Utility man confident the Blues can have a successful campaign
Shaun Cooper believes Pompey are still well-placed for a promotion push this season.
The Blues lie 16th in League Two, but are only six points adrift of the play-off places with a game in hand.
They host Exeter on Saturday on the back of an unbeaten October which included back-to-back home wins against Rochdale and Bury.
And Cooper believes the Blues squad contains all the qualities needed to start climbing the table.
The versatile 30-year-old said: “I joined later than everyone else in the summer, but I settled in quickly and there’s a good bunch of lads here.
“That’s showing in the performances at the moment. We’re five unbeaten and hopefully that can carry on.
“There will be a progression over the season because there are a lot of new faces and it will take time, but the last few games have given us a platform to build on.
“When I got out of this league with Bournemouth we had fantastic team spirit and this squad is going in the same direction.
“We’ve started to see the two centre-halves build a good partnership and hopefully that will get better and better.
“There’s no secret to doing well – it’s just about grinding out results week in, week out. You need to work hard and everyone has to share that goal – to get promoted.
“It’s about finding that level of consistency and I don’t see any reason why we can’t achieve that here.”
Exeter visit Fratton Park this weekend having lost just once on their travels so far this season, but Cooper insists they will receive no special treatment.
He said: “It’s the same principle for every game. We have to work hard, concentrate on our jobs and be better than the opposition.
“If we’re on top of our game and do what the gaffer tells us, then I fancy us in every match.”
Cooper is 28/1 with Sky Bet to open the scoring on Saturday and if you open an account and deposit before the end of November, Pompey will get a £10 bonus.Join now!