Portsmouth boss’ stance on the ex-Wolves, Bolton Wanderers and Leyton Orient recruitment staff still influencing signings after previous January window failures

And the Blues boss has stressed a conviction he has the staff in place to ensure his club get the right signings in the January window.

Next month promises to be a key period for Cowley, as he freshens his options with his rejuvenated team in play-off contention.

Pompey will have to arrest a pattern of poor work in the winter window over recent seasons.

Head of football operations, Roberto Gagliardi, and head of recruitment, Phil Boardman, have been in situ when that recruitment was carried out.

But Cowley feels the structure of the backroom staff previously was a factor in the decision-making process over signings.

He said: ‘Football clubs are ran in many different ways.

‘Historically, they are ran by a manager who makes all the decisions and he has a recruitment team who supports him.

‘In modern days you are a head coach with a head of football, director of football or sporting director and a recruitment team who make a collective decision.

‘That’s how we work, but at the same time our recruitment team is small in number but big in heart.

‘People like Phil Boardman are really skilful and hard working.

‘You speak to anyone in football and they will tell you he goes to a ridiculous amount of games.

‘He has really good contacts and a really good eye.

‘Roberto is enthusiastic, hard working and full of energy and developing on a daily basis in his role.’

Cowley has struck an upbeat chord on January recruitment in recent days, after a positive meeting with Michael Eisner this week.

The structure he’s put in place after recruiting a trusted analyst team this year, has offered further cause for optimism Pompey can get the right signings.

He added: ‘We have a way of working and we’re building a team.

‘We’ve brought Matt Page and Toby Ellis who work on a consultancy basis for us and do a lot of statistical work behind our recruitment.

‘We have statistical analysis software which gives us a clear understanding of our performance.’

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