Ex-Norwich man's honest admission over his Portsmouth form after last season's award-winning heroics

By his own admission, the central defender had failed to match the form which earned him armfuls of Player of the Season awards last term.

However, since the turn of the year he has rediscovered those impressive performance levels, coinciding with the Blues’ decision to appoint Mousinho.

Certainly Raggett has been an integral part of a side collecting 30 points from 16 games under their head coach – the second-highest points haul in the Football League over that period.

And he’s revelling at returning to the high standards he sets himself following a difficult opening half to the campaign.

The ex-Norwich man told The News: ‘I have definitely performed better since Christmas.

‘There are still one or two games I’m not too happy about, but, on a whole, without doubt the second half of the season has been stronger than the first.

‘Sometimes you go through patches of form, life has actually probably got a bit harder since the turn of the year too, we had our baby in February, it just works like that.

‘Possibly it’s down to the change of manager, the gaffer has come in and given some fresh ideas. He was a good centre-half at this level, maybe that’s helped.

‘Then again, I thought I had a good season last year under the old manager. Sometimes it just doesn’t go for you, I’ve just worked hard to get back to some better form.

‘At the start of this year I had an injury which slowed me down at the beginning of the season. I played the first month-and-a-half where realistically I probably shouldn't have been playing, that may have hindered me a little.

I’m not using that as an excuse, after that time – when I felt fit and healthy – I still took a bit of time to get back into it, I’m not sure why.

‘I wouldn’t say I am doing anything different, you aren’t going to play consistently throughout your whole career and when you’re going through a bad patch, just try to get out of it as quickly as possible.

‘That’s what the good players do – and I'm just happy I’m now playing a bit better.’

Mousinho and Raggett used to be foes on the pitch, with Pompey’s head coach previously joking how he hated marking the defender from corners.

Now they’re on the same side, with Raggett an ever-present since Danny Cowley’s replacement arrived.

He added: ‘He gives me little pointers, small things which a lot of the time people wouldn’t think about, tiny details in the game which make a big difference.

‘The gaffer gives me little tips and pointers and it’s been really good playing under him.’