Portsmouth have climbed into the top half of the Championship table on the back of a run that has been equal parts grit, fortune and a newly acquired stubbornness that opponents are finding difficult to crack. Ten points from four matches is a return that flatters no one; it is simply a very good haul. The honest question is how sustainable it is.

Fortune favours the awkward

The 2-1 win over Millwall illustrated both sides of Pompey's current identity. A mis-hit free kick that crept in as an own goal and a deflection off a forward: these are not the stuff of coaching manuals. John Mousinho himself conceded the result was fortunate, and that candour matters because it suggests the dressing room has not started believing its own publicity. Three of the last four results, according to BBC Radio Solent's analysis, could easily have gone the other way. One good run of form is a good run of form; four matches is not a trend, and supporters should resist the temptation to treat it as one.

What is harder to dismiss as mere luck, however, is the structural change in how Portsmouth are set up to compete. Earlier in the season they were easier to play through, easier to beat. That is no longer the case. Being difficult to break down is a skill, and keeping that resilience consistent across a run of fixtures is a coaching achievement, not a happy accident.

What the numbers mean

Ten points from four games is a pace of 2.5 points per match. Sustained across a full Championship season of 46 games, that would place a club comfortably in the top two. Nobody is suggesting Portsmouth will do that; the division has a habit of correcting over-optimism sharply. But even a modest version of this form, trimmed back to 1.4 or 1.5 points per game for the remainder of the campaign, would push a mid-table finish well within reach. That would represent genuine progress for a club still finding its feet at second-tier level.

The play-offs flickered briefly into view on Saturday. Pompey edged inside the top eight for a short period before results elsewhere moved them back out. Realistically, the top six looks a stretch too far, not least because Anderson's absence of six to eight weeks removes an important component from the squad. Losing a key player for that length of time is the kind of setback that tends to expose the limits of a thin group, and Mousinho will need to manage his resources carefully over the coming weeks.

The Mousinho factor

If Portsmouth finish in mid-table, it will be widely and rightly described as an impressive achievement. Mousinho inherited a squad that was punching at a different level and has methodically made them harder, more competitive and more resilient without a dramatic overhaul. The temptation in football is always to credit a four-match run with more meaning than it deserves. The more useful observation is that the underlying character of this squad has shifted. Teams that grind out results when things are going against them tend, over time, to collect more points than their underlying quality strictly warrants.

Whether Pompey can keep doing it when the luck runs dry is the real test. The Championship has a way of finding out.

Frequently asked

Where are Portsmouth in the Championship table?
Portsmouth climbed into the top half of the Championship following their recent run of form, including a 2-1 win over Millwall, though their position continues to shift as results elsewhere come in.
How many points have Portsmouth taken from their last four Championship matches?
Portsmouth have taken ten points from their last four Championship matches, a return that has helped lift them up the second-tier standings.
Are Portsmouth in contention for the Championship play-offs?
Portsmouth briefly entered the top eight on the most recent matchday but are not realistically expected to sustain a play-off challenge. A mid-table finish is considered the more likely and still impressive outcome for this stage of the club's development.