We've seen what Paul Cook's Pompey can do at home. Now we will see if they can fare better on the road than the Blues sides who have gone before them in recent seasons.

Cook knows the club's away form needs to improve drastically if they're to challenge this season - but the home performances against Dagenham and Derby in the first week of the season will have given the boss and fans hope that there are some happier away days ahead.

Pompey travelled to the west country on Thursday night and Cook told The News: 'If we don’t win at Plymouth it will be because we are not good enough and nothing to do with journeys, food or nutrition.

‘Great credit to the club for backing us with these things. We are going earlier and come the end of every away game this will make sure there are no excuses about journeys or travelling — it is because we are not good enough. We want to be successful so the attention to detail is huge.

‘Great credit to Mark Catlin (chief executive) and Tony Brown (director of finance). They are very much on our side in all of this, as is the club in general. We want to get away from being six hours on a bus on a Friday getting to hotels. They are facts and we want to take all of these away and just concentrate on the game.

‘It doesn’t mean we will win, but it takes away the excuses. That will involve leaving on the Thursday night at the times we are going to travel. In three hours at that time you can go wherever you like.

‘Players and their families will have to sacrifice a little, but the end result is what we all want come the end of the season. If we can gain what we want the sacrifice will be well worth it. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.

‘Is it the right thing to do? I think so. Is it worth a try? Without a doubt.’

There are few clues over who will line up against the Pilgrims - who beat Pompey comfortably at Home Park last November - but Cook is likely to name a team similar the one who saw off Dagenham last weekend.

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