'I've made mistakes - but I won't hide': Defiant Portsmouth skipper responds to supporter criticism

The skipper once again strode forward to answer Pompey’s defensive SOS at Luton and line up at centre-half in his team’s time of need.

With Hayden Matthews ruled out for the season with an ankle injury and Rob Atkinson forced onto the sidelines for up to eight weeks with a calf problem, John Mousinho invariably turned back to Pack at Kenilworth Road.

The midfielder served in the unfamiliar position for 15 matches earlier in the season, with some of his performances attracting criticism from fans.

On Saturday, the decisive goal was netted by Jordan Clark after Pack had unluckily diverted Isaiah Jones’ left-wing cross against the post during a counter-attack, giving the Hatters a 1-0 victory.

Nonetheless, he has vowed he will continue doing whatever is asked of him as Pompey strive to remain in the Championship.

He told The News: ‘There has been criticism from fans. There were times that happened (to the team) last year, even when things were going well, it’s football.

‘For me, I have a strong mental state, I always have done. I know when I’ve played well, I know when I’ve done okay, I know when I’ve had a bad game, no-one needs to tell me.

‘As long as you keep trusting your process. When I make a mistake, I will look at it and analyse it, I won’t hide away, and I will try to improve and learn from it.

‘I am probably more honest about my own performances than anyone who is out there. I have made mistakes, at times it has been uncomfortable for me, but I still won’t hide away getting the ball in tight areas. That’s just my nature.

‘If I’m asked to play for any club, especially this football club, I will play to the best of my ability. Sometimes I’ll fail, but I pick myself up and go again. What else can you do?

‘At Sunderland, for example, for the red card it was the right decision to make the foul. The wrong decision was letting the ball bounce and trying to play, but that’s probably because of the position, where normally I’ll do that is a little higher up the pitch.

‘When you are a defender, sometimes you have to flick your mindset to go “Well actually I can’t make the decision I normally make in midfield.

‘At Bristol City there was a goal when I gave the ball away. Actually, when I look back on it now, I would play that again because, nine times out of 10, I would execute that pass.

‘Some games, of course, I have made errors, I will continue to make errors, that’s football. Even playing in the centre of midfield, I’m going to make errors, obviously the difference is you probably have a defensive wall behind you to protect you.

‘There's stuff you can’t control, in our working environment we’re going to make a lot more mistakes than someone who is in a different job because there’s a bit more of a technical skill, you are coming up against better opposition.

‘Especially at this level, I’m coming up against some really top-level operators at the top end of the pitch.’

With 11 matches remaining, the likelihood is either Pack or Ryley Towler will be challenged to feature in most of them.

Regan Poole is a certain choice, particularly in the absences of Matthews, Atkinson and Conor Shaughnessy - leaving one spot open.

At present, Pack is preferred by Mousinho and, at Kenilworth Road, featured in the left-sided centre-half role, despite being right footed.

He added: ‘I’m never going to beat myself too hard on Luton’s goal because I was in the penalty box in the other half and I sprinted back to our goal.

‘It’s something that you’re trying to move your feet, unfortunately for us it has then ricocheted and landed for their guy.

‘My mindset going into Luton wasn’t to take any chances, to think and act as a defender as much as I could. I want to play and you can see that, when we do get the ball down at the back, we can control the game a bit more.

‘But first and foremost, when you go to a place like Luton, you must have that defensive hat on. It’s still coming to terms in thinking in that manner. As much as I will speak it and say it, acting like a defender is not second nature.

‘We have many games coming up. Depending on what the team looks like, if I continue playing centre-back hopefully we’ll keep clean sheets, win some games and go into next season as a Championship club again.’