View: Mousinho should axe 58% Portsmouth ace v QPR
John Mousinho would be wise to axe Josh Murphy when Portsmouth travel to Loftus Road to play QPR on Saturday (19 October).
After being thrashed 6-1 by Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium on 2 October, things could have seriously derailed for Pompey.
However, they responded well ahead of the October international break, drawing 1-1 with Oxford United at Fratton Park (5 October), as Mousinho continues to receive praise despite the club’s on-field struggles.
It was a match they were arguably unlucky not to win, with Elias Sorensen missing a penalty. Portsmouth generated 1.76 expected goals compared to Oxford United’s 1.37, while they also created two more big chances than their opponents [Sofascore].
Therefore, Mousinho will feel as though the club are edging ever so slightly closer to their first win of the season. QPR are just two points above Pompey, having won just once in the EFL Championship all season.
The Hoops are without a win in six in all competitions. As a result, this could be the perfect chance for Portsmouth to claim their first three points back in the Championship and build some momentum.
However, if they are to have the best chance of doing that, Mousinho should consider axing Murphy.
Most of Portsmouth’s players put in a shift against Oxford United, particularly those in defence.
John Mousinho to axe Josh Murphy for Portsmouth v QPR?
After conceding six on the road, they would have been determined to put in a positive shift at home. Tom McIntyre and Regan Poole did just that in the heart of defence, with the former making one last-man tackle while the latter won seven of his eight ground duels as well as 100 per cent of his aerial duels [Sofascore].
There were some big displays in midfield too, with Marlon Pack playing four key passes and Freddie Potts winning nine of his 13 duels overall.
However, it was in the attacking areas where Mousinho was let down, with Murphy, in particular, failing to deliver.
While the 29-year-old did provide the assist for Mark O’Mahony, his overall showing was poor. Apart from his one key pass which led to the goal, he did little else, completing just 58 per cent of his passes overall.
As per Sofascore, he did manage to provide four accurate crosses into the box from six attempts. However, he also gave possession away 19 times and was unsuccessful with both of his attempted dribbles, while defensively he was very poor.
Aside from being dribbled past on two different occasions, Murphy committed two fouls and won just two of his nine ground duels, as well as just 50 per cent of his aerial duels.
Murphy certainly has quality. However, for the trip to QPR, it might be worth Mousinho taking him out of the spotlight and trying to find a different attacking formula in what is a very winnable game.
In other Portsmouth news, Mousinho will be concerned by one player’s performance while on international duty.
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