What happened to Oxford United?: John Mousinho on shock demise of Portsmouth's one-time promotion rivals

They were once Pompey’s most dangerous promotion rivals and the strongest threat to Championship ambition.

Now Oxford United are outside the top six and 16 points adrift of the League One leaders, having played the same amount of games.

Nonetheless, John Mousinho has warned the Blues not to underestimate their former rivals ahead of Saturday’s Fratton Park visit.

It has been quite a collapse since November’s departure of boss Liam Manning to Bristol City - as many Pompey fans no doubt would have hoped it would be.

At the time they were placed second, two points behind table-topping Pompey, with 10 wins from 15 league games.

They have subsequently won seven of 23 matches under replacement Des Buckingham, who left Indian Super League side Mumbai City for the role.

And the U’s venture to Fratton Park at the weekend off the back of one victory in their last nine outings.

Mousinho, a former Oxford player, told The News: ‘They are still a really good side, although have picked up quite a few injuries, to be fair to them.

‘They’ve possibly struggled to replace a few of the bigger names they had at the start of the season when they were really flying, which is always going to be difficult for any squad.

‘There’s also that disruption of the managerial change, which is something the whole football club have had to deal with, but they are still a real threat on their day and that’s something we have to be really wary of.

‘Oxford have a side full of really good players, most of them I know about, and Des he has kept them going really well with the way the side are coached. They’re playing some really good football and have been a bit unlucky over the last few weeks.

‘I watched them against Northampton and they were really unlucky to only take one point against Northampton in a 2-2 draw, having controlled large parts of the game. They also went 1-0 up against Orient last weekend only to lose 2-1 after controlling the first half.

‘Make no bones about it, they are still a very strong side. Certainly they may have dropped off in terms of league position, but we have to be very wary of them and found that out in January, when we had a really tough game there.’

The appointment of Oxford-born Buckingham was regarded as a homecoming, yet he lost his opening match at Cheltenham 2-0 in November.

They are now in seventh, two points off sixth-placed Stevenage, who presently occupy the final League One play-off position.

Mousinho added: ‘Who knows where Oxford will finish, it’s something which is beyond where we need to be concerned about.

‘The only thing we have to concern ourselves with is where we finish.’