Mousinho clearly has trust issue with Portsmouth star as evidenced v Luton
Portsmouth reverted to type away from home at the weekend by going down to an agonising 1-0 defeat at Luton Town.
Pompey handed the Hatters their first win in 12 games when Jordan Clark netted, following what was very nearly a catastrophic Marlon Pack own goal, before chances were passed up including a sitter of a header from Connor Ogilvie.
It puts an end to the Blues’ three-game winning run and serves as a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done to rubber-stamp Championship survival.
The contest at Kenilworth Road also demonstrates a further lack of trust from John Mousinho in one of his first-team squad.
Mousinho decision on defence speaks volumes
Mousinho was forced into yet another reshuffle of his backline against Luton on Saturday, following the news Portsmouth will be without Hayden Matthews for the rest of the season, and Rob Atkinson for a number of weeks.
Both picked up injuries against QPR at Fratton Park last weekend (22 February), and were replaced in central defence by Regan Poole and captain Marlon Pack.
One factor which must be pointed out is that it was largely a game for the defences. There were only a few sporadic iffy moments on both sides – Pompey’s on 25 minutes unfortunately proving costly.
Both looked fairly organised with very little end product created in attack from either team, and it was far from the worst game at centre-half for midfield man Pack, who had a mixed spell in defence before Portsmouth hero Conor Shaughnessy – now once again injured – was previously back in the side.
But the fact Mousinho opted for Pack to partner Poole as a square peg in a round hole again, rather than turn to natural centre-half Ryley Towler, clearly demonstrates the head coach does not particularly trust the 22-year-old.
The optic from the outside is that Mousinho would sooner have the all-round experience of Pack as a leader on the pitch, at the expense of a player in his primary position in Towler who has been at the centre of debate on his current capability at Championship level this season.
Towler likely to leave Portsmouth
What was interesting emerging from a busy winter transfer window at Portsmouth was that Towler remained at Fratton Park.
Widely anticipated to head out on loan with several in League One thought to be interested, he had started the first four Championship games of the season but didn’t feature again until 21 December, before another run in the team.
The former Bristol City man appears to have got his head down and complained little – certainly from a public perspective – but any player worth his salt would be raging at the developments that have emerged this season in terms of his place in the hierarchy.
| Portsmouth – recognised centre-halves | Status |
| Regan Poole | Recently returned fit |
| Ryley Towler | Fit, not played since January |
| Conor Shaughnessy | Injured |
| Hayden Matthews | Injured |
| Rob Atkinson | Injured |
| Ibane Bowat | Injured, yet to play |
| Tom McIntyre | Out on loan |
It’s no shade aimed at Pack – the local lad living the dream of thousands in our city – that the Portsmouth leader is picked ahead of Towler to play in an unnatural position of centre-half, but illustrates either an ill feeling between Mousinho and his young defender, or that he simply doesn’t trust him to be a reliable Championship defender.
Saturday at Luton was the first time in seven games that Towler was even named on the bench. With fewer than 18 months remaining on his contract, the summer could be the time for all parties to move on, Pompey to establish themselves in the Championship and the defender to find regular football elsewhere.