View: Mousinho must make 100% ace Portsmouth mainstay after display v Preston
Andre Dozzell deserves to be one of the first names on the teamsheet at Fratton Park after his recent performance for Portsmouth.
John Mousinho and his players have a tough battle ahead if they are to survive relegation from the Championship.
Life back in England’s second tier hasn’t been easy for Pompey, with the Blues currently 23rd in the table, having already suffered seven losses in just 15 matches this season.
However, they recently showed signs of life as they picked up their second win of the season, beating Preston North End 3-1 at Fratton Park on Saturday (8 November).
While not every player was at his best, there were a lot of top performances that afternoon, as well as the much-welcome, and perhaps surprising, return of Colby Bishop, which was marked with a goal.
Dozzell was one of the players in particular who would have made quite the impression on Mousinho.
After being in and out of the starting lineup this season, the 25-year-old has finally demonstrated that he deserves to be a mainstay at Fratton Park after arriving at the club in the summer.
Andre Dozzell impresses for Portsmouth in win v Preston North End
Dozzell started Portsmouth’s first five Championship matches this season. However, he failed to make much of an impression.
As a result, the Englishman was dropped to the bench and used as a substitute in Pompey’s sixth Championship match, a 2-1 defeat to Burnley at Turf Moor (21 September).
Following this defeat, Dozzell wouldn’t be seen for over a month, as he spent the next five matches on the bench as an unused substitute.
However, he was finally recalled to the team, handed a start in the 2-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday at Fratton Park (25 September), and he hasn’t looked back, starting all three matches since that defeat.
And throughout those four consecutive starts, Dozzell has finally played like someone who perhaps deserves an extra year at the club, particularly after his display against Preston.
As per Sofascore, Dozzell completed 74 per cent of his passes against Preston, with two of those key.
In addition, he provided one accurate cross into the box, and while only two of his seven long balls were accurate, the midfielder’s defensive work was flawless in the middle of the park.
He won 100 per cent of his ground duels, and one aerial duel, while he also made two interceptions and three tackles. Dozzell also offered a threat going forward, managing to register two shots at goal.
As a result, Mousinho would have been delighted, and he is now left with little choice but to make the Portsmouth ace a mainstay in his team at Fratton Park.
In other Portsmouth news, Ian Darke has shared a “brutal” transfer admission.
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