Forest Green Rovers v Pompey: John Mousinho's pre-match thoughts

The News, Portsmouth

Pompey boss John Mousinho talks to The News ahead of the Blues' Carabao Cup game at Forest Green.

Transcript

00:00 So Jon, obviously looking ahead to the Forest Green/Rose game in the Carabao Cup, how do

00:04 you approach this game in terms of team selection?

00:07 Yeah, we're just going to approach it as if every other game, which is we want to win

00:11 the game and we're going to go very, very strong and I think that's the best way to

00:17 approach these games. I think we find ourselves in a fortunate position of having some really

00:21 excellent performers over the weekend, starters and subs alike and also we have three or four

00:26 players that didn't even make the squad who we actually think can impact the game. So

00:30 I think we're in a really strong position in terms of the squad and I think whatever

00:33 side that we do pick tomorrow night is going to be strong and hopefully from our perspective

00:37 it's going to challenge and hopefully win the game.

00:39 Will you rotate it?

00:41 I think there will definitely be some rotation and there's certainly a lot of scope within

00:48 sort of individuals. Some I think are better off playing Saturday/Tuesday, others are better

00:53 off having a rest so we take that on an individual basis and also on form and who we think is

00:58 best suited to go out and perform against full of screens. So there's quite a few factors

01:01 that we'll put into play when we're looking at team selection. So I think the overall

01:08 message is that it's going to be a strong side.

01:10 Are the first team members or starting eleven members that need more minutes, even this

01:15 early in the season, you would look to play as well?

01:17 Yeah and again that's the factor that we bring into it because minutes at this stage is something

01:22 that we do bring into play and if at the back end of this week we look at it and we're in

01:27 a good position in terms of minutes coverage for certain players then that's certainly

01:32 something that we'll have to factor in. We do feel like we're in a strong position in

01:36 terms of fitness with the squad and the way that the pre-season went culminating in that

01:40 Bristol City game. We thought actually going into the Bristol Rovers game we were in a

01:44 good spot and hopefully that showed at the weekend. I thought fitness, certainly fitness

01:48 wise we look good, we look strong going into the back end of it. So yeah definitely a factor

01:53 and one that we'll manage with all of the other factors we just spoke about there.

01:57 Is it tempting to start with the side that finished last week's game?

02:00 Not really, I think the only thing we tend to do is start with the side that we think

02:04 is best suited to play against Forest Green and Forest Green are a difference to Bristol

02:10 Rovers and we do take each game as it comes. So even with league selection you probably

02:14 would have seen at the back end of last year that even after wins there was scope within

02:19 the squad to then change the side off the back of that. I remember one specifically

02:24 I think we won 1-0 at home and the next logical thing for us to do in our eyes was to make

02:30 a couple of changes because I think it was maybe after the Ackermannston game. There

02:35 was one game we definitely left Clark Robinson out having captained us to a 1-0 win. We thought

02:39 the next game it suited DeSean a bit better and that's the way we went. So I'm just

02:43 using that as an example to demonstrate how we're going to take each game as it comes

02:46 this year and go game to game in terms of tactics and team selection and who we think

02:50 best suits the opposition.

02:52 Christian Sturdy was on the list of everybody that left the Fratton Park on Saturday. Is

02:55 it tempting to start him in this match?

02:57 Yeah I think he's not the only one that it's tempting to start. Christian was excellent

03:01 when he came on in the second half. I think nobody in Fratton Park didn't think that

03:06 and I said it after the game I thought he was the man of the match and he was excellent.

03:11 So definitely somebody who did himself plenty of favours in terms of his performance on

03:15 Saturday.

03:16 And Yankee as well, you mentioned that. He's not ready to get... You're trying to build

03:20 him up aren't you with the minutes and adjusting to this football?

03:24 Yeah and not necessarily ruling him out of a start but if he did manage to get himself

03:30 in the starting line-up then that was again something we have to manage in terms of minutes

03:34 because we're trying to build him up. Again there's a huge change in Cassini's life coming

03:39 over here and the elation of the weekend I'm sure has taken its toll as well emotionally

03:44 if nothing else but certainly one to manage and whatever Park Cassini plays tomorrow night

03:49 we'll be watching that and really managing it carefully.

03:52 You're still looking for one more player to bring into the building, how is that progressing?

03:55 Yeah progressing really well so hopefully we'll have something this afternoon and if

03:59 not, latest hopefully should be tomorrow.

04:01 And that's the attacking midfielder?

04:03 Yeah that'll be the attacking midfielder we've talked about so just hopefully finalising

04:07 a few bits on that and we'll have an announcement pretty shortly.

04:10 That person, will he be available for tomorrow's game?

04:13 Yeah should be available again it's just going to be a case of the paperwork being done in

04:17 time and if that's all done then yeah he'll be available and ready to go in some capacity.

04:22 Evening with Jenson Weir, has he brought anything in that one as well?

04:25 No nothing in that.

04:26 In terms of team news as well, injuries how is the situation?

04:30 Yeah not too bad, Tom Lowry came off at half time with some swelling in the knee, that

04:34 swelling hasn't quite died down yet so we're waiting for that to die down before we make

04:37 a proper assessment and I think we're going to do that this afternoon or tomorrow and

04:41 see whether it's something we need to scan.

04:44 So yeah Tom's looking unlikely or Tom won't feature tomorrow evening.

04:48 I think with the other injuries Josh Dockle is set to have surgery at the back end of

04:51 the month, had a very positive meeting with the surgeon at the back end of last week so

04:56 we're in motion with that and Paddy who was out on the grass at the back end of last week

05:01 is progressing nicely, it's still going to be a relatively slow one for him, it's a matter

05:04 of weeks and not days unfortunately but I spoke with him today, working hard in the

05:08 gym and coming along nicely so yeah hopefully in a couple of weeks time we'll have a fit

05:13 and healthy Paddy Lane and that's it on the injury front I think.

05:17 Thank you very much.

05:18 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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