Adil Aouchiche can be immense as Portsmouth chance looms after Lang blow
Callum Lang has been exemplary for Portsmouth this season, making his hamstring tear and consequent absence a bitter pill to swallow.
This is a time when the January transfer window is given some hindsight, and Pompey fans are mainly in agreement that they emerged from the market stronger than when they entered it.
Lang has been ruled out likely until the end of the season while Conor Shaughnessy is also back on the sidelines in the latest two blows of an injury-ravaged season at Fratton Park.
While some signings have stepped straight in with an excellent impact and others still await their opportunity, Adil Aouchiche is a man caught in the middle who could be about to burst into life, following several substitute appearances.
Adil Aouchiche has his Championship chance
Since Aouchiche came to England, he has shown excellent glimmers both through the middle in a number 10 role, as well as some talent out wide on the left flank.
However, the Portsmouth loanee has never had that real sustained run of games, exactly the reason he made the January switch south from Sunderland, and never will he receive a better chance to exhibit himself in the Championship.
Lang has been deemed irreplaceable with the way he stepped up to the second tier with effortless ease, which if reflected across the rest of the side would see Pompey far above their current station.
Aouchiche can bring his own identity to the role if given the chance. Also awaiting a sustained opportunity are the likes of Kaide Gordon, Harvey Blair, Christian Saydee and Mark O’Mahony, all specialising in different forward roles.
For a considered amount of time, the front four in Mousinho’s 4-2-3-1 system has picked itself, and now there is a real opportunity to be grabbed for a player looking to establish themselves as a Pompey man to be remembered fondly by the Fratton faithful – at least until the end of the season.
Portsmouth have four home games in six
It’s certainly no secret that Portsmouth have struggled on the road, finding themselves on the receiving ends of beatings from sides who have made little impression in the league this term.
Conversely, at home, the Blues have impressed and appear to play with a confidence unrecognisable from the struggles at the start of the campaign.
We always knew this would be a steep learning curve, which has precisely been the case. Improvements in the long run have been made, and Mousinho has navigated it extremely well in the circumstances.
Pompey bridged the gap between the home win over Cardiff and this weekend’s Fratton return against QPR (22 February) with a crucial away victory at Oxford United, just the second win on their travels of the season which provides key momentum.
Four of the next six clashes for the Blues come in PO4 which makes the fixture list look a lot more appetising – now presents the crucial few weeks to break clear and avoid the dogfight.