Gaffer For A Day: I never rated Andre Dozzell for Portsmouth. Now I've changed my mind

How do you assess that performance from Pompey?

It was okay, but we deserved the victory. I thought Oxford were poor.

The unfortunate incident with the poor individual in the crowd who had the medical emergency broke up what was a pretty decent start from us. After that, we struggled when we came back out.

We then started the second half brightly. Sometimes we start quickly, but we don’t take advantage of our possession early on. It’s that opening 20 minutes when we need to be punishing sides.

We got the goal through Andre Dozzell and needed another one, but Oxford had to come out and chase the game, which is when it opened up. Mark O’Mahony took his goal extremely well.

Who is your star man?

That has to be Dozzell, his touch in midfield was very good, he broke up play really well and the crowning glory was being in the right place to tap in our first goal.

I didn’t rate him that much at the beginning of the season, he had some nice touches but looked a bit lost, which affected his whole game. I’ve now definitely changed my mind.

He’s so much more commanding, you just know he’s going to be there, trying to get that ball, either breaking up play or playing that precise pass.

Dozzell has grown on me and grown into the way John Mousinho wants him to play. He has started to get a real handle on it, governing it. The only thing I’d like him - and most of the players - to do is win the second ball. We don’t tend to win too many of them.

What did you make of Hayden Matthews?

He looks very relaxed - sometimes he might be a little too relaxed - but on Saturday he looked as though he’d been playing in the Championship for quite some time.

Matthews was controlled, put himself in the right place at the right time, and read the game very, very well.

I do like Conor Shaughnessy and would like to see them both playing together. Shaughnessy is strong, powerful and sneaks the odd goal - he can teach Matthews a lot more.

Having said that, Rob Atkinson is doing a good job with Matthews. Against Oxford, you could see them talking and encouraging each other all the time, which I really like.

How do you see the relegation situation now?

We always knew it was going to be a relegation battle this season and it takes time to bed new players in. Having said that, I like a lot of the youngsters such as Matthews and Thomas Waddingham.

It’s a bit of a gamble signing players like that in a relegation battle but, having said that, we’ve got some nice new additions and looked comfortable against Oxford.

Pompey can definitely stay up. You can see the difference in the team compared to just before Christmas. They’re putting in the performances, while we were unlucky at Sheffield United.

Millwall was always going to happen, it was a tight game, one goal to sneak it, but that's football.

I am old enough and ugly enough to realise football isn’t an exact science, it never is, and you can’t expect players to be 100 per cent on their game at every single match.

Nicolas Schmid - 7

Zak Swanson - 7

Hayden Matthews - 8

Rob Atkinson - 7

Conor Ogilvie - 8

Andre Dozzell - 9

Isaac Hayden - 7

Matt Ritchie - 7

Callum Lang - 7

Josh Murphy - 8

Colby Bishop - 7