'His short pass success rate is always well into the 90s': Danny Cowley hails Sean Raggett improvements ahead of 100th Portsmouth outing

And, on the eve of the central defender’s 100th Blues appearance, his passing game has been pinpointed as a source of noticeable improvement.

Raggett will mark a century of Pompey outings should he feature at Charlton on Saturday.

Since initially arriving on loan from Norwich in the summer of 2019, the towering defender has endured some testing times.

However, the 28-year-old has long established himself as an automatic choice in the Blues side, whether under Cowley or predecessor Kenny Jackett.

Raggett has been one of Pomey’s star performers this season so far – and their head coach is delighted with advances in his game.

He told The News: ‘I love Raggs, I’ve always loved Raggs.

‘He's really low maintenance but he’s high output, you know what you are going to get.

‘He is going to give you desire, determination, fight, a physicality, and be very good in both boxes.

‘Raggs has worked really hard to simplify this game and done brilliantly at that this season. His short pass success rate is always well into the 90s, he actually passes the ball very well.

‘Our Lincoln team was different to our Pompey team. Our Lincoln team had a target man and, as a consequence, some of our build-up play was different.

‘Here you are the protagonist in a lot of games, so naturally Raggs is required to do more in possession.

‘My heart is always with him. He did a brilliant job for us at Lincoln, got a fantastic move to Norwich which we were so proud of, and he’s come to a massive club like Pompey.’

Raggett registered his eighth Pompey goal with Tuesday night’s stoppage-time leveller against Plymouth.

Joining fellow defender Lee Brown on the scoresheet, it was a finish which serves as an example to the mis-firing strikers at present.

Cowley added: ‘When you look at his goal on Tuesday night, he has got no right to get to that ball, no right.

‘He’s been really good for us this season, he and Clark (Robertson) have built a really good relationship and partnership.

‘He also did well to adapt and play in the middle of a back three on Tuesday night.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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