Pompey have come charging out of the blocks at the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign.
Danny Cowley is delighted with how they have fared in the opening nine League One matches, with his side currently only trailing leaders Ipswich on goal difference.
It is a good time to take stock of the start, with a blank weekend enforced by international call-ups for scheduled opponents Bolton.
And although Cowley believes there are plenty of positives, he knows there are still areas to work on.
The Blues boss said: “We’re pleased with the start we’ve made and happy with the work ethic and attitude of the players.
“We’ve accumulated more points at this stage than I thought we would, with the group not really coming together until the back end of the transfer window.
“For the players to take the information on board and gel like they have, has been an absolute credit to them.
"We’ve accumulated more points at this stage than I thought we would, with the group not really coming together until the back end of the transfer window."
“Going back to the successful teams I’ve worked with in the past, when you like the rest of the group and enjoy coming to work, that’s a big thing.
“The boys have a lot of spirit and togetherness, which is going to be important. You need that to come through those difficult moments you’ll experience at some point during the season.
“We look like a side that will score goals in both open play and from set-pieces, as well as during transitions.
“I think that if we defend well as a team, then that gives us a good chance of doing really well in League One.
“There are some big teams in this division and we have some tough games to come. We’re humble enough to know where we are and what we have to do in order to be successful.
“We have lots of areas where we can improve and there are bits in possession where we feel we can gain more control.
“If you look back on last Saturday’s game, we could have been more ruthless on the counter-attack and more clinical after getting into good areas.”