Adil Aouchiche ‘tremendous’ as Guy Whittingham makes number one Portsmouth claim
Adil Aouchiche is gradually hitting his stride at Portsmouth after arriving from Sunderland, according to Guy Whittingham.
Aouchiche was one of eight players that Pompey signed during the winter transfer window, roping him in on loan until the end of the season from Championship rivals Sunderland.
Having found playing time hard to come by with the Black Cats, the 22-year-old had a slow start to his spell at Fratton Park before establishing himself as a regular starter.
The attacker has now started in each of Portsmouth’s last five league games and opened his account with a stunning goal in the 2-1 defeat against Plymouth at Fratton Park on Wednesday, 12 March.
Aouchiche getting used to John Mousinho, says Whittingham
Whittingham has been impressed by what he has seen from Aouchiche so far, particularly his work rate, which he described as “tremendous”, and feels he has a lot more in his locker.
The Portsmouth icon also acknowledged how difficult it would have been for France Under-20s international to settle in at Fratton Park after a tough period at Sunderland as he adapts to life under John Mousinho.
“He certainly has [something in his locker], he certainly has”, Whittingham said on BBC Radio Solent (15 March, 2:35 pm).
“I think his work rate is tremendous, which is number one at the moment in terms of fitting into the team because all of them are like that.
“It remains to be seen… I think what you can say is that he’s getting used to how the team plays and how John Mousinho wants him to play, and the players are getting used to him.
“I think that’s important to say, it’s not easy when you come from another club, having not played to suddenly come in and no instinctively how your teammates are going to play.
“So, the more he does, obviously the better he will become.”
Portsmouth relishing Aouchiche at Fratton Park
Aouchiche has sprung to life at Portsmouth in recent weeks, as evidenced by Mousinho’s decision to start him in each of their last five games.
The right-footer played just under an hour in the 2-1 loss against Preston North End at Deepdale on Saturday (15 March), but was one of Pompey’s better players overall.
| Minutes | Accurate Passes | Chances Created | Tackles Won | Recoveries | Duels Won |
| 59 | 16/19 | 2 | 3/3 | 7 | 5/6 |
He was not significantly involved in possession, registering just 35 touches and completing 16 of his 19 passes (84 per cent accuracy). The Frenchman, though, created two chances for his side, as per FotMob.
Aouchiche also did not shy away from his defensive duties, winning each of his three tackles and recovering the ball seven times.
The Sunderland loanee also won five of his six duels (83 per cent success).