Portsmouth manager John Mousinho has challenged Owen Moxon to break back into his first team plans after sitting out the last six Championship games.
The 26-year-old midfielder joined Pompey on transfer deadline day in February for an undisclosed fee from then-fellow League One outfit Carlisle United. With the Blues’ struggles at the wrong end of the table, which eventually saw them relegated to League Two, Moxon was widely praised for his form at Brunton Park, where he contributed nine goals and 20 assists in 82 appearances.
This form continued upon his move to the south coast. He played a key squad role during the second half of the season, including scoring a stunner in the 2-2 draw with Derby County in April as Portsmouth were eventually crowned champions.
This season has been a different matter. He was involved in John Mousinho’s first three matchday squads, although the trio of appearances all came from the substitutes bench. The last of those outings came in a 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough in August, where the former Annan Athletic man conceded a last minute penalty to see them robbed of their first victory of the season. Since then though, he has been nowhere to be seen.
Mousinho has admitted that the costly penalty is not the reason for Moxon’s recent absence, stating there is a number of reasons why he has fallen out of favour. However, the 38-year-old says that there is a way back for the player:
“Owen is not out of the squad just because of the penalty, there are a couple of things we wanted to work on with him,” he told The News, Portsmouth.
“The competition ahead of him is also really good, some of the central midfielders he has ahead of him is a real challenge.
“But we have to make sure we give all our players every chance to work their way back into squads and work their way back into sides, whether that’s through training or any friendlies we put on, such as against Havant recently.
“They have got to be at it and keep themselves motivated. We try to have a decent-enough environment here where players who aren’t in the side can day in, day out still enjoy training and still work hard and get on with it.
“There’s the fitness side of it, there are plenty of opportunities for the lads to keep fit, although match fitness is another thing and that is something you can never replicate.
“They are still very much part of it, which has been my message to the lads, you never know what’s going to happen.
“You have to be on your toes because even last week, off the back of the Wednesday night game having lost 6-1 at Stoke, we needed to freshen things, creating opportunities for players to come in and do well against Oxford United.”
Writer’s View
Owen Moxon is an exceptionally talented player. Portsmouth obviously agreed when they decided to hand him a three-and-a-half year deal in February and he has to believe that he will be given his chance in the coming weeks. Pompey have suffered a dreadful start to the season. After securing three draws from their opening three games, all of which Moxon was involved in, they have lost four of their last six, which included a 6-1 hammering at the hands of Stoke City earlier this month.
Mousinho has alluded to the fact that he may need to freshen things up following the international break, which may see the midfielder force his way back into the manager’s plans. It’s clear that things need to change before they get sucked into a relegation battle. Having spent 12 years trying to get back into the Championship, the last thing they will want to do is surrender that at the first time of asking. Moxon could be a player that helps unlock some much-needed good form.
Head of Writing
