What Portsmouth need to do to get Coventry loanee firing after ex-Lincoln City, Mansfield Town and Nottingham Forest man's barren Fratton start

Pompey need to work harder at getting the best out of Tyler Walker.
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And that means the striker’s new team-mates understanding the Coventry loanee’s game to get him firing at Fratton Park.

Danny Cowley has no doubt about the front man’s credentials, however, as he waits to open his Blues account.

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Walker has blanked in his first five games going into tomorrow’s trip to rock-bottom Crewe after arriving as a high-profile January signing, with the Blues pushing out the boat to cover a deal until the end of the season.

Cowley feels there is work needed to make the most of the 25-year-old’s assets.

He said: ‘Tyler was a bit short of game time, so we’ve worked hard on developing him physically with the five games he’s played so far definitely helping him, along with the training.

‘He relies on that sharpness and top-end sharpness that relies on you being at your physical best.

‘It’s also just a connection.

Tyler WalkerTyler Walker
Tyler Walker
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‘Because of the intricacy of his movement, he’s a boy who likes early crosses behind the defensive line.

‘He’s a boy who likes to get his hips open and make little corridor runs or out-to-in runs off the shoulder and out of the eyeline of defenders.

‘You are just trying connect the rest of the team with his movement - and that takes rehearsal and practice.

‘Like human connection it just takes time, so we’re working hard on that – we have a lot of belief in Tyler, that’s for sure.’

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Despite a slow start to his Pompey career, Cowley is adamant Walker has the quality to make a big impact over the remainder of the season.

After watching him score 16 goals for League One Lincoln in the first half of the 2019-20 campaign, and 26 goals in the fourth tier for Mansfield the previous term he feels his record speaks for itself.

He added: ‘Tyler is a top player. He’s someone we’ve worked with before.

‘For us, when we had him at Lincoln, he scored 16 goals in half a season.

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‘He was the standout forward in League One in that first part of the season, and was well on the way to scoring 30 goals if Nottingham Forest hadn’t called him back.

‘For Tyler, he’s his own biggest critic but it takes time when new players come into the building, particularly the type of player he is.’

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