Matt Clarke is confident that Pompey can find the right formula to go on a winning run.
The Blues have dropped to ninth position after tasting victory just once in their past seven League One fixtures.
But they are still only four points outside of the play-off positions, with 14 games of the 2017/18 campaign remaining.
Pompey visit a resurgent Southend side this weekend and Clarke hopes it can be the start of a profitable few weeks.
He said: “We’ve given ourselves a bit of work to do if we want to make up the points to get ourselves into those play-off places. It’s going to take a good run for us now.
“Stopping the silly mistakes is something that we need to cut out and that’s what we’re aiming to do. We want to go 1-0 up in games rather than 1-0 down.
"We’ve got to be confident and believe that we’re the better team going into the game."
“We always watch the clips of the teams we’re playing and I like to know the forwards that I’m coming up against.
“Southend are doing well, but we’ve got to be confident and believe that we’re the better team going into the game.
“We’ve never not been in touch during games – even during this poor run that we’ve been on. It’s not like they’re over by half-time.
“It’s maybe just a case of fine-tuning and getting the rub of the green that’s needed to get ourselves on track.
“If you win successive fixtures then you’re going to climb the table – hopefully we can start a run on Saturday.”
Clarke recently signed an extension to his Pompey career that keeps him at Fratton Park until the summer of 2020.
He said: “I’m loving my football here and there’s no place I’d rather be. I go out on the pitch knowing there are people supporting me.”