Pompey have to become familiar with losing - Moon

Portsmouth are still yet to pick up a win this season in the Championship

So Portsmouth have done something they had not done for more than two and a half years - they have lost consecutive home league matches.

Neither were a huge surprise, Sunderland came to Fratton Park with the Championship's only 100% start.

West Bromwich Albion were in the play-offs last season and are likely to be battling for a place in the top six this time around.

Portsmouth’s objective is to stay up this season and there were very encouraging elements to the first-half display against West Brom.

They had a very good side rattled but were unable to take their chances.

In the Championship this season there will be times where Pompey play well and lose, in League One and League Two that scenario was unlikely.

Imagine that Portsmouth finish between 16th and 19th this season, it would be job done in terms of staying in the division.

However, it will mean losing more games than winning and history would suggest potentially as many as ten more defeats than victories.

You have to go back to the 2014-15 season for the last time Pompey lost more matches than they won.

They may have lost 20 times in the 2017-18 season but they also won 20 matches on the way to a very creditable eight-placed finish in their first season back in League One.

Three times in the past six seasons their league defeats have been in single figures. Last year it was only five losses and one of them was in a post title-winning celebratory haze.

So in recent seasons Pompey have been losing just under 20% of their league matches. This campaign it could be 45% and still end up a decent season.

It feels negative to talk about getting used to losing but that is something Portsmouth will have to adjust to.

Within the club and the supporters It does not mean anyone has to like it.

In the past few seasons every defeat felt like a mini-crisis, that is simply not the case this year.

Of course, it would potentially be easier to accept losses if there were a couple of wins on the board but the reality is three points from five matches is not a bad return, the points at Leeds United and Middlesbrough were excellent ones.

Luton Town, Sunderland and West Brom could all conceivably be in or close to the top six.

It does not mean there are not causes for concern. The injuries are still piling high with the defence particularly affected, however, Regan Poole and Tom McIntyre are both getting back to fitness which should allow Jordan Williams to return to right-back.

If you include the EFL Cup, no Pompey player has found the net at Fratton Park in four matches.

No one has showed they can fill Colby Bishop’s boots up front despite some decent showings from Christian Saydee.

The goal return from wide areas was outstanding last season and while it will not be as high this time around the team will need those contributions.

If you hand-picked Portsmouth’s fixture list I am not sure you could have made the first seven matches any trickier.

October will be a key month with more straightforward games. However, potentially starting that run in the relegation zone would increase the pressure on those matches.

Within the Pompey camp there is no panic and optimism that things will turn out fine this season.

Losing is part of professional sport and sadly something Portsmouth will have to become more familiar with than in previous seasons.