Portsmouth boss lifts lid on QPR dressing-room inquest as shadow of Championship relegation looms over club
Pompey’s players and staff remained shut away in the away dressing room for 45 minutes, after the shameful QPR defeat. John Mousinho gives an insight into what took place in those post-match talks.
John Mousinho has revealed what unfolded in the post-match inquest following the QPR annihilation.
Mousinho: ‘We’ve tried to have a very, very honest conversation’
There were bleak scenes in west London, as supporters quite rightly vented their anger at Mousinho and his players, over the capitulation which leaves major fears over Championship survival with eight games remaining.
Anti-Eisner chants were also aired among the 1,760 travelling fans, as patience snapped among fans over their club’s concerning plight at a key moment in the season.
Mousinho explained realism over the threat of relegation was a central theme in the talks which took place at QPR, with it now six games without a win for his side.
The head coach also sought input from his players rather than dominating the conversation, as he tried to maintain his composure with emotions running high.
The Pompey boss believed it was necessary to look at the path forward and how to address his side’s shortcomings, without delving forensically into the reasons for what is unfolding so soon after the game.
Mousinho also felt compelled to offer context to his side’s plight, as they somehow still remain outside of the bottom three entering the international break.
Pompey boss: ‘We need to be incredibly realistic about where we are’
He said: ‘Without giving too much away, I think we’ve tried to have a very, very honest conversation.
‘We haven’t necessarily tried to come up with all the answers.
‘The messages which came out of the room was we need to be incredibly realistic about where we are - and what we have done against QPR.
‘But we also have to be positive, and I know it’s a bit bizarre saying it because we’ve got one point in six games, but because of some of the work we’ve done previously and some of the results we’ve picked up we’re still outside of the relegation zone and we’ve got a game in hand.
‘So we’re not sitting here thinking we’re trying to make up an eight-point gap or we need to claw ourselves out of the relegation zone.
‘But we do have to work out how we can win games and how we can take ourselves clear, because we do keep missing opportunities.
‘We’ve missed so many opportunities over the past couple of weeks. QPR was the day we got punished for pretty much everything, but we’ve had good chances in other games to pick up points. If we’d done that, then QPR becomes less of a problem.
‘We’ve been very realistic, but also positive. I wanted to get the lads’ opinions, so I wasn’t just in there on a monologue and losing the plot about everything that’s gone on.
‘Ultimately though my responsibility - and what we produce as a team is down to me.’