Will Still and John Mousinho comments say it all ahead of Southampton vs Portsmouth
The biggest game on the Portsmouth calendar is on the horizon.
Portsmouth travel to arch rivals Southampton on Sunday afternoon, with South Coast derby rights on the line alongside a crucial three points.
Southampton have endured a mixed start to their return to the Championship, going winless in their last three league games after defeating Wrexham in the last minute on the opening day.
Portsmouth, meanwhile, have made a great start to the season, remaining undefeated away from home, which includes a 1-0 win at Oxford United, as well as winning their first home points of the season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Preston at Fratton Park.
Sunday’s clash will be the first between the two sides in the league since a 2-2 draw in April 2012, and this St. Mary’s match-up is building up to be a feisty one.
Will Still and John Mousinho both know the importance of the South Coast Derby
Will Still has only just arrived at Southampton this summer, but he already knows the significance of Sunday’s derby.
Still has had a mixed start to life at St. Mary’s but knows the clash with Portsmouth will more come down to who wants the win more, over any tactical set-up from either camp.
Still said via the Southern Daily Echo: “You can talk about tactical stuff as long as you want, 3-4-3 or 4-2-3-1 or whatever it is.
“I think the derby is there to be won and to do whatever it takes to win it. You need to stick your little toe on the line or your backside to defend the goal.
“If you’ve got to throw yourself at anything, then that’s what you’ve got to do, and that’s what we’ll have to do. I hope that the players understand that.”
| South Coast Derby Wins | Total |
| Southampton | 35 |
| Draw | 15 |
| Portsmouth | 21 |
John Mousinho, meanwhile, knew the significance of a win on Sunday before the season started, saying that it’s the one fixture Pompey fans have talked about since he arrived on the South Coast.
Mousinho said: “It’s going a big, big game for everyone involved.
“The amount of time the two sides have spent apart, in terms of leagues, is far too long for Portsmouth fans to be comfortable with.
“This is one, ever since I joined the club, people have been speaking about and looking forward to.”
It is clear that both managers properly ‘get it’, with everything effectively going out of the window for these derby showdowns.
A win on Sunday can shape another successful Portsmouth season
No Portsmouth fan needs to be told how important the South Coast Derby is to both sides, but Pompey’s solid start has made this fixture even more crucial.
Mousinho’s side are rolling into St. Mary’s with momentum on their side, having remained undefeated on the road so far, but a defeat here would halt any run Portsmouth are planning to go on.
A win, however, could prove to be the catalyst for another successful season at Fratton Park, and considering how weak and unstable some of the usual promotion favourites have looked, the sky is the limit for Mousinho and his men.
Sign up for the Pompey News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Portsmouth news sent straight to your phone.