Portsmouth news round-up: John Mousinho reveals ‘frank discussions’ as Pompey make change ahead of Ipswich
Portsmouth face a tricky task on Saturday if they are to overcome Ipswich at Portman Road.
Pompey are yet to pick up a win in September despite a positive start to the season.
The 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday at Fratton Park last week was a particular blow, with the Owls in chaos off the pitch.
Now, with Ipswich up next, Pompey News has rounded up everything you need to know ahead of the game.
John Mousinho sees Ipswich ‘opportunity’ for Portsmouth
The defeat to Sheffield Wednesday last weekend was no doubt poor.
Pompey were nowhere near good enough at Fratton Park as the Owls walked away with their first Championship victory of the season.
The display was arguably Portsmouth’s worst at home since Mousinho joined the South Coast club in League One.
He said: “We had a frank discussion about the last match because we were poor across the board and got it out of our system.”
John Mousinho says that Portsmouth have more of an ‘identity’ off the ball
One of Portsmouth’s biggest improvements in recent times has been their backline.
The South Coast club now rarely concede and currently have one of the best defences in the division.
This is reflected in their away form, with Pompey now unbeaten in their last five matches away from Fratton Park.
- Portsmouth have not lost away since April
- This season Pompey have also only conceded once away on their travels
- Now, they are tasked with continuing this feat at Portman Road
Reflecting on this progression, Mousinho believes that Portsmouth now have more identity off the ball.
He said: “It’s been a lot more positive at the start of this season with a couple of draws and a win at Oxford.
“We’ve just tried to be more solid and we’ve got a defined identity out of possession, which we didn’t have at the start of last year, so we want to try to build on that.”
Comfort Erhabor praised for debut performance in difficult circumstances
Elsewhere, Portsmouth Women have also kickstarted their campaign.
On Wednesday, they played WSL1 side Brighton in the Women’s League Cup, where they lost 2-0.
Making her debut in the match was Comfort Erhabor, who had signed permanently from Brighton in the summer.
Speaking after the match, Jay Sadler admitted he was impressed with Erhabor’s performance for Portsmouth.
He said: “There was a lot of pressure on her today because obviously it’s her former club that let her go. It meant a lot to her, and I’m immensely proud of her and the work she’s put in since coming in in January.”
“Now, she’s competing well with Jess Gray. She had her moment today and she took it and fair play to her.”
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