Cup run not hurting Pompey league form

Paul Cook dismissed concerns over a Pompey fixture pile-up.
Pompey boss Paul Cook. Picture: Joe PeplerPompey boss Paul Cook. Picture: Joe Pepler
Pompey boss Paul Cook. Picture: Joe Pepler

And the Blues boss underlined he sees his team’s FA Cup run as a help not hindrance to league form.

Bournemouth arrive at Fratton Park on Saturday for the sell-out, fourth-round clash.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

That has seen the league match with Barnet rearranged, while games against Morecambe and Accrington have also been moved.

A win over the Cherries would mean the same fate for next month’s clash with Yeovil Town.

But Cook isn’t worried about that.

He said: ‘It doesn’t bother me.

‘We’ve got 20 games left.

‘Before Accrington we stayed at a nice hotel in Liverpool and travelled back on a lovely coach before training on Sunday.

‘If we’re tired there’s something wrong. There are no fixture problems at all. No.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘Hopefully we can give Bournemouth a good game and get through.’

The poor weather has restricted the amount of training Pompey are doing – another reason Cook’s feels the cup games are a benefit.

He said: ‘The important thing for us is the amount of games we play.

‘With the weather how it is we are not training a lot at the moment. That’s the reality.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘So the FA Cup hasn’t become a hindrance in any way, shape or form.

‘The Ipswich game was a game we felt we could use to our benefit. We got another game into our legs.

‘So now we find ourselves playing Bournemouth in a very attractive game.

‘We’re happy to be in the Cup at the minute but if we get knocked out by Bournemouth we’ll use it as an excuse we want to concentrate on the league!’