Cook: Rivals should worry about themselves

The Blues boss laughed off rivals talking up his side’s championship prospects after a promising start to the season.

Pompey face Morecambe at Fratton Park today, with Shrimps manager Jim Bentley pinpointing their hosts as the biggest club in the bottom two tiers of the Football League.

Cambridge boss Richard Money has also highlighted Cook’s team as the best outfit in the league.

Cook believes that suggestion is ridiculous at such a formative stage of the campaign.

‘It’s not my place to speak about other teams. It’s my place to speak about Portsmouth,’ he said.

‘But all you are hearing is Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Portsmouth.

‘Some people have a lot to say about us – we’re the best team in the league.

‘They must have a complex about us. We finished 16th last season.

‘The frustrating thing is the concept that people are trying to speak about us now. No-one was saying it before the Dagenham game.

‘We speak about everything else other than football.

‘I can’t speak for other people and why they do it.

‘We are a big club and are expected to be promoted.

‘But I don’t know why people always want to speak about it. I’d not speak about other teams like that. It’s not my place.

‘I don’t really think managers should speak about other teams in general or their players. I think it’s one of the most disrespectful things you can do.

‘I think people should concentrate on themselves and their opponents.’

Cook believes there is now a culture of other managers talking about rivals to deflect from the issues surrounding their own clubs.

Pompey once again go into the season with a strong budget to aid their promotion bid.

Cook acknowledged that but feels the fact it is spoken about says much about others.

He added: ‘It’s about the money being spent. Every year it’s the same with Portsmouth. Look who we’ve signed? It gets boring.

‘It seems in management today it’s the thing to offload on other people.

‘Maybe you are deflecting away from how much money you’ve spent yourself and your own club’s aspirations.

‘Yes, we do have a good budget, but so do a lot of teams at this level.

‘Now I’m the best manager in the league and we’re the best team in August?

‘It’s three games in. Wow. Really? I’ve never heard such nonsense.

‘No, I don’t particularly believe I’m the best manager and we’re the best team.

‘Managers today are trying to make themselves look good instead of just doing our jobs.’