FA Cup Spotlight
IN POSSESSION
DANNY COWLEY admitted he got his team selection wrong as Pompey fell to a dreadful fourth defeat on the bounce.
The Blues’ boss felt he made incorrect calls as he made five changes to his side for the 2-1 defeat at home to Cambridge United on Saturday.
An injury to Clark Robertson forced Cowley’s hand at the back, as Paul Downing came in for his first start of the season.
Ellis Harrison replaced John Marquis up front with Miguel Azeez, Mahlon Romeo and Ronan Curtis in for Reeco HackettFairchild, Joe Morrell and Kieron Freeman.
And Cowley felt the end result was a disjointed performance without the level of pressing he demands.
He said: ‘I’m the manager, I pick the team and I didn’t get the team right. We lost players which disrupted us midweek, particularly when Clark Robertson picked up an injury.
‘Off the back of not having right-foot and left-foot balance, we then decided to have a point of reference at the top of the pitch.
‘It added something but took something away and we looked unfamiliar.
‘We didn’t get the team right. We have to accept that and take responsibility for that. I take the responsibility for that.’
He added: ‘The easiest person for me to affect is me, so I take responsibility.
‘But the players have to take the responsibility for their level of performance, too, because that’s what we do.
‘A lot of managers will come out and blame the players. It’s always collective because we were short.’