Cowley needs perfect start to his Pompey stay with rivals keen to add to club woes
DANNY COWLEY will be bidding to get off to the perfect start as Pompey boss when the
Blues welcome Ipswich to Fratton Park tomorrow.
And there is the added incentive of knowing a win over Paul Cook's seventh-placed Tractor Boys will take the Blues back into the League One playoff places with 55 points - for a few hours at least.
Pompey currently find themselves down in 10th after their midweek loss at titlechasing Peterborough.
The Cowleys - with new boss Danny to be joined brother
Nicky as his assistant - are inheriting a squad out of form and low on confidence.
But despite a run of just one win in their previous eight League One matches, the Blues would climb back up to sixth with victory over Ipswich at PO4 - while also defeating a play-off rival.
The lunchtime kick-off (1pm) – the only one in the division – means a much-needed win for Pompey would move them - at least briefly - above Gillingham, Oxford, the Tractor Boys and Charlton into sixth spot.
Admittedly, that top-six stay would be brief if the Addicks – who named former Southampton manager Nigel Adkins as their new boss this week and have played two more games than the Blues - were to pick up anything at struggling AFC Wimbledon later in the day.
Meanwhile, victories for Oxford - at home to Blackpool - and Steve Evans' Gills, who welcome Doncaster, would take them back above Pompey.
The Gills have also played two more games than Pompey.
However, should Cowley's appointment fail to spark the Blues into picking up a positive result against Ipswich, even reaching the play-offs could start to look a struggle.
If the Blues were to make a losing start under their new boss or even draw for that matter, and other results went against them, they could find themselves down in 13th come Saturday evening.
But that's only if Accrington - who host relegation-threatened Wigan; Blackpool – who travel to play-off chasing Oxford; and Fleetwood, who take on Swindon at home, were all to win their matches.
Managers always like to get off to a winning start at any new club, but Cowley needs this more than ever as he begins his Pompey tenure.