Jackett was unsurprised Ipswich let Ellis depart

POMPEY boss Kenny Jackett wasn’t surprised Ipswich Town rubber-stamped Ellis Harrison’s summer switch to a promotion rival.

The striker gears up to face his former side when the Tractor Boys travel to Fratton Park today (3pm).

Harrison moved to the Blues for a fee of around £450,000 in June, having scored just once in 19 appearances during his one season at Portman Road.

The Blues manager said: ‘I don’t think so (being a surprise) because as a manager you generally have to balance the books.

‘You can’t keep everybody and it might be best if you want to bring one or two in yourself, that you have to let someone go.

‘Similarly, if they are looking to move on, then that is the way of football. You can’t just hold people because they might do something somewhere else.

‘All you have got to focus on is trying to do well in terms of your own team.

‘People move on, people need a fresh challenge for lots of different reasons.’

Harrison is currently Pompey’s joint-top scorer, alongside Ronan Curtis, with eight goals so far this season.

Jackett added: ‘Ellis has progressed and improved. If you can get crosses in, he is a threat.

‘There has been some progress in the number nine position and hopefully his confidence is growing.

‘He got 14 goals in his last season in this division with Bristol Rovers. With a regular place, can he get higher than that?

‘Him and Ronan are both on eight and we spread our goals around.

‘I’d want the same rather than necessarily one prolific scorer and, in my 4-2-3-1 system, the number nine is a really important position.’

– WILL ROONEY