Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley's telling 'value for money' remark that hints at Kenny Jackett legacy issues but bodes well for promotion push

The Blues boss confessed he’s much happier with his lot – with more players capable of fulfilling his on-the-pitch demands – in his second full season in charge at Fratton Park.

That’s after three transfer windows spent rebuilding the squad he inherited from predecessor Kenny Jackett while continuing to operate under the club’s self-sustainability model.

Only Ronan Curtis, Sean Raggett, Michael Jacobs and Reeco Hackett remain from the Pompey first-team set-up that greeted Cowley on his arrival in March 2021.

Since then he’s reinvented the Blues into a version that compliments his footballing philosophy.

And that long-winded process appears to be paying off, with Cowley’s new-look side unbeaten in the league so far and just one point off leaders Plymouth with a game in hand.

In total, more than 30 senior players have waved goodbye to Fratton Park under Cowley’s leadership.

Meanwhile, 32 have arrived as the Pompey boss continues to search for the right mix that will eventually lead the club back to the Championship.

It’s a huge turnaround, but patience has been key as Cowley finally gets the chance to call the squad his own.

So, too, has been the club’s ability to find takers for some of the high-earners the manager inherited, who ultimately didn’t fit his needs and prevented him from making the necessary inroads in transfer windows prior to this summer’s rebuild.

When asked by The News about the options now available to him this season, Cowley said: ‘I think for us, it’s something that we’ve worked towards.

‘I look at our squad this year and look at the value for money that we’re getting, we’re getting much more value for money this year than we were last year.

‘Last year, we were probably still a squad that we’d inherited to a large extent – and this year we’ve been able to access the whole group and get value for money which is always what you’re trying to do.’

Last season Pompey finished 10th in the League One table – 10 points off the play-offs.

The term before saw the Blues, who kicked off the campaign under Jackett, finish two points shy of the top six in eighth spot.

Prior to that, two fourth-placed finishes were secured, which ultimately led to play-off semi-final defeats on each occasion.