What Portsmouth have to do to get back into the play-off picture with Derby County, Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday

The Blues boss feels everyone connected with the first team will need to ‘add value’ to their roles within the setup to get the season motoring over the second half of the campaign.

The season’s halfway mark is on the horizon with Cowley’s side falling out of the top six after a powerful opening.

Cowley’s feeling is his team are competing with sides with greater resources around them in the bid for promotion.

The likes of Ipswich Town, Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday certainly fall into that category, with the boundaries becoming more blurred for the other teams around them in the table.

What the Pompey boss is clear on is everyone in all areas of the football operation need to push themselves beyond what others may reasonably expect of them.

Cowley highlighted how the Blues fanbase also come into that equation, although he stressed the onus is firmly on the team to motivate them to get beyond what they are trying to achieve and not vice versa.

What he is certain about is the level of toil required with everyone needing to be onboard with the play-off push.

Cowley said: ‘We are going to have to work hard, absolutely.

‘For us to achieve what we want to achieve this season we all have to add value. All of us.

‘That’s players, staff, coaching staff, medical and sports science staff, analysis and we need support from the academy. It needs to be a whole club effort.

‘We need the supporters to stick with us, which we need to create by the way because it’s our responsibility. We need to give them something to support.

‘But we all need to contribute if we’re going to achieve what we want to achieve.’