Portsmouth boss reveals secret driving promotion charge against Ipswich Town, Sheff Weds, Plymouth Argyle, Bolton Wanderers & Co
Danny Cowley has revealed the depth of work put in to land players with the character driving Pompey’s promotion charge.
And the Blues boss has stressed a belief his squad now has the leaders to maintain standards this season, as his side aim to reach the Championship.
Much has been made of the improved mood in the Pompey camp, after a summer overhaul saw 12 new faces arrived.
Cowley explained that’s no accident with the amount of due diligence carried out before bringing in any additions.
He said: ‘We put a lot of focus on it. We spend a lot of time trying to get references on players, both from coaches and managers who’ve worked with them - but also players.
‘Sometimes the players will know the true character.
‘Sometimes the player will only show the manager what he wants to see. It’s important.
‘The way social media is now, you can get quite a good reflection of the way a person is through their social media accounts.
‘We do all of this type of work to get a good idea of how someone is.
‘You put all that together and do all that type of work. It becomes clearer and clearer the type of character you’re signing.
‘I always say the same thing. Do you love football? Do you like to train? Do you like to run?
‘If I get three positive answers I always feel I can get alignment.’
Cowley highlighted how he believes there is now a decent blend of young talent and experience within his Pompey ranks.
The likes of Michael Morrison and Marlon Pack have brought in their leadership qualities and are setting standards within the group.
Cowley pinpointed those men already within his ranks who bring similar skills to the table for the more youthful players to aspire to.
He added: ‘The compatibility of the group is key.
‘If you can get good senior professionals they can mould the group.
‘We’ve got Michael Morrison, Marlon (Pack), Raggs (Raggett), Clark (Robertson), Louis (Thompson) and Michael Jacobs. We’re very fortunate.
‘They are good for the young ones, because they keep the young ones focussed.
‘The young ones want someone to look up to.
‘Our seniors this year are really good and that’s really important.’