How Portsmouth boss plans to deal with loss of top scorer against QPR, Plymouth, Leeds United & Co
John Mousinho believes Pompey can share the load when it comes to replacing Callum Lang’s goal threat.
And the Blues boss believes his side have already shown they can bring finishes from different areas of the pitch, as they face up to Championship life without their top scorer.
John Mousinho’s squad was rocked by the news Lang’s season is over this week, after suffering a hamstring injury in the 2-0 win at Oxford United.
It’s a significant blow with the campaign over for the man many rated as the top performer in Mousinho’s squad, so far this term.
Lang set the tone for the high-pressing approach which has played a key role in turning around Pompey’s season, with the side in upwardly mobile Championship form. But it’s the goals the Scouser has brought to the table which will also be missed, with Lang bagging 10 finishes and sitting among the division’s top marksman.
Mousinho now has the challenge of filling that void with the second-tier campaign at a crucial point, with 13 games remaining. He believes it’s not down to one man to do that, with the need for goal threat to come from all areas of the pitch.
The evidence is Pompey are capable of doing just that when assessing how the finishes have been shared around in 2025.
Twelve players have accounted for those efforts, with Andre Dozzell and Mark O’Mahony the players on the scoresheet against Oxford United last weekend. Colby Bishop and Conor Shaughnessy were the scorers in the win over Cardiff last week, with Thomas Waddingham the previous player to bag at West Brom last month.
Lang, Bishop and Connor Ogilvie impressively dealt with Stoke in the 3-1 success, with Matt Ritchie grabbing both finishes in the 2-1 win over Middlesbrough. Bishop along with Josh Murphy, Paddy Lane and Ryley Towler buried Swansea in the 4-0 romp on New Year’s Day, with Zak Swanson the other marksman at Watford on Boxing Day.
It’s that goal variety which provides encouragement for Mousinho amid the Lang blow.
Extra focus
He said: ‘It will put an extra focus on everyone, because if you taken Langy’s goal contributions away we need to replace that.
‘We’ve actually done that well over the past few weeks. Langy’s last goal was against Stoke and, though he’s hungry for more, we’ve chipped in from elsewhere around the park.
‘That’s something we have to do and it was great to see Doz (Dozzell) score his first goal last weekend and Mark (O’Mahony) get his third - but his first for a long time. We’re going to need more of that and people chipping it.’