DETAILED: Danny Cowley's Portsmouth half-century - defined by patience and solidity, but encouraging signs of lift off

League One’s bottom club were undoubtedly favourable opposition to help the Blues’ head coach bring up a half century of matches at the helm.

As it turned out, Cowley marked his notable managerial feat by claiming a 4-0 success following an inspired second-half showing.

Having initially arrived on an interim basis in March 2021, kicking off a Pompey career against Ipswich, he has now racked up 50 games in charge.

The period has yielded a 42.85 per cent win rate in League One, albeit minimal cup progress and potentially successive failures to qualify for the play-offs.

Still, Cowley’s remit to rebuild the Blues in the post-Kenny Jackett era has begun solidly and, crucially, offers genuine optimism for the future.

Challenged with overseeing last summer’s essential squad overhaul, the outcome perhaps saw the Cowleys hack a little too close to the bone in the hurry to reconstruct an eighth-placed team.

First-team stalwarts were offered reduced pay and short deals, unpalatable terms which saw the likes of Jack Whatmough, Ryan Williams and Ben Close depart having previously indicated a strong preference towards staying.

Poor Craig MacGillivray didn’t even get the opportunity to negotiate, with his club option not taken up in favour of recruiting a goalkeeping alternative which turned out to be loanee Gavin Bazunu.

Such was the cut-throat nature of the summer clear-out, pre-season involved scrambling around for replacement playing numbers, primarily by offering trials in large quantities.

Cowley himself portrayed it as the toughest close season he had endured in a management career rattling towards 1,000 matches.

The campaign which has unfolded presently sees Pompey occupy 11th spot, nine points adrift from the League One play-off positions.

Cowley, of course, will be buoyed by the fact the Blues have employed just three managers since May 2015, reflecting a stable club used to winning, although frustratingly still unable to depart League One.

Certainly owners Tornante and chairman is Michael Eisner are not for knee-jerk reactions or spontaneity. A manager may long for greater financial power, but he can count on their unshakable patience.

Cowley’s job does not hinge on play-off qualification this season. Likewise, his job prospects weren’t finished after that galling final-day defeat to Accrington, when victory would have secured sixth spot.

Next summer and its third transfer window for the current boss will be pivotal in both dictating Pompey’s direction and his ongoing Fratton Park presence.

If no pressure comes from above, it will undoubtedly be applied by the Fratton faithful during the 2022-23 campaign which absolutely must provide a legitimate promotion challenge.

Already encouragement is evident with Joe Morrell, Connor Ogilvie, Denver Hume, Clark Robertson and Ryan Tunnicliffe having arrived.

In the meantime, Cowley has to continue collecting wins to keep belief ticking over as he longingly eyes the summer.

Discarding cup competitions, since taking over his return is 18 wins and 64 points from 42 league fixtures.

Analysing last year’s table after that number of games, that points tally would put Pompey ninth, four points adrift of the play-offs.

Overall, Cowley has won 21 out of 50 matches in all competitions, losing 19 of them and drawing 10.

What’s more, under his charge, Pompey have scored 67 times and conceded 60 goals in 50 matches, while he has triumphed in three of his eight cup outings.

The foundations have been dug, with progress steady rather than spectacular. Cowley has rightly been afforded time to ruthlessly reconstruct an inherited squad blatantly short of promotion requisites.

It has so far been a patient 50 from a Test opening batsman – rather than a bludgeoned T20 half-century.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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