Gaffer: Portsmouth's midfield three is beautiful on paper, but in reality it's rubbish and couldn't break down Bristol Rovers

What did you think of that performance?

Poor, the same as last season. That midfield three on paper is lovely, it’s beautiful, but in reality it’s rubbish.

Marlon Pack, Tom Lowery and Joe Morrell just doesn’t work, they all want to be the one that sits deep, but only Pack can and he couldn't get around against Bristol Rovers.

If you’re playing a team away it can work, like it did at Derby last season when it worked brilliantly in a 1-1 draw.

But not for home games, that won’t break teams down or unlock them if you’re losing and they are sitting right back.

John Mousinho said he was disappointed to draw.

For me, we didn’t deserve a win, it was a draw all-day long. If the head coach is saying that, I don’t know what game he was watching.

When one team gets in front so early, as Rovers did, it ruins the game as a spectacle and they sit, meaning you have to break them down,

It’s a classic case of team gets the lead, team drops – that’s what has happened time and time again for four seasons now.

Who was Pompey’s star man?

Christian Saydee saved the game, he gave us impact, he gave us energy, he gave us everything we didn’t have in the first half. He gave us what we didn’t have last season.

Steve Cotterill was right wasn’t he? Saydee looks born to play at Fratton Park, he has to be on the team sheet next week and every week because he looked great.

He has energy and passion – everything everyone likes.

We don’t come to watch players like Anthony Scully just stroll around the park, we come to watch players like Saydee who gets us off our seats.

So not encouraged from the first match of the season?

It’s really early, too soon to tell, but I think it is clear when teams are good early on.

In the 2016-17 League Two title win, we drew 1-1 to Carlisle in the first game, yet had 23 shots on target, that was a freak result. The signs were there of the team’s quality, you can tell.

You have to be patient, of course, it would be nice to see us build into a season as opposed to going off like a rocket and petering out. Just growing into something.

I think we’ll beat a lot of teams playing that way on Saturday, but Bristol Rovers could meet us in the play-offs – and I’m not sure we’d beat them over two legs.

Will Norris – 6

Joe Rafferty – 7

Regan Poole – 6

Ryley Towler – 4

Connor Ogilvie – 4

Marlon Pack – 4

Tom Lowery – 4 (Christian Saydee – 7)

Joe Morrell – 5

Anthony Scully – 5

Colby Bishop – 5

Gavin Whyte – 4