Danny Cowley pinpoints 'tactical tweaks' behind crucial Portsmouth transformation as Barnsley test looms

Now he’s eyeing Pompey’s latest test – two League One matches away from Fratton Park within 72 hours.

The Blues head to Barnsley on Saturday, followed by a trip to rock bottom of Burton on Tuesday (September 13).

Inevitably it is the Tykes which offer the sternest challenge to a side still undefeated in the league after seven matches.

Pompey have so far posted victories at Cheltenham and Port Vale, while collected a point at Sheffield Wednesday, presenting them with the third-best away record in the division.

It already suggests a significant improvement on last season, when they claimed six wins and netted just 22 times on their travels.

Cowley told The News: ‘We knew last year that we didn’t score enough goals away from home. It's something we thought about and we’ve made some small tactical tweaks to hopefully affect that.

‘But it’s always the players, your away form is always a representation of the character of the group. We have started well but we know that we have many challenges to come.

‘It’s always the character of the group, we are a little more resilient, a bit more durable, we’ve brought some brilliant senior players in and that has really helped, supporting the younger players.

‘Results suggest the changes have worked too. We had the toughest of starts going to Hillsborough, it is probably the most difficult place to go in the league, particularly looking at their home form,

‘We drew 3-3 and have been able to back that up with some good away wins as well.

‘It has been a good start away from home, but it’s very early into the season and we need a much bigger sample size before you hear me shouting from the rooftops.

‘We totally respect that we’re a work in progress. We have made a good start to the season, we took a lot of learning from our opening run of games, but there's still lots for us to do, both in possession, out of possession, in the transitions and from the restarts.

‘Barnsley is another tough game, another team which has just come down from the Championship, they obviously bring with them Championship players.

‘You have to be a good team if you are going to go to Hillsborough and win, like they did last weekend.

‘But we are in a good moment ourselves and the challenge is to keep that unbeaten run going.’

On the flip side of the Blues’ away form, they continue to excel at Fratton Park.

Their last defeat on home soil was a 2-1 league loss to Charlton on January 31.

Since then, the Blues have played 15 times, collecting 12 wins and three draws – all arriving in League One.

Cowley added: ‘At this point we have been good at home, we’ve had a good run.

‘Last season and this season that’s 15 games now, 12 wins and three draws, so our home form has been good, but we know for it to continue being good we have to keep putting the work in.

‘We all understand this in the group and are trying to approach it in a relentless way.’