The best Portsmouth team spirit we've ever had - Joe Gallen

The Blues are now in their fourth season of trying to clamber out of League One under Kenny Jackett and his assistant.

For Gallen, this current crop of Pompey players have generated a strength of camaraderie he has never before witnessed since his June 2018 arrival.

The fourth-placed Blues are buoyant following the midweek triumph at Charlton and now face Plymouth on Saturday.

And they will approach their latest challenge with a togetherness which continues to impress Gallen.

He told The News: ‘We have a very strong spirit this season and hopefully this continues. I don’t see why not.

‘The season started off a bit iffy, but, let’s be honest, since the early part of the campaign we have been in pretty good form.

‘And the lads seem to get on with each other. There’s a lot of noise when they’re around, a lot of laughing.

‘I would go so far as to say it’s the best spirit we’ve had in the last four years.

‘Since we’ve been at Pompey, this has been the most spirited bunch. The group is the most together that I have known.

‘They not only compete against each other in training, but as soon as the competition ends they seem to be back having a bit of a laugh together and enjoying each others’ company.

‘You can feel it day to day, I felt it with the group today. Their spirit, their competitiveness, their attitude and their fitness levels.

‘They were having a bit of a joke at the right moment, everything about them was absolutely perfect.

‘The group seems very, very close and very, very together.’

Cam Pring previously described Pompey’s dressing room as the best he has ever experienced, following his recent loan spell.

While boss Jackett has often remarked that League One restrictions on a 22-man squad has also created a tight-knit group.

Gallen added: ‘I took training this morning and there are probably a lot of people in that group thinking that maybe – after that performance at Charlton – they’re not going to play in the next game.

‘They might be right – but they might be wrong.

‘Sometimes that training session can lack, but this season, for whatever reason, those training sessions have been full of good energy, good attitude and have been a pleasure to take sometimes.

‘In previous seasons at all clubs it can be tough – and that’s normal.

‘There’s such a good camaraderie and those lads who have been out of the team never, ever do anything but train brilliantly.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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