Portsmouth boss’ huge statement over side’s Championship ambitions as Millwall, Burnley, Swansea City and Stoke City lie in wait
Are Pompey looking up the Championship table? Will the south-coast derby loss to Southampton be a seminal moment in their season? John Mousinho thinks the answers to those questions are about to become clearer.
John Mousinho believes Pompey’s run of games up to the international break will shape their campaign.
And the Blues boss admitted he feels the south-coast derby defeat to Southampton could be a defining moment in his team’s season.
Mousinho on next four games: ‘They are going to shape the season’
Mousinho’s side are now in the midst of a run of five games in the space of 13 days, sparked by the 1-0 loss at St Mary’s Stadium after the international break.
Pompey have responded superbly to that dispiriting setback, however, with seven points from nine against Sheffield United, Norwich City and Wolves.
Now they face four further fixtures in the run-up to the November international break against Millwall, Burnley, Swansea City and Stoke City.
They weclome the Lions to Fratton Park on Saturday afternoon just two points outside of the play-off places off the back of their upwardly mobile form.
And Mousinho feels what lies ahead in the next couple of weeks will reveal much about whether Pompey can set their sights on featuring up the Championship table this term - and the importance of the Southampton game in the season’s context.
When asked if the south-coast derby can be a defining moment in the season, Mousinho said: ‘We’ll see, but certainly at the moment it feels like that off the back of the past three games.
‘We’ve now got four games in the build-up to the international break which are absolutely massive for us.
‘They are going to shape the season in terms of what we’re going to do and where we’re going to be in the final reckoning.
‘Obviously it’s far too early still for that to be decided, but it’s certainly going to give us a good indication of where we’re at.
‘I think that block of games, that block of seven games up to the international break in response to the derby, will give us a really good sign of where the season is going.’
Hopes were high about the potential points return from the season’s start, though Pompey returned just a single league win from their first four games.
The Southampton clash was touted to mark a harder run of fixtures, yet Mousinho’s side are now on a run of a single loss from seven games - with three of the next four games at Fratton Park.
Mousinho added: ‘We’ve had that throughout the season when you look at it on paper.
‘Sometimes at the start of the season there’s a level of expectation around how many points you will pick up.
‘QPR have gone to show, at the minute, they’re a top-six side and they’re looking very, very strong.
‘I know Lincoln have lost a couple recently, but after playing us they beat a lot of sides and caused them a huge amount of problems.
‘Cardiff are an excellent side and have been really good.
‘There’s plenty of others sides in there who will be mid-table or in the reckoning and are tough sides to play.
‘I think that will just continue through the calendar.
‘The next four teams we play will want to achieve something this season.
‘That’s the thing about the Championship, I think about 20 of the 24 sides will fancy themselves to have a go at going up either automatically or through the play-offs. That makes for a really competitive division.’