Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley's worrying prediction for Championship clubs as he backs Fratton Park model

The Blues boss also said he knew from ‘day dot’ what to expect in terms of finances and player budgets when he agreed to become the Fratton Park club’s permanent manager following the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.

Many Pompey supporters looked on enviously during the summer as League One rivals splashed the cash in pursuit of Championship football.

That saw Cowley miss out on potential signings as the Blues were blown out of the water by clubs with apparently greater financial muscle.

Pompey’s manager did mange to push the boat out slightly when bringing in the likes of Joe Morrell and Mahlon Romeo.

He also brought in a total of 14 new players as he overhauled the squad he inherited from Kenny Jackett.

Yet he was still limited in what he could do.

Nevertheless, Cowley admitted he’s right behind the long-term vision Blues chairman Michael Eisner has shown during his Fratton Park stewardship.

A policy of investing in the club’s infrastructure has been evident in his four years as owner of the club, with PO4 currently undergoing a £11.5m face lift and Pompey recently purchasing their Roko training base.

And he believes that approach will reap its rewards in the future – something that cannot be said of some the short-term strategies in place at Championship level.

Speaking in the latest episode of Pompey Talk: The Podcast, the Blues boss said: ‘They (the Eisners) have always promised they will run it (the club) in a sustainable way and you have to respect that.

‘And the fact that they are constantly investing in the club’s infrastructure is so positive for the long-term future of the football club.

‘You see so many owners just investing in the team and, yeah, that can create short-term success – but it can create long-term problems as we are witnessing and observing in the Championship.

‘You look at a number of clubs in the Championship at the moment who are in dire straits financially.

‘And I think there'll be more clubs at that level that will join them in the coming months.

'Look, I’m a football supporter, I understand that everyone wants success tomorrow. We get that.

‘But I think everybody should know we are a club that has outstanding owners with real business acumen and who really care about the long-term future of the club.

‘I genuinely believe that and feel really comfortable saying that.’

Cowley said he and Fratton Park board have a good relationship, after everything was laid out on day one.

He welcomed Eisner & Co’s honestly when it came to budgets and affordability in the summer transfer window – and said it was up to him for find value for money.

'For us, I believe it's always the club's responsibility to tell us what's affordable and then it's our responsibility to tell them what's good value,’ added Cowley.

‘And that's how we see the relationship.

‘You know, they've given us clarity from the beginning, we know exactly what we got to work with this season, and we are working and trying to do our very, very best within the constraints that we've been set.

‘We've had clarity from day dot, which is so important for us as a management team - to know exactly what we've got because then we can then look at it and try to identify the very, very best value moving forward.’