It was disappointing for many neutral fans to see Portsmouth crash out of the play-offs at the first hurdle.

The stage was set for the former Premier League side to make the first step back up the English Football league, but Paul Cook's side failed to make it past a strong Plymouth side after losing the second leg 1-0 to make the score 3-2 to Argyle on aggregate.

With a strong squad consisting of quality players such as Conor Chaplin, Enda Stevens and Kyle Bennett - Portsmouth finished sixth in the league.

It was eventually outsiders Wimbledon who continued their incredible journey into the upper echelons of English football by defeating Argyle in the play-off final and Pompey must now spend another year in the fourth tier of English football.

The club is big enough to attract some of the best players in Leagues One and Two and under Paul Cook they have another excellent chance to make promotion next season. The club have already begun their movements in the transfer market signing Northampton Town's Danny Rose which is a positive start to a summer of rebuilding and rethinking.

Here are FOUR things Portsmouth must do this summer to plan for a promotion winning campaign next season.

Sign a prolific striker

Pompey shared their league goals between a number of players in the 2015/16 season with Conor Chaplin leading the line with 11 goals in all competitions.

Behind him Gary Roberts and Gareth Evans both ended the season with ten goals. Having plenty of players who can score goals ensures that a consistent season is had because when one player drops out of form another can take their place.

However the play-offs only consist of three games and having individual quality is perfect for that knockout style. In both the Championship and League One play-offs, there were individual stand-out players.

Portsmouth need another in-form Jed Wallace or another Matt Tubbs to act as a talisman if they are to go for glory next season. They must continue with their team efforts but having a prolific striker will gain valuable points in the long run.

Retain Conor Chaplin

Midfielder Conor Chaplin scored the most goals for Portsmouth in their last campaign and is hot property. The 19-year-old has a huge future ahead of him and Paul Cook must endeavour to keep him at the club and develop him further.

Chaplin is young and staying at one of the biggest clubs in League Two will help aid his development greatly.

His ten goals are a testament to how vital he is to Portsmouth and he will be very much in first team plans next season.

Clear-out players that aren't needed

A promotion pushing side needs to be compact, yet big enough to cover for injuries. It will be beneficial for Portsmouth to have a smaller squad full of quality rather than a large squad with a full wage budget.

Three players have already been placed on the transfer list, including Matt Tubbs, and it is good for Cook to begin sorting out the squad as early as possible.

Clearing out the squad before the 1st of July is essential to see the scope of players that can be attracted to the club.

Ensure not to overhaul the whole squad

The last thing Cook should do is change the squad completely. While a return to a higher division is essential for a club of Porstmouth's size, patience is the way forward.

Keeping hold of key players such as Ben Davies, Danny Hollands and Chaplin will ensure that the spine of the squad largely stays the same so come the start of the season, Portsmouth can hit the ground running.

Paul Cook should make quality signings over a quantity of signings if he wants to challenge for promotion next season.

Pompey fans, do you think you can get promoted next season? Is Cook the right man for the job? Let us know in the comments below!