Portsmouth's high-octane system keeping Brett Pitman out line-up - but should it really matter?

In the opening eight matches, the forward has failed to feature from the outset and been an unused substitute on three occasions.

The fact Pitman’s been stripped of his captaincy suggests things aren’t going to change any time soon.

And despite coming off the bench to score the winner against Crawley last week, assistant-manager Joe Gallen’s unable to pinpoint a definitive period for his return.

Although he ended last term with six goals in 12 matches when finally given a sustained run in starting line-up, Pitman’s again fallen down the pecking order.

He’s been unable to force his way into Kenny Jackett's first XI, either in the number nine or number-10 role.

There’s no denying Pitman’s quality or class.

But those selected ahead of him suggest they’re in the team as they're more capable of meeting Jackett’s high-octane demands.

It’s the role playing off the striker that Pitman regards as his best and is bullish he can plunder more goals from there.

To fit into the manager’s system, however, the player who commands the number-10 berth has to offer more than just end product.

Harrying and pressing are just as crucial, as well as being able to explode on the counter-attack.

In fairness to Pitman, he upped his running last season, although his stats still weren't quite as high as his fellow forwards.