PAUL Simpson has thanked Tom Piatak Snr for his 'brilliant' backing ahead of the visit of John Mousinho's Portsmouth to Brunton Park.

Speaking on the club's YouTube channel earlier in the week, Tom Piatak Snr put on record his 'full faith and confidence in the Blues' 'great manager' despite the club sitting 11 points adrift from safety. 

Ahead of the Blues' clash with League One leaders Pompey, Simpson reacted to this backing.

He said: "Well I will be honest with you I didn't actually know about that, but I have spoken to Tom and Patty nearly every single day since they have been over and there have been lots of planning meetings and projects that are on the go.

"I can tell by the way he speaks to me that he is fully behind me, that is great to hear - but I want to win games of football.

"I am in football to win, not to just pick up wages or give me something to do every day, I want to win and that is what you want when you work hard and you are trying to prepare a team.

"It is brilliant that they are supporting me, I want to be here for the long term. We have talked about short, medium, and long-term plans, and want to be here for as long as I can be successful and hopefully, that starts to come soon."

Despite putting on record his thankfulness for the backing he has received from the Blues' American owners, Simpson did admit that he feels a sense of pride in trying to earn that backing and challenged his players to rediscover their own pride and belief.

He said: "I think it is personal and professional pride because as a footballer and as a professional footballer you do all your preparation to try and win.

"When we don't win I have to take the responsibility for that and it is me that prepares them during the week and does the planning.

"I think the frustration is that we try to work on things and the players lose the belief to go and try it in games and that is where I want them to free themselves up and try and go out and perform.

"If they make a mistake in doing what they ask us to do we will take the blame for that, what I find difficult is that I have to take the blame for things I am not asking them to do and that's where there is a frustration."