Cook: Ten games to decide where Pompey's season goes

The Blues boss reckons the run of fixtures until the new year will tell if his team can become the real deal this term.

Cook’s side has shown frustrating inconsistency so far this season.

They are now nearly a third of the way through their League Two campaign, with 14 games played ahead of the trip to Cambridge United today.

Cook feels what lies ahead will show if Pompey can make the transition from pretenders to genuine promotion contenders.

He said: ‘We’ve had 14 games, there are 32 to go. The reality of it is we look like we could become a good team – and over the next period of games it is important we become that team.

‘It is important we eradicate certain errors. The reality is when people scream it is not good enough, do you know what, it probably isn’t.

‘But within what we are doing we are very close to being able to say we are alright now.

‘We have worked very hard on the training ground. Today, who knows, but over a period of 10 games we will know our future.

‘That will be halfway through the season and we will know exactly what is in store for us. I think the players have been made well aware.

‘Everyone wants to be promoted. The reality at the minute is we are not the team I want us to be but, in the framework of what we have got, we have the ability to become that team.’

The areas Pompey are falling short on have been repeatedly highlighted in recent weeks.

Cook has been drumming his concerns into his players.

He added: ‘We have to make sure, when we have that spell of 45 minutes of how good we can be, we cannot be drawing.

‘We should not be winning 1-0 at Orient, we should be winning by more.

‘At Plymouth, the game is a comfortable second half for us. These are the little margins we are short of becoming that team everyone wants.

‘The players are aware of it, the staff are aware of it, and we will keep doing our best to get that sorted.

‘We are really close. You cannot go to places like Plymouth and Orient and be as good on the eye as we are, it doesn’t happen in football.

‘Look at our performances against Carlisle and Notts County yet not win, so the margins are there. We have to make sure over the next period of 10 games we pick up as many points as we should.

‘The lads are coping every game at the minute with disappointment and eventually that disappointment will get too much for you – that will not come into this club.

‘My opinion is the squad is good, the players are good.

‘We should want to be better at everything we do now and they have all been made well aware of my views.’