Hayden has chance to prove Mousinho wrong after what Portsmouth boss has done
Isaac Hayden will be keen to prove John Mousinho wrong after the Portsmouth boss’ recent treatment of the midfielder.
Pompey appeared to be steering themselves clear of a relegation dogfight in the Championship.
However, back-to-back defeats have dragged the South Coast club right back into the relegation mix, leaving Mousinho miserable as the Portsmouth boss took a swipe at his players.
A 2-1 defeat against Preston North End at Deepdale on Saturday (15 March) was the worst possible way for Portsmouth to sign off ahead of the March international break, especially after their 2-1 loss against Plymouth at Fratton Park the previous Wednesday (12 March).
However, while the fans are likely to spend the next two weeks frustrated, Portsmouth midfielder Hayden will need to put these defeats out of his mind, as he now has the perfect chance to send a message to Mousinho.
Hayden needs to prove Mousinho wrong
While Mousinho is understandably angry about the Preston defeat, the 38-year-old should also take a look in the mirror, with Portsmouth fans not impressed by his team selection in Lancashire.
There were several controversial calls, such as the inclusion of Kusini Yengi. However, the decision to leave Hayden on the bench for the entire 90 minutes was particularly harsh.
| Portsmouth | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Isaac Hayden | 11 | 0 | 0 |
Following his arrival at Portsmouth from Newcastle United on loan in the winter transfer window, Hayden started eight of the following 11 games in the Championship for Pompey.
However, in the last three matches, the 29-year-old has played just one minute of football and didn’t make it onto the pitch at all in the defeats against Plymouth and Preston.
As a result, he will no doubt be confused by these recent snubs and will be looking to show Mousinho what he has been missing as he represents Jamaica over the March international break.
Hayden needs to feature for Jamaica
It is all well and good getting a call-up for the team, but Jamaica only play twice over the next two weeks.
Therefore, Hayden needs to make sure he plays as much football as possible across both games, to show Mousinho what he is capable of and demonstrate to the Portsmouth boss that he should be starting more regularly in the coming weeks.