Portsmouth defender Sean Raggett has honestly evaluated his season to date, praising new Pompey boss John Mousinho for improving his game in an interview with Portsmouth News.
The South Coast club have had a topsy-turvy season to date in League One, and the Fratton Park faithful began to grow more and more frustrated at their lack of a promotion push this campaign.
This saw Danny Cowley given his marching orders in early January, the ex-Lincoln manager sacked after a dismal 3-1 New Year’s Day defeat to Charlton. Pompey had slumped to 12th in the division by this match, winless in two whole months.
Now, under the tenure of the rookie boss and former Oxford defender John Mousinho, belief is back in the group.
Sean Raggett has benefitted from the arrival of Mousinho, the experienced League One defender playing every single minute of the 36-year-old head coach’s first few months in charge. That equates to 16 matches overall, Raggett becoming undroppable as Pompey’s commanding centre-back presence.
John Mousinho has managed to steer Pompey back into the promotion picture too, the first-time head coach winning nine matches in charge so far – one of those wins coming away at Accrington in a convincing 3-1 victory, Raggett even assisting a goal in the process.
This recent improvement in form has allowed Pompey fans and players alike to dream about a late surge into that coveted 6th spot in the playoffs, the former FA Cup winners only three points off Peterborough United occupying that position.
With winnable games ahead in the form of MK Dons and Morecambe, Sean Raggett spoke to Portsmouth News about the transformative role John Mousinho has taken on since arriving at Fratton Park.
He said: “I have definitely performed better since Christmas. There are still one or two games I’m not too happy about, but, on a whole, without a doubt, the second half of the season has been stronger than the first.
“Sometimes you go through patches of form, life has actually probably got a bit harder since the turn of the year too, we had our baby in February, it just works like that.
“Possibly it’s down to the change of manager, the gaffer has come in and given some fresh ideas. He was a good centre-half at this level, maybe that’s helped.”
Portsmouth’s number 20 also praised his manager’s one-on-one work, and advice from Mousinho helping Raggett’s individual game.
He said: “The gaffer gives me little tips and pointers and it’s been really good playing under him.”
Writer’s View
Portsmouth are always seemingly in and around the playoff spots in League One before inevitably falling away, but that’s often the case after Pompey have been competing near the promotion places all campaign.
Now, Mousinho’s side are finding form at just the correct point in the season and will hope stuttering sides in that congested playoff area slip up.
Even still, as Sean Raggett states, Mousinho has allowed Pompey to believe again after the sour conclusion to Danny Cowley’s reign in charge. Promotion might just be too much to ask this campaign, but under Mousinho, Sean Raggett and co have their belief back.
