'We know how much talent he has': Danny Cowley backs Huddersfield loanee to flourish amid Portsmouth form concerns

The winger has netted four times in 11 appearances since his transfer deadline day arrival, yet overall performances have largely been frustratingly erratic.

Cowley swooped for the 23-year-old on a season-long loan, having previously worked with him at Huddersfield in the 2019-20 campaign.

Koroma featured seven times under him at the Championship club, before loaned to Rotherham in League One in January 2020, only for the season to be curtailed by coronavirus.

Now the pair are reunited at Pompey, with the ex-Leyton Orient attacker seen as a left-sided option to compete with Ronan Curtis.

But with more substitute outings than starts so far, Koroma has disappointingly still to establish himself as a first-choice.

Cowley told The News: ‘Josh is a really good player, a really talented boy, he has created some goals, scored some goals, particularly at Fratton Park, and there is lots to come.

‘He’s had a good start here. Obviously we picked him up when he hadn’t had too much game time, so we had to work hard with him on the training pitch to try to get him to the level which allows him to play to his best.

‘The exciting thing for us with Josh is we know how much talent he has and we have so much belief in him.

‘We’ve worked with him before – and I still think there’s a lot more to come.

‘At Huddersfield he was short of game time, finding himself outside the then-manager’s plans, and, as a consequence, you have to build their fitness, build their rhythm, and, naturally, once that happens they find their best version of themselves.

‘Josh has had a good start with us and is an ultra-talented boy. You don’t do what he did in the Championship without real talent and we are really excited by attacking players.’

Koroma played the full 90 minutes as Pompey failed to break down an unambitious Shrewsbury last weekend.

But despite being one of the attacking players unable to inspire the Blues to victory, Cowley wouldn’t point the finger at the Huddersfield man’s individual display.

He added: ‘We were disappointed with Saturday, where we had so much dominance and got into so many good positions, but we’re respectful of Shrewsbury, who sat behind the ball and gave us no space.

‘We always look at it collectively. When we defend it’s always an 11-man job and when we attack it’s an 11-man job.

‘Josh Griffiths is our first attacker, we see the role of the centre-halves as very important with ball speed, Clark Robertson made 97 passes on the day, which is a season-high for an individual.

‘Your midfield players have a responsibility with their creativity and we have to move the ball quickly to them to get the attackers in good moments.’