Portsmouth boss John Mousinho has looked ahead to his side’s clash with Cheltenham Town, acknowledging that they are a very different team to the one they faced earlier on in the season.
When the two teams met at Fratton Park in August, Cheltenham shocked the hosts with a great defensive performance to leave with a point after a 0-0 draw.
There were obviously signs of quality in the Cheltenham team yet it would take quite a while to see that, as well as a new manager to get the best out of the players.
The Robins began their season with one of the worst records in the EFL, not scoring a single goal in their first eleven games and only taking one point in that spell, against the aforementioned Pompey.
It is easy to see that the recent turnaround in fortunes has coincided with the arrival of manager Darrell Clarke who has got his side off of the bottom of the table and now just three points from safety.
The game could be a potential banana skin for the league leaders, with Clarke’s side playing with plenty of confidence currently.
Portsmouth ended a string of poor results with a 2-1 victory over Stevenage on New Year’s Day and Mousinho will be coming that they can continue the winning thread on Saturday.
When looking at the table, 1st playing 23rd could potentially seem like a very one-sided affair but given Cheltenham’s recent resurgence in form that is not the case.
Speaking to club media ahead of their visit to Whaddon Road, Mousinho heaped plenty of praise on Clarke in the opposition dugout.
“They’ve turned their fortunes around completely after not picking up any wins from the first 12 games.
“They’re off the bottom of the table, are a tough nut to crack at home and are very effective in what they do.
“Now they’re really competing and have sent back most of their loan players, so are obviously looking to strengthen this month.
“Cheltenham have made themselves an incredibly difficult side to play against and Darrell knows what he’s doing at this level.
“We’ve got to be wary of that and know they’re a different beast to the side we faced earlier in the season.”
A win for Portsmouth on Saturday could see them go five points clear at the top of the table with both Bolton Wanderers and Peterborough United in FA Cup action. Anything less than that will come as a disappointment with both teams below them then having games in hand.
Writer’s View
Darrell Clarke has done a phenomenal job at Cheltenham and he deserves all the plaudits that he is currently getting. Having at one point looked dead and buried, the Robins now have the opportunity to climb out of the relegation zone in the coming weeks.
It’s a must-win game for Portsmouth with both Bolton and Peterborough applying plenty of pressure to gain the top spot in recent weeks. With those two out of action there could be even more pressure on Pompey which could make it more difficult against a resurgent Cheltenham side who are showing plenty of fight at the minute.
