Portsmouth boss sets Championship survival points target - and his shock over Cardiff, Derby and Swansea

The Blues head into a pivotal four days when they face fellow strugglers Cardiff and Oxford United in two crucial relegation games.

With 15 matches remaining, Mousinho believes 50 points would be sufficient to avoid the drop - plus potentially a couple more to make sure.

That would leave Pompey requiring 20 points from the final 45 up for grabs, with eight of those fixtures to be played at Fortress Fratton.

By his own admission, the head coach is surprised to see Derby, Stoke, Cardiff and Swansea down at the wrong end of the table with the league now well into February.

Regardless, Pompey’s have a huge game against the Bluebirds at Fratton Park tomorrow night (7.45pm) in their own battle for survival.

Mousinho told The News: ‘The league is pretty distinct. You’ve got the top-four teams, there are a few sides which are battling for the final two play-off positions, then there’s quite a few clubs which are really involved down at the bottom.

‘Swansea picked up a good win at Bristol City on Sunday, while there have been a couple of sides you’d have thought would have been comfortable and away with it, particularly after we played them.

‘Derby would have been one, I thought Cardiff and Stoke too, but sometimes they don’t pick up results and end up down at the bottom. So it’s still really tight.

‘I’m sure some of the clubs in mid-table are thinking you just need to get to 50 points and be done with it. There are a very clear group who are in that relegation battle, but probably quite a few in mid-table who could conceivably get sucked into it as well.

‘Honestly, there are plenty of clubs I thought were going to be nowhere near it. Look at Swansea, I never would have thought in a million years they’d be dragged into it. Sunday was a big result for them and all of a sudden they’re okay.

‘Every club down there will be striving to get to 50 points and maybe try to get a couple more on the board as well, just to be sure. That feels like it’s about the right mark this season.

‘We are not necessarily targeting that, but the quicker we can hopefully get to that and then push on from there the better.

‘You never know, it still might not be enough to keep you in the league. You don’t want to get to 50 and then down tools and think that’s enough.

‘But it's a nice enough target to strive for, to aim for. Hopefully do that as soon as possible and then kick on again.’

Victory for Pompey on Tuesday night would see them leapfrog Cardiff, who presently stand one point ahead.

The produced an impressive display at promotion contenders Sheffield United at the weekend, only to lose 2-1 for an eighth-successive away defeat.

Meanwhile, Saturday’s opposition Oxford are presently positioned in 17th spot, five points ahead of Mousinho’s men.

Gary Rowett’s side travel to Derby tomorrow evening, with the Rams having parted company with Paul Warne on Friday, having at the time lost seven successive league fixtures.

Mousinho added: ‘Cardiff is definitely the chance to move league positions. Oxford will also be a really interesting game.

‘At the start of the season, Oxford were in brilliant form, flying away with it, doing very, very well, then they went through a really difficult patch and found themselves below us. Gary (Rowett) has gone in and since then they've done really well.

‘It’s very, very tight and can change in a week. We’ve got two big games coming up at the end of this week and they come thick and fast after that as well, there’s no letting up.

‘Every time we approach a game we just have to try to win, regardless of who it is against.’