'It's a problem': Portsmouth boss' frank admission after alarming team weakness exposed yet again
The Blues have now conceded six goals from set-pieces in their opening 13 games
Frustrated John Mousinho admits Pompey have a problem with defending set-pieces.
And he’s now challenged with rectifying that ‘ongoing issue’ in time for Wednesday’s Fratton Park visit of Wrexham.
Mousinho’s men were thumped 4-0 at a rampant Birmingham on Saturday in comfortably their worst display of the campaign.
That loss consisted of three goals being netted from set-pieces, thereby exposing an alarming weakness in the Blues’ defensive capabilities.
For Pompey’s head coach, that debacle now joins goal moments against Norwich (two) and Coventry as irrefutable proof of the developing headache.
And he’s adamant action is urgently required in order to prevent yet another repeat after conceding from six set-pieces in 13 Championship fixtures.
Portsmouth boss: It’s an ongoing issue
Mousinho told The News: ‘We have a problem with set-pieces.
‘We can be a lot more aggressive, we can decide to attack the ball, we can do our jobs properly. Ultimately, when the ball goes into the box and we’ve got players that need to go and attack it and need to attack it with a bit of aggression, we are not doing it and we’re getting beat.
‘We conceded two against Norwich and one against Coventry, it’s an ongoing issue.’
Arguably Birmingham’s opening goal from Paik Seung-Ho was the most alarming of Pompey set-piece deficiencies.
In the ninth minute, Alex Cochrane’s right-wing corner picked out the South Korea international completely unmarked 12 yards from goal - and his diving header flew into the net.
It is unclear whether somebody had been designated to mark the Birmingham man, although Minhyeok Yang was nearest in the vicinity, albeit positioned closer to the corner taker.
On 56 minutes, Tommy Doyle’s corner from the left was met with a flicked near-post header from Tomoki Iwata which found the far corner of the net to make it 2-0.
Replays show Andre Dozzell was initially positioned on the Japanese midfielder and followed his run to the near-post, yet, crucially, the Birmingham man subsequently won the header - and scored.
Next, on 61 minutes, Jordan Williams brought down substitute Kyoho Furuhashi as he broke clear, earning the Pompey right-back a booking.
From the resulting free-kick, Cochrane curled in a left-footed delivery which was met with a diving header from Christoph Klarer some six-yards out.
Upon analysis, Regan Poole had initially been jostling with the Birmingham skipper, who then got the better of the Pompey man to obtain enough space to be able to meet the free-kick.
Weaknesses against Norwich City and Coventry City
At Fratton Park in August, Norwich raced into a two-goal lead after 14 minutes, with both goals arriving from set-pieces.
The first was Ante Crnac’s right-wing free-kick being headed home by the unmarked centre-half Harry Darling for a simple sixth-minute opener.
Then, just eight minutes later, Darling’s long throw from the right was flicked on by Jose Cordoba and headed home from close range by Josh Sargent, again with very little defensive attention.
Pompey would reduce the deficit six minutes from time through Adrian Segecic, yet lost 2-1 in their second Championship fixture.
Meanwhile, when Coventry visited Fratton Park last month, they took a 30th-minute through Brandon Thomas-Asante’s close-range finish.
Matt Grimes’ right-wing corner was headed back across goal at the far post, with Ellis Simms nodding it goalwards and Thomas-Asante pouncing - representing two successive headers won and a goal scored from that set-piece.
Now it’s six conceded in their opening 13 Championship matches this season as Mousinho finds himself with yet another problem to resolve following three consecutive defeats.