Portsmouth dressing room responds to promotion doubts as Bolton Wanderers, Derby County, Peterborough United & Co turn up heat

Sean Raggett listened to the Pompey promotion doubters and vowed: We’re still fully confident.

The defender insisted the Blues dressing room remains upbeat over their credentials when it comes to reaching the Championship this season. That’s despite three games without a win over the Christmas period seeing a seven-point advantage at the top of League One erode into a two-point gap, at the turn of the year.

Serious questions are being asked over John Mousinho’s squad at present, with the festive period serving up disappointment amid two points from a possible nine. Raggett knows that will be the case with results and performances below the level expected, but underlined a conviction remains about the squad’s capabilities.

He said: ‘We expect more. We didn’t create loads at Exeter, but enough to maybe win the game - especially in the second half. It’s disappointing but we take the clean sheet and we move on. We’re hugely disappointed, we knew ourselves we weren’t at it.

‘From the outside people will look at it and see things, but inside the dressing room the boys are fully confident. We feel that as a group.

‘This is a blip. Things haven’t gone our way and we haven’t been at our best, but we’ve got full belief that this squad has got what it takes to get promoted this season.’

With Raggett the longest serving of the current group of Pompey players, he’s well placed to judge the current scenario in League One up against previous seasons where his side have come up short.

The defender sees a greater depth than in previous seasons, but acknowledges form has to quickly improve with Bolton two points behind with a game in hand and the likes of Derby and Peterborough hot on their heels.

He added: ‘The strength in depth is better than in previous years, that’s a big thing.

'The players are comfortable in what the aim is. We are not happy with Exeter and the last couple of games, we know there are so many good teams at the top of the table you can’t afford to drop too many points.’