Boss looks ahead to Colchester clash
There have been a wide range of emotions experienced on the south coast in the past couple of weeks.
From joy at Carlisle to frustration against Morecambe, from despair against Crewe to elation at Crawley.
Victory in the latter contest saw Pompey climb into the automatic promotion places for the first time in more than five months.
But Paul Cook is keen to forget about what has happened in the past and his mind is firmly set on what lies ahead.
The Blues boss said: “You can wallow in disappointment as much as glory, but the one thing to focus on is that the games do come thick and fast.
“It was an excellent team performance on Tuesday and we were backed by an army of fans, whose desire to back their team shone through from first minute to last.
“But my job is to lift the players or to bring them back down to earth – and you have to be ready to do both.
“We’ve had good days and bad days, so it’s important just to concentrate on the job at hand.”
Next up for Pompey is a trip to Essex to face a Colchester side currently sitting three points outside the play-off places.
Cook said: “They’ve had a fantastic season and I know their manager John McGreal well having played alongside him.
“He’s learned a lot about his team this year and they’re in a fantastic league position, despite a long injury list.
“They’ve had more than most, but still continue to put a side out who look like they can make the play-offs.
“But while we will always give the opposition the upmost respect, the most important thing is how we perform.”
Amine Linganzi and Enda Stevens should both be fit to face Colchester, but Jack Whatmough is set to be sidelined for a couple of weeks with a hamstring problem.
Watch Cook’s thoughts on the game below or subscribe to Pompey PlayerHD to see the full interview.