What are peoples opinions on KJ? He seems to have lost a lot of the fans and I'm not convinced he's got the team on side. Still not sorted his best team, players out of position, bizarre substitutions, dire football and ultimately poor results. Previously I've looked towards his record of getting teams promoted but he's on thin ice with me.
I expected this start. It often happens after the team has had a sequence of good seasons. PFC have had four -finishing in the League 2 play-offs, then Champions of League 2, followed by an 8th position finish and then last season´s play-off semi, so this is a bit of a downturn. As for Jackett, I do not know but it appears he is not sure what his best side with the constant chopping and changing other than through injury.
Against Burton Albion, we did well to fight back to draw 2-2, however we created many chances, but failed to convert any of them until the Brett Pitman penalty in the 5th minute of time added on. I read somewhere that fans had been questioning why Kenny J did not bring on Oli Hawkins who has the height to have won many of our crosses into the box, and been able to head the ball on to John Marquis and Brett Pitman to score. Why didn't he bring on Ellis Harrison instead of Andy Cannon ? Kenny has brought all this criticism onto himself, with his unusual starting line ups, and strange substitutions during play. For example, why start the match withTom Naylor at centre half, and Christian Burgess at right back, when we had not one, but two natural right backs in Anton Walkes and James Bolton on the bench ?!
Kenny is experimenting in the first half of the season. Watch us go after Christmas and get automatic promotion.
My thoughts on the pre-season is that Pompey entered the season under-cooked. Look at the friendlies that were played and there was no one from the Championship or PL. It begs the suggestion that the Checkertrade matches could be played in the run-up to the League opener just to make the matches more competitive. Furthermore there was the late arrivals of McCorrie and Marquis who were put into the team without any time to bed them in, so it is no wonder KJ is still searching for his best combinations.
With regards to friendlies, it seems to be the same every season: a bunch of non league south coast sides, a league 1 or 2 side and at least one Irish side.
