Identified: the four key factors behind Portsmouth's impressive start to season that will have Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth, Peterborough & Co concerned

That’s according to The News’ Jordan Cross, who believes squad depth, firepower, character and hard work have all contributed to the smorgasbord of success currently being enjoyed by Danny Cowley and his side this season.

The Blues head into Saturday’s huge game against third-place Plymouth at Fratton Park second in the table and with an unbeaten League One record to brag about.

They are also the division’s top scorers, while only fellow early pacesetters Ipswich have conceded fewer goals.

It represents a far cry from last season, when Pompey consistently remained on the outside looking in on the promotion race.

And while there’s so much more of the current campaign left to play, there’s no denying the feelgood factor has returned to Fratton Park.

Speaking on the latest edition of Pompey Talk, Cross explained why that was the case.

When asked what he put the Blues’ impressive early-season form down to, he replied: ‘Hard work is one element of it – but I’d say there’s significant other elements.

‘Firstly, the depth of the squad, which wasn’t there last season.

‘It’s probably not comparable to Sheffield Wednesday’s or Ipswich’s depth, but it’s greatly better than what it was.

‘There’s quality throughout it and that’s certainly one part that will come to the fore and hopefully that will benefit when it does.

‘You just have to look at Joe Pigott, who hasn’t started a game since the second weekend of the season.

‘It’s not his fault, he hasn’t been performing badly, it’s just Colby Bishop and Dane Scarlett have been outstanding.

‘That’s one part of it and it also leads into the next part, which is consistent firepower.

‘Pompey are the top goal scorers in the division and the last time I looked it was only Man City, Sheffield United and Bristol City in English Football who had scored more.

‘So that’s another element to it, and the other one for me is characters – Marlon Pack, people like that, Michael Morrison, Louis Thompson, Michael Jacobs.

‘There are all good citizens, they’re solid people with standards and they’re nice people, too.

‘They’re not arrogant, they’re about the collective, and then there’s Joe Pigott, who’s not been playing.

‘What people don’t realise is that he’s the joker in the pack, he’s one of those who brings humour to the dressing room.

‘When they’re out of the team, some people become surly and difficult, but he’s not one of those.

‘Obviously, wins help as well and create a good vibe around the place.

‘The training ground is a good place to be and that’s no accident, either.

‘Danny and his team do their due diligence about what type of characters they’re signing.’

Speaking ahead of the Plymouth game, Cowley admitted he celebrated the midweek win against Burton by turning his attention to the Pilgrims and studying their latest game on the coach back from Staffordshire.

That didn’t surprise Cross, who knows all too well the hard graft and long hours the Pompey coaching team put in to help bring success on the pitch.

And that’s another important factor behind the Blues’ consistent start to the season.

Cross added: ‘We saw it this summer when we were away with the team at close quarters, they (the backroom team) are hard workers.

‘They’re the hardest group of workers I’ve seen in the staff probably ever in the time I’ve been covering Pompey.

‘There’s normal and then there’s expected.

‘They were always up early doors. We’d be going down at 7-7.30am for breakfast and they would already be there doing their work.

‘You’d finish your work later about 11pm and they’d be on their computer, sat analysing and doing recruitment work.

‘It was just incessant.

‘That’s what they do. That’s what Danny expects, it’s ingrained in him.

‘That’s what was needed with no sporting director – they all mucked in.

‘And it’s no surprise that when you put in that graft, you then see the results we’re seeing at the end of it.’