Portsmouth boss reveals secret to his side turning around Championship season
Defeat to Southampton prompted fan criticism, but Pompey have responded with 10 Championship points from 12. John Mousinho discusses the turnaround.
John Mousinho believes cool heads and a belief Pompey are on the right Championship path is turning their season around.
And the Blues boss has acknowledged his team’s continuing resilience as a key trait in their upwardly mobile form, as they continue their excellent response to south-coast derby defeat.
Mousinho: ‘We needed to improve certain bits, but also stick to the plan’
Mousinho has reaffirmed his conviction the reverse at Southampton can be a defining moment in the campaign, following 10 points being collected from a possible 12 after the 1-0 reverse.
Pompey go into this Saturday’s trip to Burnley two points outside of the play-offs and on a run of single defeat in eight games.
The mood has markedly shifted with Mousinho and his players facing criticism after the St Mary’s Stadium disappointment.
The Pompey boss saw a team who were travelling on the right path, however, with the message to maintain their course and stay on an even keel to improve results.
Mousinho said: ‘It’s about trying to stay level-headed and trying to stay objective.
‘I think one thing I’ve done over the past three-and-a-half to four years is when drastic change has been needed we’ve made them.
‘I didn’t feel we were in that spot this year.
‘We didn’t have the results but we didn’t need drastic changes. We needed to improve certain bits and do things that we do, but also stick to the plan.
‘I think we’ve managed to pick up results by largely doing the same things, having a bit of quality here and there and having some luck drop our way to get results.’
‘I think the most important thing has been the reaction to the derby.
‘We know how difficult that was for the entire football club.
‘It could have gone the other way and that loss could have really damaged the season. That was my take after the game.
‘I felt this block and to a large extent the start of the season was going to be defined by how we responded.
‘It took a lot of resilience. Obviously it’s our job and we have to get on with it, but it would have been the easy thing for the fans and everyone at the football club to go the other way.
‘It’s those moments in games as well where there’s been disappointment but we’ve rallied around. The group has responded really well.’
Pompey go to Burnley this weekend as one of the division’s form sides, with them, Southampton and Middlesbrough the only sides to have collected 10 points from 12.
Over a six-game period the Blues are eighth in the form table, with Mousinho’s challenge to cash in on that run in the three remaining games up to the international break.
He added: ‘I want us to capitalise on this now.
‘The games in the build-up to the international break are absolutely massive for us.’