Portsmouth’s surprise admission over tactical switch ahead of QPR and Cardiff City

Blues defender Jordan Williams confirmed his side had just a single day working on the move to playing wing-backs, in the 1-1 draw against the U’s at Fratton Park last weekend.

But the summer arrival from Barnsley branded the change a success, as John Mousinho weighs up continuing with the approach at QPR after the international break.

The Pompey boss sprung a surprise in the wake of the 6-1 battering to Stoke , as he nt only made four changes against the U’s but also tweaked with his side’s formation.

The Blues have used a 4-2-3-1 formation for large parts of Mousinho’s reign at PO4, but opted instead to move to a 3-5-2 against Des Buckingham’s side.

It relied on Williams playing as a right wing-back with Josh Murphy on the left, albeit in a deliberately lop-sided manner with Murphy more advanced than his opposite.

That was the scenario in possession, with Williams dropping deeper into something approaching a back four as striker Elias Sorensen moved back and further right out of possession.

It was a role the 24-year-old enjoyed, with the former Huddersfield man seeing his instructions as not a great departure from his usual right-back duties

Now it remains to be seen how Pompey will go as they search for their first win of the season at Loftus Road, though Mousinho has now been afforded the time to work on any further changes over the international break.

Williams said: ‘I thought it went okay. A lot of my job was trying to get wide and high.

‘Then it was about trying to get high defensively and stop their full-back getting the ball.

‘You have to try to be flexible as a team and also as an individual within that.

‘We had one session, but I don’t think it was too dissimilar to what we do in the other shape.

‘It’s pretty similar, but maybe the defensive role is just a bit higher up the pitch.

‘I thought it went well against Oxford, but maybe just a disappointment we didn't score more goals.’