Portsmouth loan strategy revealed following duo's arrival from Ipswich and Blackpool respectively

But that doesn’t mean the Blues will automatically bid farewell to the attacking duo once the campaign ends in May.

Instead, both have arrived from Ipswich and Blackpool respectively with the potential to make their temporary stays long-term arrangements.

This summer Pompey were keen to make the loan acquisitions of Hayden Carter and George Hirst permanent ones following successful second halves to the season at Fratton Park.

Yet those hopes were quickly dashed, with even a second loan for Leicester front man Hirst proving too hard to pull off.

And coupled with Gavin Bazunu’s ever-growing reputation, Tyler Walker’s uneventful stay at Fratton Park, and Marlon Romeo’s indifferent form, in the end none of the five loanees who finished the 2021-22 season at Pompey remained at the club.

With Cowley seeing continuity as a key factor in the building of a successful team, that will have been disappointing.

It hasn’t exactly changed his tactics this time around, though, with West Brom keeper Josh Griffiths and Spurs youngster Dane Scarlett tipped for big futures are their parent clubs.

But Pigott and Dale fit into a different category, having arrived from the Championship and League One, respectively.

And with that in mind, they represent loanees who could find permanent homes at Fratton Park.

Speaking generally about both Pigott and Dale, Cowley said: ‘When you are Portsmouth Football Club there will be a couple of free agents who maybe you can sign and who make your team better.

‘Those players are sought after as well, naturally.

‘I think we were told Marcus Harness would create some funds which would allow us to buy some permanent players but that money will only carry so far.

‘So then you always have to use the loan market when you are in the lower leagues.

‘I think every team in League One and League Two would use the loan market to some capacity.

‘But, absolutely, if the player comes in and does well and it’s right for the player and right for us, and it’s right for the parent club, too, then for us to have continuity is what we want.

‘In all the successful teams we’ve been involved with, continuity has played a big part in that and when you can have that it’s great.’

Cowley added: ‘You sign all types of loan players.

‘You sign young ones that are maybe precocious talents that are maybe not available to you on permanents – like Josh Griffiths and Dane Scarlett.

‘There’s then some players that you sign who are at a higher club and just in a queue because there’s good players in front of them that are available to take.

‘Then there are another group of players that you sign, which starts as a temporary signing and then becomes a permanent signing.

‘For us, we’re really pleased to have probably the four loans that we have across those three categories and we’ll just see how things unfold.’