It's missing - and this is how we get league winning mentality back, says Portsmouth midfielder Andy Cannon

The Blues midfielder admitted his side have lacked an ability to put league games to bed this season – and have to win their own fights to change that run.

That now has to be remedied as Kenny Jackett’s side return to league action next Tuesday.

This Saturday’s EFL Trophy meeting with Norwich under-21s precedes the visit of Burton Albion to Fratton Park.

It means Pompey will have gone through a 18-day hiatus from League One action by the time the Brewers clash gets underway, with the scheduled meeting with Bury biting the dust following their demise.

They currently sit 18th in the table and could drop further with a full programme of fixtures this weekend.

After a single win from five games the need is to quickly hit a winning run – as Cannon acknowledged.

He said: ‘We need to get the winning mentality back. There's no better feeling.

‘Everything about the place is better when you're winning, so we need to bring that into our league form.

‘There was no excuses for what happened against Coventry (when Pompey lost a 3-1 lead to a side finishing with nine men).

‘They shouldn't have even got close to coming back and winning in that game.

‘Crazy things do happen in the sport of football, though, we need to get into that habit of winning.’

Including the play-off disappointment against Sunderland, Pompey are currently on a run of one league win in 10 across this season and last.

Jackett’s side have picked up two Carabao Cup victories and an EFL Trophy success over Crawley, however.

Cannon believes the players have to look at winning their individual battles to prompt an upturn in league fortunes.

He added: ‘Every team is different so you need to analyse what they do and work around it.

‘But you have to perform on the field. When you're out on the field you just need to get the better of your own man.

‘Once you do that and everyone else is doing that on the pitch the win is coming. That's what we need to do.

‘Everyone has to do that and if everyone is doing that you're more than likely to come out on top.

‘We've definitely got the players to score a lot of goals, so we just need to make sure we don't concede as well.’