'Next three' - the uncomfortable truth delivered to Portsmouth boss John Mousinho following Sheffield Wednesday loss

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Pompey’s next three games will probably decide John Mousinho’s Fratton Park future.

That’s the uncomfortable truth former Blues favourite Gareth Evans reluctantly delivered on Sky Sports following Friday night’s home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.

The loss - Pompey’s sixth of the season and already their third at PO4 this term - leaves them firmly rooted to the bottom of the Championship table. The Blues are also the bookies’ favourites for the drop. Meanwhile, fans are growing increasingly dismayed with what the team are producing on the pitch, just months after Mousinho helped spark wild scenes inside Fratton Park and across the city by guiding the club to the League One title in his first full season in charge.

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Pompey’s next three games are against Hull (A), Plymouth (A) and Preston (H) - teams who currently reside in the bottom half of the table and sides the Blues will need positive results against if they are to turn their fortunes around.

With eight days between the Owls fixture and that game against Hull on November 2, Mousinho has the opportunity to iron out any issues on the training pitch. There’s also sufficient time to potentially get some of his walking wounded back, with nine in the stands for Friday night’s game against the Owls.

Evans recognises that injuries have greatly impacted the Blues this season. But with football being a results-based business, he hesitantly believes Mousinho’s position could come under threat in the coming weeks if the tide doesn’t turn.

When asked on Sky Sports post-match if Mousinho was the right man to take the club forward, the former forward replied: ‘From his post-match press conference on Tuesday after the Cardiff game, he mentioned how him and his staff were running out of credit on the back of the success they had last year, winning League One.

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‘They have had some back luck with injuries which has to be mentioned. They’ve played their third-choice goalkeeper tonight, they’re playing a midfielder at right-back, they don’t have a fit right-back at the moment. Obviously, there’s been a well-documented issue with Colby Bishop, with his heart. He’s out for the foreseeable. Injuries to Kusini Yengi, so you know the list does go on.

‘That can be used to a point, but at the same time, individual performances haven’t been good enough - it’s as simple as that really.

‘And if you have four or five individuals not performing to the required level week in, week out on a consistent basis, you’re going to fall short and that’s what’s happened so far this season in my opinion.’

He continued: ‘There has to come a point where they need to start scoring more goals and winning games on the back of that. 

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‘You look at the teams (who they play next) - Hull away, Plymouth away, Preston at home - they’re three teams who are sort of in and around the position they (Pompey) are in at the moment.

‘If they’re going to start clawing ground on these teams then they have to start winning games - and the next three are probably going to decide John Mousinho’s future, if truth be told.’

Mousinho, along with sporting director Rich Hughes, signed extensions to their existing Fratton Park contracts in September. Earlier this month, Pompey chief executive Andy Cullen said the club remained committed to providing ‘patience and loyalty’ to the duo instrumental in their Championship return.

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