A day after his arrival from Ipswich Brett Pitman was named captain against Bognor.
He marked his first outing for Pompey with a brace and has now been confirmed as Kenny Jackett’s fulltime skipper.
Pitman, taking the armband from League One winning captain Michael Doyle, who left for Coventry, will be the skipper of the side this season and Gareth Evans, who had captained the Blues in two other pre-season friendlies, has been appointed as the former Bournemouth forwards deputy.
Not that he has to explain or justify himself, Jackett told the News he wanted to give Pitman and Evans the ‘responsibility’ of representing the players.
‘I wanted to give Brett responsibility so have made him captain and Gareth Evans vice-captain. That is our set-up, those two guys. Brett has natural leadership and is somebody I feel can grow into that role and help us as a club to do very well this season. I have now given him that role for the season.’
Adding: ‘That role has needed filling with Michael Doyle leaving, while I don’t think they had a vice-captain last season. But in terms of organisation, in terms of representing the players, it will be the responsibility of Brett and Gareth.’
Evans, for his antics at the end of the League Two winning campaign alone, deserves his position in the captaincy line up. Pitman as captain this soon? Hmm, given his experience, clearly the likelihood he’ll play most games, I can see what Jackett’s done.
I always see the captaincy role being filled by a central defender or central midfielder, the can see all in front of them – a central defender – and usually all going on around them – central midfielder – whereas a forward can sometimes have something lost in their game wearing the armband.
However, I’d have to say I’m not sure who would best fill this role as a defender or midfielder at this point in time from the current squad. So, in terms of leadership qualities and experience, I will hope Pitman can be a more Alan Shearer leader, who thrived on this, than Harry Kane, who seemed to be weighed down by this when leading Spurs.
At the end of the day Jackett knows best and is paid to make these decision and we back him.
PLAY UP POMPEY
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