Jackett: Pompey's new midfield pair can be creative force
Kenny Jackett is convinced his newly-assembled central midfield can dictate and create for Pompey.
Tom Naylor and Anton Walkes are set to head into Saturday's League One curtain-raiser as the preferred personnel in the Blues' engine room.
Walkes produced a magnificent leveller from long distance in last weekend's final friendly against FCÂ Utrecht, while Naylor made an immediate impact in front of the Fratton faithful.
It represented a third-straight pre-season fixture that the pair have been matched up.
Both players have defensive backgrounds, with Naylor standing in at right-back and centre-half at times for Burton last term, although favouring midfield.
As for Walkes, he featured at right-back and as a holding midfielder for Pompey last season.
And in a 4-4-2 formation, Jackett believes the pair can have an attacking influence.
He said: '˜If Anton scores enough goals like he did on Saturday then that'll be fine.
'˜I did think generally on Saturday we created quite a high number of chances and that was encouraging.
'˜Obviously, we want to score them, but I do think if you can keep creating chances then the goals will come.
'˜You ask about creativity, if we decide to go with those two (Walkes and Naylor), we will see.
'˜Whether it is creative enough and does it provide enough of an attacking threat, those things very much depend on how your forwards are doing as well.
'˜If your forward players are producing and you just have to win your midfield, then fine.
'˜Maybe if your forwards aren't doing it, you have to supplement it from midfield, I do see that.
'˜With any formation, managers generally pick four defenders, three midfielders and three attackers.
'˜That can change through the course of a game, certainly the course of the season in terms of the nature of a player.'
Fit-again Ben Close is another consideration after only his second friendly outing against Utrecht.
Jackett added: '˜Ben Close is another option in there.
'˜Although, maybe he's a game short in terms of playing, playing only 17 minutes on Saturday.
'˜But he's fit and still had two weeks of full training.'
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