Mousinho makes Lampard assessment before Portsmouth v Coventry
John Mousinho says Frank Lampard has kept Coventry City a dominant team in the Championship since arriving at the club ahead of their visit to Portsmouth.
Lampard replaced Mark Robins following a controversial sacking for the manager who had won two promotions with the Sky Blues since 2017, a kick away from the Premier League in 2023.
Pompey are looking to recover on Saturday [21 December] from a 4-0 thrashing by Derby County last time out [13 December].
“Coventry are a side that have been challenging at this level a number of years now, really competitive and they missed out on the Premier League a couple of years ago on penalties,” Mousinho told Express FM’s Jake Smith [17 December].
“In terms of what Mark [Robins] had done previously, they’ve built a very successful squad and team for the football club from the ground up.
“They’ve still got a lot of strength, Frank’s come in and certainly from what I’ve seen, they’ve been the better team in games. It will be a really good challenge.”
Portsmouth can move back out of relegation zone
A win for Portsmouth over Lampard’s visitors on Saturday could elevate the club back into safety in the Championship, though the survival fight is mightily tight.
The closeness of the battle has largely benefitted Pompey, who have been able to keep pace despite some poor defensive showings this season, a frustrating mark of inconsistency when there have also been some excellent displays.
Coventry are hardened to the Championship and possess plenty of key experience of the level; most opponents Pompey face boast a superior level of second-tier pedigree.
This is where the January transfer window becomes pertinent, with the board aware of plenty of pressure from supporters who do not want to see their long-awaited return to this standard wasted within one season.
Following Coventry’s visit to PO4, the Blues then take on Watford and Bristol City on the road to complete 2024.
In other Portsmouth news, Ian Darke admits how much the club have “desperately” missed this injured ace.
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