Portsmouth boss lifts lid on Mark Kosznovszky's starting XI absence after eye-catching Blackburn cameo
The midfielder has featured 13 times for Pompey since his summer move from MTK Budapest
John Mousinho hailed Mark Kosznovszky’s eye-catching Blackburn entrance - and explained why the midfielder has struggled for starts.
The Hungarian was introduced off the bench for John Swift in the 57th minute of Saturday’s Fratton Park clash, with Pompey trailing 1-0.
However, five minutes later, Callum Lang converted Josh Murphy’s left-wing cross to level in front of a jubilant Fratton End.
Then, in the 79th minute, Ibane Bowat rose to head home Conor Chaplin’s right-wing corner for only a second win in 11 games to drag them out of the relegation zone.
It represented Kosznovszky’s 13th appearance since joining from MTK Budapest in July, of which just four have been Championship starts - and Mousinho believes the midfield man has been ‘unlucky’.
Portsmouth boss: I want to see it more now
The head coach told The News: ‘Mark came on and did brilliantly. He has been unlucky to lose his place in the side post-Sheffield United, but I thought against Blackburn he gave us a load of energy. I was really pleased with him.
‘He is technically very good, is Mark, and keeps the ball very well. He has energy and has the running power. He probably came out off the side of the back of Sheffield United because I didn't think he landed enough second balls.
‘Maybe he doesn't give us that physicality sometimes in the middle of the park, but he’s got it, I’ve seen it against Millwall, I saw it on Saturday - I want to see it more now.
‘He’s such a good kid and has probably been a bit unlucky having a stop-start career so far. He’s got to keep his head down, we’ve seen in patches how good he can be.’
Kosznovszky made his debut in the number 10 role in August’s Carabao Cup defeat against Reading, while has twice started on the right-hand side of midfield in the Championship.
However, Mousinho has lately employed him in the centre of midfield, including his encouraging cameo off the bench against Blackburn.
And the Blues’ head coach is now certain where the summer signing’s most effective position lies.
‘He’s a brilliant runner and he’ll compete’
He added: ‘I think his best position is as an eight.
‘Perhaps one thing we’ve sort of struggled with this year is finding that right combination in the middle of the park and sometimes, if we are playing Mark, do we need physicality behind him? Do we need physicality around him?
‘He’s a brilliant runner and he’ll compete, he’s just not the biggest lad. That’s the main thing really, just making sure we find the right balance and the right mix in the middle of the park.
‘We mix it up, sometimes we line up as having an eight, definitely we drop into having two sixes all time, and I think Mark can do that as well.’