Portsmouth transfer news: Danny Cowley reveals major area of concern and how he's going to fix it amid links to Swansea ace
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And the Pompey boss is determined to put it right with the help of this summer’s transfer window so that the Blues can bring to an end their unwanted extended League One stay.
The Fratton Park outfit finished the season in 10th position – 10 points short of the play-offs and 17 adrift of the automatic promotion spots.
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Hide AdOf their 73 points total for the campaign, 47 of those were earned at home – a figure that is bettered only by Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Rotherham.
But when it comes to away performances, there’s where the problems lie.
Only 26 points were registered from Pompey’s 23 games on the road, which puts Cowley’s side 12th in terms of an away form table.
What’s more, just 22 goals were scored in those matches, which automatically puts the Blues up against it.
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Hide AdThose damning statistics are not lost on Cowley, who has already held a 2021-22 season post-mortem.
That’s led him to prioritise another overhaul of his forward department, where he believes the real difference lies between a promotion push and mid-table obscurity.
And the key ingredients to that particular search? Pace, power and athleticism!
‘We’ve got clarity about what we would like to do, said Cowley, who currently has no forwards registered at the club and has been linked with a move for Swansea’s Kyle Joseph.
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Hide Ad‘If you look at our season, our home form was fourth in the division, and we were short of goals away from home.
‘That’s an area we can definitely improve on, and if we can add to the goals away from home, and maybe carry a bit more threat on the counter-attack with some pace, power, and athleticism at the top of the pitch, then I think some of those games when we lost we’d draw, and some of the games we drew, I think we would have won.
‘That would allow us to finish in and around those play off positions.’
Only George Hirst (13) Marcus Harness (11) made double figures when it came to goals this season.
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Hide AdRonan Curtis chipped in with eight, while Michael Jacobs (6) and Aiden O’Brien (5) did their best to keep the goals flowing during their availability.
Tyler Walker registered just one goal in his 15 appearances over the second half of the season.
And with the Blues recording the seventh-best defensive record over the course of the season, it’s clear to see where their current problems exist.
Yet, Cowley let it be known one other area he feels needs improving – leadership.
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Hide Ad‘If you look at the second half of the season, we took 35 points in 18 games, which for most teams, is enough to get automatic promotion from League One,’ he added.
‘We know we’re not too far away.
‘We know we’ve got to try to keep the group together, and if we can do that and add some pace, power, athleticism – and a bit of leadership – then I don’t think we’re too far off.’