offs and that they then usually do well in it. “But no one has done that this time because it’s so long since they played.

“For me, it comes down to which player has been the sharpest in training – and we’re not going to know if that works until the game starts. Even the managers won’t know.

“You’re not entirely sure yourself as a coach how the training has gone.

“In pre-season you can build up, you know what has happened. This time, who knows?

“With my Pompey head on, I’d have to say that they can get through. Just don’t ask me to predict what will happen in the final.”

Portsmouth v Oxford Utd