Despite sitting 10th with eight games remaining and without a goal in three matches, the Blues boss is hopeful his side can still leapfrog those teams above them and gate crash the promotion party.
Four of those games are against sides currently above the Blues in the table, which is hardly ideal given Pompey’s record against sides in that category this term.
Yet, they’re not the only ones in that boat, with all teams, barring Wycombe, facing at least three games against promotion rivals between now and the end of the campaign.
With that in mind, and with a number of clubs still fighting to secure promotion this season, we’ve taken a look at each of the top 11’s final matches, as well as checking FiveThirtyEight’s predicted outcomes for each clash, and totting up their respective points tallies.
We’ve then ranked each side’s predicted total from best to worst for those final fixtures only to determine who is facing the trickiest run-in as the season enters the home straight.
Yet, they’re not the only ones in that boat, with all teams, barring Wycombe, facing at least three games against promotion rivals between now and the end of the campaign.
9. MK Dons
Current league standing: 3rd; Current points tally: 76; Final games: Shrewsbury, Crewe, Wimbledon, Sheff Wed, Oxford, Morecambe, Plymouth; Predicted points tally: 13. Photo: Pete Norton
10. Sheffiled Wednesday
Current league standing: 7th; Current points tally: 66; Final games: Wimbledon, Bolton, MK Dons, Crewe, Wycombe, Fleetwood, Pompey ; Predicted points tally: 14. Photo: Steve Ellis
11. Wigan
Current league standing: 2nd; Current points tally: 79 ; Final games: Bolton, Accrington, Lincoln, Burton, Cambridge, Ipswich, Plymouth, Pompey, Shrewsbury; Predicted points tally: 15. Photo: Zac Goodwin