Mousinho ‘must axe Andre Dozzell’ after what happened in Blackburn win
Andre Dozzell did himself no favours in Portsmouth’s 1-0 victory over Blackburn on Saturday afternoon.
John Mousinho‘s side eased their Championship relegation fears after securing a much-needed three points against Valerian Ismael’s side.
Jacob Murphy’s first-half strike was the difference as Pompey swept aside the playoff hopefuls to open up a seven-point gap to the drop zone.
Despite the win, Dozzell did little to suggest that he deserves his starting berth for the foreseeable future with his performance against Rovers.
Dozzell struggles despite Portsmouth win v Blackburn
Dozzell has struggled to impose himself at Portsmouth after joining on a free transfer in the summer.
The former Ipswich Town star has started 29 league matches under Mousinho but failed to prove his abilities at Fratton Park.
This poor run of form continued against Rovers as the 25-year-old had the least touches of any outfield player with 31 and completed just 79 per cent of his passes. [Fotmob]
| Stats | Dozzell v Blackburn |
| Touches | 31 |
| Pass completion | 19/24 (79%) |
| Chances created | 0 |
| Recoveries | 1 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Ground duels won | 1/5 (20%) |
Defensively, he made just one recovery and failed to make an interception or clearance in an underwhelming performance.
In terms of duels, he won just one of the five ground duels that he contested for a 20 per cent success rate but the only aerial duel that he attempted.
Considering his display, it was a surprise to him last the full 90 minutes in the contest and not be substituted by Mousinho.
He may well be dropped for the visit to Millwall on 5 March as Pompey look to continue their push away from relegation danger.
Portsmouth need Dozzell to step up
Pompey will likely need another option in the engine room in the summer transfer window after West Ham loanee Freddie Potts signed a contract extension.
There is every chance that Graham Potter gives the Pompey ace a chance to impress in the Premier League next season, which would leave Mousinho’s side short in that department.
That could leave Dozzell with more responsibility on his shoulders but he has done little to suggest that he deserves that chance, and the South Coast outfit could choose to move in a different direction.
The former Ipswich midfielder needs to step up, otherwise Mousinho will have little choice but to drop him from the starting line-up for the rest of the season and perhaps even beyond that.