Portsmouth fans rage at ‘wild’ Mousinho omission v Coventry – ‘Why bother?’
Portsmouth supporters have taken to social media to air their frustration after John Mousinho named his starting XI to take on Coventry City.
Pompey are far from out of the woods yet after their latest away defeat to Millwall last weekend, and are on the road again to take on Frank Lampard’s side at the CBS Arena (9 April) as they look to jump back into the top six.
Mousinho has made two changes to the XI he named in South London last Saturday, with Adil Aouchiche coming into the side, and Thomas Waddingham given a surprise start up front.
Portsmouth fans baffled at omission of star as new injury debated
As well as the intriguing changes Mousinho has made, Portsmouth are notably without one player in the entire matchday squad in an increasingly important match for Championship safety.
Alex Milosevic, who has not yet made his debut since arriving as a free agent, is not in the squad at Coventry as fans begin to debate whether he has become the latest on a long injury list.
Milosevic has been on the bench in recent weeks but has not taken precedence to be introduced by Mousinho, with the former Swedish international so far being overlooked with his short-term deal expiring after the final six games.
There are now just five remaining opportunities for the 33-year-old to feature in a blue shirt, as the discourse over Milosevic dominates the comments on X among the Pompey community.
The Blues currently have the joint-third-worst defensive record in the Championship, despite their position of 17th. A defeat at Coventry will make Saturday at Fratton Park against Derby County (12 April) the proverbial ‘six-pointer’.
Pompey must improve away form before it’s too late
In among the final six matches, there are three at home and as many away for Portsmouth to navigate – and that could play a massive difference.
The contrast between the home and away form for Pompey this season has been frankly ridiculous. They have turned Fratton into a fortress while floundering on the road to the point they have won just twice on their travels in 2024-25 to date – and lost 11 of their last 12 outside of their home city.
| Portsmouth wins 2024-25 | Wins |
| Home | 10 |
| Away | 2 |
Coventry are considered by many to be a tougher opponent than Millwall and Preston – both of whom Pompey fell victim to in each of their last away fixtures – but the Championship is capable of anything.
It’s more hope than expectation, but maybe Pompey can spring a surprise and royal blue can overcome sky blue.