Boss looks ahead to Newport test
A host of sides are looking to close the gap on Pompey as the battle for League Two promotion intensifies.
It is they who currently occupy that all-important third position with just eight games of the season remaining.
Fans will be hoping to see their team bounce back against struggling Newport this weekend following the loss at Stevenage.
The Welsh side have taken seven points from four games since Michael Flynn was appointed caretaker manager to keep their survival hopes alive.
But Paul Cook insists that his troops have a job to do and knows that a Pompey victory will dent the mood of their rivals.
The Blues boss said: “It’s been a good week and the lads have had plenty of time to rest and recover from the Stevenage defeat.
“You don’t sit there for three or four days after a victory and think ‘weren’t we great’ – you just prepare for the next game.
“Newport are doing really well under Michael. They were cut adrift with no hope at all, but that’s certainly not the case now.
“Everyone’s seen that nothing’s a given in this division, so they’ll be coming to Fratton Park with their eye on a victory.
“But we’ve got eight games to go to get our club promoted and that’s what we’ve all got to focus on. It’s in our own hands.
“All we can do is go out there on Saturday and win the game to disappoint those sides challenging us.”
Saturday’s contest will be the 100th time in charge of Pompey for Cook, who hopes that will not be the last milestone.
He said: “The short-termism of management is there for all to see, but the most important thing is to keep looking forward and that’s what I’ll do.
“Portsmouth Football Club is very much a work in progress. I’m pleased to have had 100 games, but I’d like to be here for the next 100.”
Cook was impressed with the non-stop singing from the travelling fans at Stevenage and was grateful for the level of backing.
He said: “The support was unreal at the end of the game and was everything I thought Pompey fans were about before I came here.
“It was unconditional love. We knew that we’d let them down, but they showed a bit of class and I thank them for that.”
Watch Cook’s thoughts on the game below or subscribe to Pompey PlayerHD for full pre-match video content.