The five steps behind Pompey's survival surge

Three wins in a row have moved the Blues away from the Championship relegation zone

You have to be careful choosing your metaphors at this time of the season.

Portsmouth clearly aren't over the finish line. I'm not sure it's even quite in sight yet.

However, after three wins in a row it feels like they've come around the final bend and are on the home straight towards Championship survival.

To be 17th and nine points clear of the relegation zone considering where the team was is, in itself, a huge achievement.

After the midweek round of matches in early November, Pompey lost 1-0 away to Plymouth Argyle to sit bottom of the table, six points adrift of safety.

It was still early days in the season but they didn't look a Championship-quality side nor one with enough players good enough for the second tier. They had scored three goals in six home matches and conceded 18 in eight on the road.

Since then they've taken 30 points from 20 matches. The ninth-best record in the division. More points than West Brom, Sheffield Wednesday or Middlesbrough. Essentially it's been play-off chasing form, with largely the same group of players.

Of the starting XI defeated at Home Park in November, six played in the win over Queen's Park Rangers last Saturday and three who didn't - Jordan Williams, Freddie Potts and Callum Lang - would all likely have been involved but for injury.

So what's been the main reason for the turnaround? I've picked out some of the key factors...

The return of Bishop

Colby Bishop has scored five goals in 20 Championship matches this season

He may only have scored five goals and two of them were penalties but Colby Bishop's return from open heart surgery far earlier than expected was hugely significant.

Just seeing his name on the team sheet against Preston gave everyone at the club a huge lift.

He's taken to the Championship well posing a physical challenge to centre-halves. His control and link-up play have been excellent.

And he has proven to be a huge upgrade on Elias Sorensen who wasn't up to the level and came at a vital time with both Kusini Yengi and Mark O'Mahony would spend lengthy spells on the sidelines due to injury.

Bishop will want to end the season with a flurry of goals but he fully deserves his new contract. His attitude and dedication are exemplary.

Mousinho's pragmatism

Mousinho was a surprise appointment in January 2023

In an age where some coaches are wedded to particular style or identity, John Mousinho has shown himself as a pragmatist.

Last season, Pompey won League One by dominating possession. They were never likely to have the ball so much after making the step up but we still saw them looking to play out from the back early in the season.

However, that was scrapped after early struggles and Pompey have been more direct since. They've also proved incredibly effective pressing from the front forcing mistakes.

Simply put, they are not much fun to play against.

You could argue turning this season around has been an even more impressive managerial performance than winning League One last season.

Selfishly Pompey will be hoping no one is noticing the amazing job Mousinho is doing at Fratton Park. I highly doubt that is the case.

When you have a head coach this good, you want to keep him.

Fortress Fratton

One surprising aspect to life in the Championship is how flat the atmosphere is in most grounds. This is despite Portsmouth giving home fans plenty to cheer about on their travels.

Whatever people may tell you Fratton Park is not deafening every week but when it gets going it's loud and the fans really back their side.

Is it the reason for Pompey's incredible home form? There's more to it than that but it certainly helps, especially when players are not used to playing in that environment.

Twenty six points from the past 11 home matches is title-winning form. They've beaten good sides and they've beaten them in different ways.

During this run, every time Pompey have led in a game they've gone on to win. No one fancies an away trip to PO4 right now.

Magician Murphy

Josh Murphy has contributed to 15 Championship goals this season

Is there a better winger in the division than Josh Murphy at the moment?

His nine assists are the fourth-most in the Championship to go with his six goals. He's not just causing problems for defences, he is terrorising full-backs and no one has shown they can handle him one-on-one yet.

Murphy turned 30 this week. Injuries have restricted his career but his potential has always been clear to see.

Having such a potent attack weapon is a huge asset to Portsmouth.

Squad improvement in January

The club's January transfer business wasn't universally praised by fans but it's given Mousinho a lot more options and crucially a much stronger bench to take advantage of.

Rob Atkinson made a significant and immediate difference at the back, Adil Aouchiche slightly cushions the blow of losing Callum Lang for the season and while Isaac Hayden hasn't set the world alight yet he's provided another very solid option in midfield.

Pompey still have work to do and a concerning number of injuries are piling up. But as someone pointed out to me on social media this week, some bookmakers are offering shorter odds on Pompey finishing in the top half than getting relegated.

In reality neither are that likely but to stay up comfortably would be a monumental achievement given where they were three months into the season.