Portsmouth boss’ honest assessment of Newcastle United arrival’s form ahead of meeting with former side QPR
John Mousinho is happy for Isaac Hayden to continue flying under the radar after a low-key start to his Pompey career.
And the Blues boss has championed the effectiveness of the Newcastle United loanee, as he tasked him with winning more battles in the middle of the park.
The 29-year-old has been steady rather than spectacular in his performances to date, as he anchors Pompey’s midfield through their push towards Championship safety.
Hayden came out of the side for the games against Burnley and Sheffield United after four starts on the sprint, before returning against Cardiff and Oxford. Mousinho explained the thinking behind those decisions and his expectations for Hayden moving forward.
‘I spoke to Isaac about this when he came out of the side, he had that impact against ‘Middlesbrough and Stoke in both of those wins so we kept him in the side.
‘Having not played a huge amount of football over the past year it may have been a chance to take him out. When we did take him out, we were able to reap the rewards of him coming back in and being a bit fresher.
‘That’s what we want from him (to fly under the radar). There are certain players you want to be all action and there are some where you want them to get on with their job. You don’t want them not to be noticed, but if you go through the game with Isaac and think his opponent hasn’t got any change out of him - that’s good.
‘I certainly think Isaac does a very steady job in the middle of the park. You get the best of both worlds, you get that defensive solidity and you get him ticking over on the ball as well. We have to make sure we win the battles - win the battles of who we’re up against. That’s the most important thing.’
Mousinho ranked Hayden’s performance against Oxford United as one of his strongest, as he effectively snuffed out the significant threat of Cameron Brannagan. Now more of the same is required against a QPR side he spent the second half of last season with.
One of his best
‘There was once in the first half when Cameron Brannagan ran off the back of him, but otherwise I felt he dealt with a really lively midfield.
‘Cam is one of the best at the level, certainly last year and again this year - he’s very experienced and a real goalscoring threat. Will Vaulks is very experienced and Oxford brought in Ruben Rodrigues for more of an attacking threat So Isaac had his hands full in terms of the midfield battle and dealt with it really well.
‘It’s just one where we’re trying to get Isaac into the flow and rhythm of things. He came back in having not played against Cardiff and he had to adjust and adjust quickly. I was really positive after the game.’