Cowley: I don’t look at the table, I just try to win games of football
Pompey head coach unaware of top-five placing as he focuses on performances rather than league position. NEIL ALLEN reports...
HE ARRIVED seeking to resurrect a promotion campaign floundering down in 10th place.
Just two games later and Pompey are back in the playoff positions and looking in fine strength.
Danny Cowley has transformed the Blues within eight days – but dismissed the relevance of the League One table.
Pompey’s head coach admitted he was unaware of their top-five placing in the aftermath of Saturday’s 2-1 triumph at Shrewsbury.
For him, it lacks importance in the current circumstances.
He said: ‘We’ve won two tight games and picked up six points, so, from an outcome perspective, it has been good.
‘We just want to keep going after process because we know that if you get performances right then the results take care of themselves. If you play like the first half for 90 minutes consistently then you are going to be able win matches.
‘I don’t really look at the league table. I just keep trying to win games of football.
‘I like the objective of waking up every Monday morning with the ambition to win Saturday.
‘Then I like to enjoy
Sunday, wake up on a Monday morning and it starts again.
‘I didn’t look at the table after Saturday’s game – nor the results.’
Following five successive defeats in all competitions before the arrival of Cowley and his brother Nicky, the Blues have rediscovered that winning feeling.
Victories over Ipswich and now Shrewsbury, both by a
2-1 scoreline, have lifted the Blues up to fifth. However, it remains heavily congested, with everyone down to Accrington in 13th possessing a chance of finishing in the play-off spots.
With 10 matches left, Cowley’s men are nine points short of third spot.
As a consequence, an automatic promotion place appears highly unlikely at this moment in time.
Not that Cowley is analysing the table at present as he focuses on maintaining the winning run on Good Friday against Rochdale.
He added: ‘I would look at the table when it’s the last game of the season.
‘That’s if there are certain things you need to do, like keep an eye on other results and how it might affect what you are at that time.
‘But you can’t control anybody else, you can only control yourself. Stay with the process, stay fully focused.
‘Everyone else can do what they want.’
■ Ronan Curtis was once again omitted from the Republic of Ireland’s matchday squad in their abject World Cup qualifying defeat to Luxembourg on Saturday.
Curtis is currently on international duty with
Eire, having been named in Stephen Kenny’s 27-man set-up.
The Pompey winger was surplus to requirements in their 3-2 loss to Serbia last Wednesday night.
And there was more frustration for Curtis as again he had to watch from the stands as the Republic crashed to a shock 1-0 loss against Luxembourg in Dublin.
Ex-Fratton favourite Enda Stevens, now of Sheffield United, featured for Eire.
Curtis will now be hoping to be given some game-time in the Republic’s friendly against 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar in Austria tomorrow.
The 24-year-old should then be available for Pompey against Rochdale on Friday.
‘If you get performances right, results take care of themselves’
Danny Cowley