Winger feels Pompey are starting to show what they're capable of
Ricky Holmes believes Pompey are finally starting to show their potential.
The Blues started life in the fourth tier by winning just one of their opening six league matches.
But they hammered Rochdale in their last Fratton fixture a fortnight ago and drew at Plymouth a week later – with a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy triumph at Oxford sandwiched in between.
And Holmes is confident that Pompey can continue to impress now that the squad is starting to bond.
The winger said: “It’s coming together now and we’re starting to get good results – that’s what I came here for.
“Before I came here I looked at the squad and having played against some of the boys and alongside a few others, I knew there was potential.
“If you have three games in a week – two of them away – and don’t get beaten then that’s got to be a positive.
“It can take time when you have a completely new squad – it happened to me at Barnet and we made a slow start then.
“But we’re all enjoying it now. We’re still getting to know each other, but we’re good mates and that helps.”
On Saturday, Pompey play host to a Bury side who have failed to win any of their last seven matches.
But the Shakers sacked manager Kevin Blackwell earlier in the week and Holmes feels that could give them a boost.
He said: “They’re without a full-time manager at the moment, but that can give the players a lift if they fell out with the old boss.
“He’s probably left out about five or six players, who will now have a new lease of life and be eager to impress. Everyone’s fighting for their place.
“I’m sure they’ll come here, stay compact, play slightly defensively and try to be hard to beat. We’ll have to be patient and try to break them down.
“Bury have brought in Danny Hylton, who’s a good player that works hard and wins headers. We’ll have to deal with that as well.”