Kenny Jackett has given his thoughts after failing to guide Portsmouth to the League One play-off final, losing on penalties after a two-legged affair with Oxford United.
After the League One season ended via a points-per-game system last month, Jackett’s side finished fifth in the league table, thus gaining a play-off spot. Coming up against Oxford over two legs, Portsmouth drew both games 1-1 before the second leg saw a penalty shoot-out end in favour of their opponents, ending Pompey’s hopes of promotion to the Championship.
The defeat sees Pompey now look to the 2020/21 season and Jackett’s future is one of the major talking points.
Discussing his future after seeing Cameron McGeehan miss the fifth Portsmouth penalty, Jackett remained confident in his group of players and his belief that he can get the former Premier League side back in England’s second tier.
Jackett is quoted as saying by Portsmouth News: “It is there, very much so (his desire for the job). I do feel there is a good squad to build it on. We’ve had a very consistent time and that’s what we’ve tried to work for.
“We’ve fallen now twice at the play-off hurdles with not much in the games and not getting the rub of the green. I do feel there’s been consistency and we do aspire to be better. We have to keep trying to build.
“The supporters will be disappointed. The record as a club shows we’ve not won a single play-off game. We’ve had two 1-1 draws really and lost the second one 5-4 on penalties. We have to break that down if we can and keep going.’
Defeat this time round in the play-off semi-final follows a similar failure last term when they lost to Sunderland at the same stage.
As with Sunderland, another promotion charge has fallen short for Portsmouth, with Jackett and club officials now needing to think about what is best moving forward.
A second consecutive unsuccessful promotion attempt is greatly disappointing and Jackett must work hard this summer to convince those above him that he can be the man to finally get them back into the Championship.
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