John Mousinho ‘may have perfect solution’ to nullify West Brom star Isaac Price
Portsmouth travel to The Hawthorns on Saturday to face a West Brom side that is brimming with confidence.
West Brom have won both of their Championship games, with midfield ace Isaac Price having scored three goals already.
If Portsmouth are going to get anything out of this game, John Mousinho will need a find way to keep Price quiet.
And he might have just the man to do exactly that.
Andre Dozzell could be utilised in new role to nullify Isaac Price
Andre Dozzell has been used alongside John Swift in a double pivot in front of the defence in both of Portsmouth’s league games.
The former QPR man has been a bit of unsung hero for Pompey, although his work rate and defensive nous has been widely praised this season.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Dozzell drop perhaps 10-20 yards deeper than usual at The Hawthorns on Saturday with special instructions to keep an eye on Price.
Price likes to drift in between the opponents’ defensive lines and tends to find space there towards West Brom’s right wing. He scored twice against Wrexham by making late runs into the box from that position.
By instructing Dozzell to act as a man-marker and track these runs, Portsmouth may be able to quash this important threat for West Brom.
Portsmouth have it in them to get a result at West Brom
Portsmouth have an awful recent record against West Brom, and they’ll be the underdogs in this game.
West Brom have some talented midfielders and will be expected to control possession. Mousinho will be relying on Dozzell and Swift to cover a lot of grass and do whatever they can to reduce their opponent’s time on the ball.
Pompey lost 5-1 in the corresponding fixture last season, and Price didn’t even play in that game.
| Date | Result |
| 15 September 2024 | Portsmouth 0 West Bromwich Albion 3 |
| 25 January 2025 | West Bromwich Albion 5 Portsmouth 1 |
However, Mousinho has a much stronger squad to choose from this time around, and he will hold hope of getting something from the game.
His team will need to work hard to limit their opponents and make the most of their attacking opportunities. With Josh Murphy and Florian Bianchini on the wings, they will have a lot of pace on the counter-attack.
Mousinho will be annoyed to have lost against Norwich last Saturday, but if his side can claim a point at The Hawthorns, it will still count as a solid start to the season for Pompey.
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