John Mousinho makes ‘shock’ Stoke City admission ahead of Portsmouth visit
John Mousinho admits it “came as a shock” that long-time associate Steven Schumacher was sacked by Stoke City last month as Portsmouth prepare to meet the Potters.
Schumacher was let go despite winning two of his first five games of the season, and was replaced by Spaniard Narcis Pelach, who has so far lost both of his opening matches.
Mousinho is preparing his Pompey team to visit Staffordshire in pursuit to end their record of being the last remaining Championship club still yet to win a game this season.
Speaking to BBC Radio Solent’s Ian Wilding [1 October], he said: “It really came as a shock to me, I thought Steven did a fantastic job there, and he’s someone I’ve known for a number of years as a player and a coach.
“He steadied the ship last year and managed to keep Stoke in the league, and really progressed through the back end of the season before a half-decent start [this term].
“So, yeah, it did surprise me.”
Portsmouth aim to break duck against Stoke City
Following Cardiff City’s win over Millwall on Tuesday night, Portsmouth now remain the last team in the division not to pick up a win – although they have been spared plenty of criticism by the toughness of the fixtures.
October marks a more temperate run on paper in terms of the calibre of Pompey’s opponents, and the feeling is that a first win is not far away.
Creditable draws against Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Luton Town and most recently Sheffield United have set the Blues up for the confidence that they can match any team in this league.
Now it is a case of going one better, and a much-changed Stoke team are under pressure themselves to gain their first points under Pelach following the board’s ruthless decision at the bet365 Stadium.
The Potters have won just one of their last eight matches against newly-promoted sides, a record of which Mousinho’s men will be wanting to take full advantage.
In other Portsmouth news, a scathing assessment from a Pompey Women debutant.
For more Portsmouth news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.