Portsmouth legend points to a lack of inspiration both on and off the pitch after Blues' season suffers another blow against Charltona

The former Fratton Park player and manager said it was blatantly absent as Danny Cowley’s struggling side stretched their winless league run to nine games following Sunday’s 3-1 home defeat against Charlton.

And he believes there’s currently no sign of such influence coming from both on and off the pitch as Pompey now now find themselves 12th in the League One table and with a head coach losing the trust of the supporters.

Speaking on BBC Solent after the defeat to the Addicks – a loss that means the Blues remain without a league win at Fratton Park since September 3 – Whittingham said: ‘You’re battling and you’re trying to find a way with a team that just seems to be lacking confidence.

‘I said it after the MK Dons game at home, just fight for stuff and show up.

‘But, look, I think ultimately, no player goes out there not to be at their best. I think they all do.

‘But where’s the inspiration on and off the pitch? Who is going to take the bull by the horns on the pitch?

‘I thought Marlon Pack had a decent game today (Sunday), I thought he did his best in that midfield. It’s a shame he got sent off.

‘But I’m trying to find inspiration from somewhere else. I’m trying to find players that demand the ball when things are tough. That’s when the character gets shown.

‘On the other hand, how much inspiration are they getting from the manager?

‘You look at changes in the side (for the Charlton game). We don’t know the reasons, so you’re guessing why there’s changes. Is it illness? Injuries?

‘Bishop was on the bench. If Bishop’s fit, you play Bishop – he’s your best striker.

‘It’s like Raggett dropped the other week. Why is he dropped? He’s your best defender.

‘So, yeah, some strange decisions that ultimately, Danny Cowley will know this, that he’s responsible for.’

The Charlton loss came on the opening day of the January transfer window. It also coincided with yet another match-day without injured trio Louis Thompson, Tom Lowery and Joe Rafferty.

Their returns, plus any new arrivals, would be expected to lift the Blues from their current predicament.

However, Whittingham confessed it’s never that easy.

‘There’s not a good history of injured people coming back and (changing things) and a couple of those have tried to come back and it hasn’t worked.

‘You need someone in that is just going to be able to inspire the players in some way. And that is the manager’s job – that is ultimately the manager’s job.

‘Players have got to have the motivation themselves, but it’s a tough one.

‘We always talk about this in these sort of situations. I’ve been in this situation. You’re thinking you’re doing the right think, you’re thinking of how to inspire the players and things don’t work out your way.

‘It’s tough, and it’s certainly tough for the fans. They don’t want to come to Fratton Park and see those type of performances and Danny Cowley is going to have to think long and hard about how he’s going to get them back behind him, if he can.’

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