‘People thinking where are we as a club?’: John Mousinho message to Fratton Faithful as heat rises for Millwall
Pompey are out to reverse their Championship fortunes and home form at Fratton Park, as Millwall arrive today at PO4. Here’s John Mousinho’s message ahead of huge clash.
John Mousinho acknowledged the rising pressure ahead of a ‘crucial’ period for Pompey’s Championship hopes.
The Blues boss admitted he could feel the temperature around his club is ‘slightly raised’, but sees cause for optimism moving forward as they aim to see Fratton Park find its impenetrable air once again.
Mousinho: ‘Nine points available - a really crucial week for us’
Mousinho’s side take on Millwall out to end a run of one win in 11, which has seen his side tumble down the Championship table.
Struggling home form has been a key factor in that run, after Pompey’s displays at PO4 proved so central to last season’s success.
Four sides have already inflicted home league defeats on the Blues this term, with just five defeats suffered in the second tier across the entirety of last term. It’s one win in six on home soil currently, with Pompey winless in their past three outings there after starting the season in positive fashion.
The clash with Alex Neil’s men is the first of three games in eight days, however, with a trip to Sheffield United and home match with Bristol City to follow. That offers the perfect chance for Mousinho’s side to arrest their slide and lift the mood at Fratton Park.
He said: ‘The temperature is probably slightly raised at the moment, because of the positivity with which we went into the last international break.
‘There was a good performance against Watford, beating Middlesbrough and drawing away against Leicester. I’m not too sure too many people would have thought we would have done that, but we then go into that run of games and don’t pick up results.
‘So quite naturally (the mood changes), particularly when we’re not picking up results at home - drawing one and losing two in that block - when our home form has been very good over the past 12 months.
‘So naturally there will be people thinking there’s so much promise at the start of the season, where are we as a football club?
‘We’re still in a really good position and we’re still focussed on picking up as many points as possible. Ultimately we’re going into a week where there’s nine points available and it’s a really crucial week for us - and everyone in the league.’
Pompey boss: ‘Stronger with more of the squad to select from’
Mousinho has hinted at changes to his approach have been implemented across the international break, though it remains to be seen how that takes shape ahead of the Millwall match.
Personnel is certainly going to be a factor with key players returning to the fray, which naturally gives more reasons for optimism.
Mousinho added: ‘What we’re hoping to do is change our fortunes on the pitch. We’ve tweaked a few things in terms of how we’ve looked at things over the past few games - we’ve addressed those things going into the Millwall game.
‘We’re different now with some of the injuries we’ve got back, we wouldn’t hide behind that. We’re always stronger when we’ve got more of the squad to select from, so hopefully it gives us a boost in the right direction.’