DETAILED: A toxic Portsmouth tale with few peers and long journey back for Danny Cowley with future in question

The question arrived from a senior figure, but if he was searching for reassurance none was forthcoming: the former favourite couldn’t remember anything close.

Even in the lowest moments of Kenny Jackett’s four-year reign - and there were a few of those - nothing came near to the toxicity prevalent at Fratton on New Year’s Day.

That’s because, in terms of the fury aimed at the man at the helm, there’s not been much to touch the bile which rained down on Danny Cowley in the wake of the abject Charlton showing.

Frustration and angst borne out of no league wins in nine, one success in 14 and, let’s face it, six seasons in the third division of English football has risen before precipitating almost exclusively on one man facing the hurricane of wrath.

Sure, Paul Cook had his Exeter and Crewe moments, Jackett had suffered AFC Wimbledon and Wycombe on the road and going back further Graham Rix, Terry Fenwick and Co had seen their supporters turn on them.

But, in terms of PO4 going against their manager in such vehement and concerted fashion, this felt like new territory.

‘Cowley sort it out’, ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ and ‘we want Cowley out’ made up the playlist of terrace chants which perpetuated a dark afternoon at the dawn of 2023.

When Fratton turns on the man at the helm it’s always a long way back. When it’s as forceful as this undoubtedly was, the road gets longer and journey more perilous.

This is the backdrop to the key decision Michael Eisner and the Pompey board now face.

The thought process for arriving at that verdict crystallised in revealing programme notes from Pompey’s chief executive against Ipswich Town.

‘The collective goal, from board to players, is that we should at the very least be competing for a play-off place this season,’ Andy Cullen stressed in timely fashion.

After the Charlton debacle and today’s League One action the gap to sixth place is nine points with two games in hand over Bolton, who occupy that position.

The question has to be how is that widening gap interpreted against the club’s stated ambition?

Likewise, with Pompey now in 12th place they are five points and three places worse off than they were at this juncture 12 months ago.

If that old truism of history being the best indicator of future behaviour rings true, then it would point to the owners showing patience in Cowley.

Similarly, they have shown themselves to be less reactionary and more about the process as their Fratton stewardship heads towards a sixth completed year.

How making a managerial change with the January window open stands against their behaviour to date is a debate to be had. Conversely, what a switch in the hot seat come the summer does for next term at the climax of another fruitless campaign.

We all know about the Great Escapes and unlikely runs to success this club are capable of achieving out of the bleakest of moments.

So, yes, it can happen, but there needs to be a belief in what supporters are witnessing. In this moment that seems a long way off.

What is evident is it’s confidence this group of players are bereft of right now.

The home environment, which understandably has a default setting a smidge under boiling point, is not the ideal place to nurture that belief.

The notion of a dressing room turning against their leader is a red herring, however. Cowley has shipped out those he felt could sap energy and added supporters.

Yes there’s likely anxiety, doubt and even some questioning of the process in the maelstrom of a crisis, but talk of mutiny is wide of the mark.

So lots of questions and no easy answers at a bleak Pompey juncture which, if not unprecedented, has few peers in this club’s tumultuous tale.