Padel, The Ashes and John Mousinho's six-hitting - Six days which could provide the launchpad for Portsmouth's League One escape

Pompey’s head coach had already demonstrated swashbuckling strokes during the customary cricket match between staff, inflicting some lusty blows, particularly off Zesh Rehman.

Yet when it came to a spot of Padel, a racket sport of Mexican origin, on courts at the La Cala Resort, he and partner Joe Prodomo misjudged the threat posed by double act Marlon Pack and Colby Bishop.

After all, Pack had whiled away many Pompey summers on grass tennis courts down on Southsea seafront, while rumour has it the multi-talented Bishop was once a cricketer affiliated with Nottinghamshire.

Mousinho and his goalkeeping coach may have triumphed 6-2 in the first set, yet were subsequently blown away as the playing pair stormed back with 6-2 and 6-3 to claim victory – on their debut in the sport.

‘I actually want you to print this as well,’ Pompey’s new skipper afterwards gloated to The News. ‘I want that scoreline to be the headline – the Gaffer still has that competitive edge!’.

The new-look Blues spent six days in the Mijas golf resort, surrounded by three courses and a training pitch previously utilised by Rangers, Leicester City, Everton and Crystal Palace.

With nine fresh faces and a temporary medical team, the Spanish pre-season tour offered the chance for players to bond and coaching staff to work on gameplans and tactics.

No triallists, no youngsters prematurely promoted to fill spaces, simply a 26-man playing squad containing nothing but footballers contracted to Pompey for the next 12-months at least.

Quite the opposite to when assistant head coach Jon Harley initially linked up with the Blues in a playing capacity under Michael Appleton in the summer of 2012 in Benahavis, with all senior players remaining at home to be sold off by Trevor Birch.

Incidentally, that season ended in relegation from League One with 54 players used, while Harley left Fratton Park in the January and never played in the Football League again.

These days, reassuringly, it appears Pompey are following an intricate plan and focusing on a clear vision intended to reap success, hence the number of players already in place for pre-season.

Downtime was spent playing pool, gathered outside in the Clubhouse Restaurant, playing Padel, watching The Ashes, or, on the final night, seeing the sights of Marbella following the 1-0 Europa FC friendly victory.

Contrast to the previous two summers under Danny Cowley, when triallists outnumbered contracted players at St George’s Park and just two new additions were present last term in Murcia.

Of course, both training camps preceded the appointment of Rich Hughes, who was also present for the duration last week, usually accompanied by two mobile phones.

The sporting director’s willingness to muck in saw him lend a hand packing away mannequins and equipment after training, while he joined the squad on several 7am runs, and also provided some handy right-arm seam.

Kusini Yengi, for one, was delighted to have the chance to spend a significant amount of time with his new team-mates having arrived in England 72 hours earlier, rooming with Gavin Whyte, albeit whose accent he often struggled to understand.

Yet the strong spirit and togetherness among Blues staff, including Hughes and Mousinho, was also palpable – and a group who, Shaun North aside, are similar in age, being 43 and below.

Of course, a pre-season tour is never a guaranteed precursor for promotion. Kal Naismith wasn’t even allowed on the often riotous Dublin training camp under Paul Cook in July 2016, with Gareth Evans and Matt Clarke missing through injury.

Yet, unmistakably, there’s a real unity among this group of Pompey players and staff, which certainly augers well than if the opposite applied.

As ever, though, Pompey seasons usually ruin even the best-laid plans involving good people and talented players. We await the future.