Portsmouth boss' strong message to skipper Marlon Pack after ruthless Blues axing

The Blues boss dropped his skipper from Friday night’s televised clash with Sheffield Wednesday in the aftermath of defeat at Cardiff.

Mousinho admitted it was a ‘massive decision’, influenced through playing form as well as concerns over featuring in three games in a week.

Instead Andre Dozzell replaced Pack in the centre of midfield alongside Freddie Potts as Pompey slipped to a 2-1 defeat to remain bottom of the Championship.

Pack was introduced in the 75th minute for Dozzell, yet was unable to inspire a fightback for the struggling Blues.

And Mousinho has explained the reasoning behind his captain’s omission.

He told The News: ‘I thought everything needed freshening up from Tuesday night and Marlon took it really well, as I would expect him to. He’s a brilliant leader.

‘We haven’t won a huge amount of games either, so I don’t think anyone has had any complaints about coming out of the side.

‘It was a massive decision, it always is when you have someone who has played so well and played the amount of games he’s played, lifting the League One trophy last season.

‘As I told Marlon, the three games in a week definitely comes into it, but I don't want to hide behind that because we haven’t won enough games either, so we took everything into consideration.

‘Like everyone, Marlon has to fight to stay in the team, he has to fight to get back into the team.

‘‘Part of the problem with football is we look at things too black and white. Go and speak to a rugby club and players out of the side. Okay, so you’re out of the side, it’s fine, you need to get back into the side, you need to prove it.

‘We have a very different language in football, we talk about dropping players, but it’s just a part of the game. Players are obviously disappointed, we just need to not overreact. It’s a team selection thing, players can always get back into the side, whoever they are.’

In the starting absence of Pack against the Owls, Regan Poole was handed the captain’s armband.

Yet Mousinho pointed to others within the squad as fine examples of players successfully battling back to return to the side.

He added: ‘Look at Terry Devlin, look at Conor Shaughnessy last season, look at some of the contributions we’ve had, Jordan Archer has hardly been in the squad all season.

‘These things can change very, very quickly, there’s nothing to panic about, nothing to read into at all.’