View: Mousinho must axe 0% Portsmouth dud v Blackburn Rovers
John Mousinho must axe Matt Ritchie when Portsmouth play Blackburn Rovers in the Championship at Ewood Park on 23 November.
Pompey picked up just their second win of the season ahead of the November international break by beating Preston North End 3-1 at Fratton Park on Saturday (9 November).
It was a memorable day for many reasons, including the surprise return of Colby Bishop, who marked his emotional Portsmouth comeback with a goal from the penalty spot.
As a result, the mood will likely be high at Fratton Park, and there is bound to be renewed confidence among the players and fans about the club’s Championship survival hopes this season.
However, not everyone was at their best against Preston, with 35-year-old Ritchie one of the few players who arguably let Mousinho down that afternoon.
Therefore, Mousinho should seriously consider dropping the forward when Portsmouth travel to Blackburn where they will look to continue building some much-needed momentum.
Ritchie returned to Portsmouth this summer, signing a two-year contract at Fratton Park after leaving Premier League side Newcastle at the end of last season.
The former Scotland international left Portsmouth in 2011 having graduated through the club’s academy. Therefore, his return was always going to be met with open arms by the Fratton Park faithful.
However, he hasn’t quite been able to make the impact on the pitch that he might have liked so far. Ritchie has managed just four Championship starts this season and his most recent one against Preston emphasises that perhaps the winger shouldn’t be making his fifth league start against Blackburn.
John Mousinho must axe Portsmouth ace Matt Ritchie v Blackburn Rovers
As per Sofascore, Ritchie managed to complete just 56 per cent of his passes against Preston, with none of those key, while zero per cent of his crosses into the box were accurate.
In addition, the 35-year-old was successful with zero per cent of his attempted dribbles, and while he did manage four shots at goal, just one of those was on target.
Ritchie also struggled defensively, winning just two of his five ground duels and two of his four aerial duels, while also committing two fouls and giving possession away 14 times before being hooked in the 70th minute.
A trip to Blackburn will likely pose a much bigger test than a home match with Preston. Therefore, Mousinho needs to make sure Ritchie isn’t in the starting lineup at Ewood Park.
Pompey might have got away with his performance against Preston. However, the club cannot afford to have any passengers on the pitch against Blackburn.
In other Portsmouth news, a journalist has made an exit prediction about one player at the club.
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