Portsmouth striker hunt: Why Danny Cowley remains without a senior forward, the verdict on linked Ipswich and Accrington front men and the hope surrounding Leicester loanee's return

So to help us understand where the Blues are at with that hunt, we asked Jordan Cross – fresh from spending a week with Danny Cowley & Co on their warm-weather training in camp in Spain – to shed some light on the situation.

Here’s what he said, after being quizzed by Mark McMahon – and before learning that Pompey’s effort to run the rule over Oumar Niasse had hit the buffers.

Q The new season is less than three weeks away and still there’s no sign of strikers arriving. What on earth is going on? Why do Pompey find themselves in this position?

They’re trying a number of targets and I guess there’s two elements to it.

You’ve got Danny Cowley, who’s trying to get as much bang for his buck as possible as Pompey boss – and he’s pushing for the best circumstances.

He’s got a high standard he wants to maintain, he’s got a list of names with priorities.

But I think they’re coming down that list a bit.

Danny is trying to drain everything he can out of potential deals to get every ounce he can out of his playing budget.

He does not want to compromise on names, and I can understand that.

But I don't think it’s as simple as saying ‘okay, we’ll blame the people who are negotiating these deals – Andy Cullen and Tony Brown. I think it’s more complex than just laying it at their door.

There’s players who have been lined up and maybe Danny Cowley is looking at those names now and thinking ‘okay, I’m trying to push for a bit more’.

There’s a bit of toing and froing going on there, that’s broadly how things stand and why we’re now at a situation where, at the moment, there’s no senior strikers.

You get the vibe, though, that things are moving now with the season less than three weeks away.

Q Colby Bishop’s name has recently been mentioned. Is that a realistic transfer for Pompey to be pursuing?

I think Colby Bishop is definitely one favoured by Danny Cowley.

My understanding was that Kion Etete was high up Danny’s list, but I think Colby Bishop is a really fancied player.

But how realistic is it?

I don’t think he’s quite within Pompey’s reach with their current playing budget.

He’s got a year remaining on his current deal, with Accrington having the option of another year.

And when you’ve got a number of other clubs interested in a player – like MK Dons are – then that puts the selling club in a stronger position.

They (MK Dons) have got the ability to get to a level Pompey can’t at the minute (with more than £8m received in player sales this summer).

Because where are the players Pompey have sold to that extent in recent years?

They haven’t, so, yes, the playing budget puts Colby Bishop beyond Pompey’s reach at the moment.

Danny Cowley will continue to push for that, but I think there’s other names that might be more realistic

Q One of those other names could be Joe Pigott, who The News understands is being monitored by Pompey. But, again, you get the sense that he’s not their priority – even with the season so close.

Speaking to people about Joe Pigott, there’s an underwhelming sentiment about him.

But my riposte to that would be – where was that negativity 12 months ago when people were clamouring for him to sign after a fantastic season with AFC Wimbledon?

Okay, it’s not worked for him at Ipswich, but that’s not to say it won’t work for him at Portsmouth.

He’s scored goals at this level and we know the calibre of strikers Ipswich have brought in, they are like the Harlem Globetrotters of strikers in League One.

I don’t think it would be the worst signing, but again, Danny Cowley is just trying to drain every ounce out of his budget.

It would be a loan with the view to a permanent and I think that could work quite well.

Q Is it fair to say Danny Cowley won’t have the three strikers he wants before that opening day of the season against Sheffield Wednesday?

I’d say probably it’s less likely than likely!

But that’s not to say he’ll not have two out of the three by that stage.

You would hope that the narrative from George Hirst will become clearer the nearer we get to the season.

Maybe Danny Cowley just needs to get a body in and get one in over the line just to get working on his game idea – as playing Ronan Curtis up front doesn’t work.

It didn’t work on Saturday (against Qatar SC) and I don’t think it’s worked often enough in the past.

Danny Cowley really needs to push on his game idea otherwise Pompey will be off the pace.

Contrary to that is that Pompey have often signed some of their most successful names so close to the season.

Paul Merson being one that springs to mind, while also the same season they signed Deon Burton the day before the season – and he scored against Nottingham Forest in the 2002-03 opener the following day.

So it can work and I guess Pompey will look at there being more value as the window progresses.

There’s probably a happy medium in there, with the need to get one or two in and a third a bit later towards the end of the window.

Q What did you make of George Hirst’s absence from the Leicester teams for their double-header against Notts County on Saturday and Kion Etete’s omission from the Spurs squad that travelled to South Korea over the weekend?

I know Kion Etete is favoured by Danny Cowley and remains high up his list.

The vibe from Danny Cowley, though is that he thought there were clubs in front of Pompey and that Pompey are not at the head of that queue.

George Hirst – I just feel more optimistic about, because I know he wants to come and there remains contact with George.

I’m sure I’m not betraying any confidence but he (Cowley) was showing me text exchanges between them and it was good to see George say he was training well, is in a good place but has not got any clarity, there’s been no conversations with Leicester.

That was a week ago, but he wants to come back and it’s just a case of whether anyone comes in and attempts to nab him on a permanent, given that we know that Ipswich have tried for him.

We have to see how that pans out, but it’s in the hands of Leicester. They hold all the cards.

Q Pompey fans have been reluctantly very patient so far this season but will that patience soon turn to panic stations?

I totally understand the fans’ concerns.

Pompey look well fixed in a number of departments – in midfield they are really looking strong, and watching Marlon Pack in training! Wow!

He’s a leader now and I’ve been so impressed with Marlon Pack over the past week.

They have been worked so hard in Spain, and honestly, I’ve never seen Pompey worked to that extent. It’s been brutal.

I’ve been heartened by that side of it over the past week and the graft that’s been put it.

But, of course, Danny Cowley will be feeling it.

He has to be diplomatic, but that striking department has to be a concern.

But, at the moment, there just seems to be a bit of momentum, with things coming to fruition.

I’ll take some cautious optimism from that.

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