Portsmouth manager John Mousinho has rejected concerns and insisted that his side are not on the beach and will look to finish the season strongly, according to the club’s website.
The former Oxford United man was appointed Pompey boss in January this year after the club dismissed the Cowley brothers and has won 10 of his 21 games in charge, giving the club a glimmer of hope of making the playoffs before falling away and having nothing to play for as they bring their season to a close.
Their opponents on Saturday are playoff-chasing Derby County who could confirm their spot in the top 6 should they win and Peterborough fail to beat Bristol Rovers. With nothing for Portsmouth to play for, it could be suggested that Derby will gain the three points they need due to what is riding on the match for them. Mousinho, however, has insisted that his side is not in ‘beach mode’ and wants to ensure his side remains competitive.
The Blues boss said, “When you strip everything back and look at the form over the past 21 games, then we can think it’s given us a good foundation for what we want to achieve next season. I don’t think you saw a side that was ‘on the beach’ last Saturday, even if we weren’t entirely happy with the performance over 90 minutes.”
Pompey beat Accrington last time out and Mousinho doesn’t believe that that would have happened had his side taken their foot off the gas,
“Accrington are a tough side, as we saw when they went to Bolton earlier in the week and got a good win. If we’d been in beach mode, then we would have got turned over, so the message is that whatever the circumstances, there’s always something to play for. There’s professional pride first and foremost, while some of them are playing for their futures – here or elsewhere.”
He continued by praising their upcoming opponents, who are looking to bounce back to the Championship after last season’s financial problems and subsequent relegation. Mousinho commented,
“They’re a strong side and challenging at the top end of the table, although it was always going to be tough for them after what happened before. There’s a strong squad there, with a lot of excellent players who are probably competing below their level.”
“Paul Warne has got multiple promotions from this division and they’re a real threat, so we expect a difficult test at Pride Park. We have to make sure we’re professional about how we approach the game, but it could take the pressure off us, so we have to use that to our advantage.”
Writer’s View
Remember when you were at school approaching the summer holidays, the television would be wheeled into class (for those of a certain generation anyway!) and we would all sit and watch a video to waste a few valuable hours before the 6-week break would begin? Well, I am sure we have all watched end-of-season games with a similar feel to that Mousinho, along with Peterborough United, will be hoping that this gentle reminder will keep his players on their toes as they look to finish the season well and build for the next campaign. The Rams, on the other hand, will be hopeful they catch Pompey on a lazy day by the sea and that they have 3 points in the bag come 5 o’clock Saturday.
