Portsmouth legend turned pundit identifies the one key area that brave Blues could have improved on in defeat to Ipswich

But the BBC Solent pundit did identify an area that let the Blues down at Portman Road – their attacking threat.

That’s not something that has been levelled at this new-look Pompey side this season, with only Sheffield Wednesday scoring more League One goals before Saturday’s visit to the Tractor Boys.

And with Colby Bishop taking his goal tally for the season to eight with his double from the penalty spot in the 3-2 defeat, any criticism in that respect might seem harsh – particularly after defeat to the title favourites on their own turf.

But with Pompey having just seven shots on goal compared to the hosts’ 18, with only three of them on target as opposed to Ipswich’s six, it appears the Blues weren’t at their fluid best going forward.

And despite some questionable defending for the Tractor Boys’ goals, that rare dip in attacking prowess is something former Blues striker Whittingham believes could have made the difference at Portman Road.

Speaking after the game, Whittingham said: ‘The only thing I would be disappointed with, if I were him (Cowley), would be the amount of times we actually got the ball forward and then in the box, because that’s where we are strong.

‘You know, the two strikers we’ve got score goals. We’ve seen that already.

‘Bishop, with his physical presence and his ability to head the ball, I don’t think they had one cross they could attack today that he met, there were a couple that went over him.

‘And (Dane) Scarlett, from the penalty he got, you could see what he can do in and around the box, he’s a livewire.

‘I’d have liked to have seen a bit more pressure further up the pitch from Portsmouth, and if it meant going long then it meant going long.’

The defeat was Pompey’s first in the division this term and sees them drop to fourth in the table.

Questions have subsequently been asked of Cowley’s use of Connor Ogilvie and Clark Robertson out of position in recent games because of injury concerns regarding Joe Rafferty.

But Whittingham believes there’s no need to start panicking after defeat to big-spending Ipswich.

‘With the players they (Ipswich) have got and the ability they’ve got, they are a good footballing side, and Portsmouth did really well to stay with them.

‘You could say it weren’t the first pick, if everybody was fit and everybody was in position, for sure.

‘I understand the problem with the centre-halves and Ogilvie playing right-back, but that’s what it’s been and they’ve got results that way.

‘He (Cowley) feels more confident with an experienced left-back playing right-back than he does with a young right-back and we’ve got the results from that and it was a bizarre late goal.

‘But Ipswich are a good side.Nobody should get despondent about the result.

‘I think what he said about digging in, showing some spirit and coming back into the game, is a fair one.’