Aouchiche can instantly answer Portsmouth questions after what Mousinho’s said
Portsmouth still have plenty of work to do if they are going to secure their place in the Championship for another season.
John Mousinho’s side have been inconsistent throughout the campaign so far and sit 17th in the table, just three points above the relegation zone.
After losing 2-1 against Millwall on Saturday (5 April), Portsmouth have the opportunity to get back on track with a trip to Coventry City on Wednesday (9 April).
Aouchiche has chance to impress
Since joining Fratton Park on loan from Sunderland at the end of the winter transfer window, Adil Aouchiche has made nine appearances for Mousinho’s side so far.
Although the 22-year-old has been in the starting line-up on six of those occasions, he failed to get any minutes in the loss against Millwall.
| Team | Appearances | Goals |
| Sunderland | 8 | 0 |
| Portsmouth | 9 | 1 |
Mousinho dropped Aouchiche to the bench, opting to bring Terry Devlin in to replace him, although he has claimed this was a tactical choice rather than a like-for-like substitution.
With no time to waste before the next game, this could see the attacking midfielder be recalled to the Portsmouth starting line-up for the trip to Coventry.
If he gets given the opportunity though, Aouchiche has been given a challenge by Mousinho to up his standards in front of goal.
Speaking to The News (8 April), the Portsmouth boss admitted: “We need more goals and assists [from Aouchiche].
“We know he’s got that quality – we saw it against Plymouth. We’ve probably only seen it in glimpses.”
Mousinho needs Portsmouth players to stand out
Although Aouchiche has impressed during his loan spell with Portsmouth so far, it’s clear that his boss wants him to continue his development and contribute more in front of goal.
Considering the Blues are fighting to stay in the Championship, that’s understandable with the goals potentially making the difference at the end of the campaign.
Having scored once so far, it’s clear the 22-year-old has got it in him and if he is given the chance against the Sky Blues, he has to take it and show what he can do.
If he impresses his manager, Aouchiche could earn his place in the team for the crucial end-of-season run and even manage to catch the eye of his parent club too.
Coventry won’t be an easy side to get past but with things as tight as they are at the bottom of the Championship, every point matters and Mousinho needs his men to step up.