Portsmouth ended the 2014-15 season 16th in League Two with Gary Waddock in caretaker charge.

Ten days after the season had finished, a new permanent manager was appointed.

Having guided Chesterfield to the League One play-offs, Portsmouth pulled off a coup and appointed Paul Cook as their new manager.

The appointment was somewhat of a surprise with the former Spirites boss finishing in the top-six in the division above. 

Compensation for the Cook was £250,000, and the initial reaction to his move to Fratton Park was one of excitement and expectation.

After a 16th place finish the year before, in Cook’s first season in charge, he guided Portsmouth to a play-off finish but fell at the semi-final stage losing out to Plymouth Argyle 3-2 on aggregate.

The reaction of his appointment looked to be justified after one season in charge and an improvement on the previous year.

It was showing how shrewd of an appointment it was.

The following year, the appointment reaped the ultimate benefit, when Cook led Pompey to the League Two title, winning the league on goal difference to much acclaim.

Everyone at the club was on a high, and things looked to be finally getting better for the south coast side, before Cook decided to leave.

Wigan Athletic were relegated from the Championship, and Paul Cook was their first choice, and he decided to leave to join the Latics.

The reaction to his departure was less than complimentary.

But what Cook did for the club, despite the way it ended, the initial response to his appointment was fully justified having made the play-offs before winning the division to move Portsmouth one step closer to the Championship.