Pompey 1-0 Blackburn: John Mousinho's post-match reaction

The News, Portsmouth

Pompey boss John Mousinho talks to The News after the Blues moved seven points clear of the Championship relegation zone following victory at Fratton Park.

Transcript

00:00Here with Pompey boss John Massino. John, a performance where it was a really high-tempo

00:05first half and you showed different qualities to get the points in the bag, perhaps some

00:09that were missing at Preston?

00:10Yeah, I think a pretty accurate summary. I thought we started the game up until the goal,

00:15probably the first half hour right on the front foot. We won the ball back high up on

00:19the press a couple of times, Blackburn broke, but then we defended really well and got the

00:22goal which I thought we deserved. It was a decent enough performance towards the back

00:27in the first half. I think maybe the goal affected things, we dropped off slightly,

00:31we didn't quite have that same level of intensity, which maybe naturally happens when we're in

00:35the position we're in. And we started the second half like we ended the first half,

00:39lacking a bit of energy, a little bit too deep and possibly worried about the threat

00:45in behind. But we dealt with it and that was the most important thing. So like you said,

00:49where we were stood here talking two weeks ago about Preston, making mistakes that I

00:54thought were unprofessional and not showing the right levels of, I'll use the word again,

00:59professionalism to really see the game out. Whenever we made a mistake in the second half,

01:04I thought we didn't compound it. So we'd bail each other out or when Regan in the second

01:12half here, when Gage is nixed in front of him, OK, fine, calm, doesn't go and get the

01:16second booking, makes sure he keeps on the outside, wins the tackle and we have a covering

01:19defender. So that was just one example. I thought we dealt with those moments a lot

01:24better. But overall, I think we need to control the game a little bit more in the second half.

01:30But for all that, Blackburn didn't really conjure too much, I can think of.

01:35No, a couple of chances from set-pieces, which they were a big side. They went with Carter

01:40at right back and two big centre-halves in Haim and Bath. And when Gage came on top,

01:44they were a big physical side, particularly when you bring Hedges on as well. So physicality

01:51was definitely something that we had to cope with and, for the most part, cope with it

01:54really well. And like you said, I think not a huge amount to deal with in terms of clear-cut

02:00chances. We didn't create much ourselves either, but we had the lead. So I suppose

02:04that was all we needed.

02:05Yes, I mean, you said in the build-up to the game, we don't care about XG or passes for

02:09defensive action or whatever. It's about points in the bag with this form of season.

02:13Yes, and those stats over the long term, I think, are something that you need to be wary

02:18of. But in the short term, for today's game, the best example was Leeds versus Plymouth.

02:23You look at the stats and probably didn't deserve to beat Leeds on the stats, although

02:27I thought we did on the day, and then the opposite against Plymouth. So that was something

02:30that, at this stage of the season, we have to mostly disregard. I think we still need

02:37to make sure the performance is there and we still need to make sure we do the right

02:39things. But to be honest, if you'd have just offered me three points in any shape or form

02:44before the game, I would have taken it.

02:45It's a big three points. Is it natural that there was a lot riding on it, that you get

02:50that kind of reaction to these sort of moments?

02:52I think so, yes. So there's a couple of things there. I think, first of all, I'd say I knew

02:58it. I was pleased that we reacted the way we did after those two losses. And I did say

03:06to the boys, we're going to go and beat Blackburn next week because the pressure's on a bit.

03:10We have to try and find a way of making sure that we know the pressure's always on, whether

03:16it's a 10-point gap or a 7-point gap, whatever it is, we have to make sure that we play like

03:20the pressure's always on. So that is something that we need to progress as a team. We've

03:24showed this season we haven't done that well enough. And we have to make sure we keep our

03:28foot on the accelerator in these moments because we've got big, big games coming up and, like

03:32I've said consistently, the sides down the bottom are going to win games. So we have

03:37to be on top of ourselves.

03:38Yes, they've done that again today. Does it feel like a big three points today?

03:41Yes, regardless of any of the other results, we knew that we needed to take care of what

03:45we needed to take care of today, which was just to try and win the game, which we did.

03:48And that is the most important thing. We're obviously going to look at other results,

03:52but just winning the game is the biggest thing for us.

03:54There were some good performances around the pitch. I like Freddie Potts. I thought as

03:57a professional, as a yellow card for the team, there's a lot to like about his performance.

04:01Yes, I thought Fred was great, to be honest. He showed a lot of energy. He showed a lot

04:05of endeavour. The physical side of his game is very, very impressive. I think he's grown

04:10as the season's gone on and fully deserving of the new contract that he signed at West

04:14Ham. It's brilliant for him. He's got seven more games here to really impress and to try

04:20and earn himself a spot in their first team next year. So, I thought, yes, he was one

04:23of those performances that I was very pleased with.

04:24Yes, there were others at Courtyard. They obviously got sponsors around the match as

04:28well, didn't they?

04:29I thought the way that we defended as a team in general, naturally, the back four were

04:32going to get a lot of applaud. It's unrightfully so, because I thought, actually, we defended

04:36the box well. We didn't make too many errors. And when we had to, we blocked shots. We got

04:42in front of the ball. When the big man came on up top, we dealt with that mostly, which

04:49we didn't do at Ewood Park. So, yes, really, really impressed, I think, with the back four

04:54and just the way we defended as a team. So, a couple of great individual performances,

04:59but a very, very good team effort.

05:00Yes, it seems like the demand now, you're kind of saying the message to the players,

05:04subconsciously or otherwise, is just not to come off the gas now.

05:06Yes, and it was great this week or the last two weeks. A lot of work has gone into it

05:13from the boys. It would have been one of those, you get to the back end and you've got five

05:17weeks left in the season. It's one of those where you've got to get the right balance

05:21between overworking and making sure they're fresh and to be fair, the lads have made a

05:26really, really good shift in the last couple of weeks, which I'm sure we'll mention that.

05:30Yes, a couple of others. Alex Milosevic's on the bench today. Where's Alex at at the

05:34moment?

05:35He's in a relatively good spot. I think we're still making sure that he gets up to scratch.

05:39This is the next step in us progressing his fitness. It's like a pre-season for him. We

05:49wouldn't have had him on the bench unless we were ready to involve him at some point,

05:53but I actually thought the defensive performance against Preston two weeks ago was good. I

05:57thought it was good apart from a couple of poor moments. That back four did really well today.

06:02Yes, so is he not quite ready to start in your view at the moment?

06:05Yes, maybe not quite ready to start. Definitely ready to make an impact. I think the way that

06:09Alex plays, if we chucked him in for a start, I think he'd be absolutely fine. But yes,

06:14that was just the decision based on how I thought we'd actually defend in a couple of weeks.

06:18Would you anticipate now, with the other lads that are out injured at the moment,

06:21maybe Conor Shocknessy, are many of those getting back into contention for your next outing?

06:26Probably not for Millwall. I don't think so for the next outing. In terms of my planning,

06:33I think we'll be looking at the same squad.

06:34But then probably Cavery coming back for the run-in, hopefully.

06:37Yes, and I think that's really important. We've got players that are close. They've all been out

06:42on the grass. We've got a large training group out on the grass at the back end of their rehab.

06:48They're not training with us yet, but the likes of Rob Atkinson, Conor Shocknessy.

06:52So they're all coming back in decent enough time. We just need to make sure we get the balance right

06:57so when they do come back, they don't break down.

07:00Are you glad to not be going home and kicking the cats today after the

07:04Preston game? A different vibe around them?

07:06Yes, definitely a different vibe. It's a strange one because my gripe last week wasn't the

07:12performance in general. It was just some of the things we did in the second half,

07:15particularly after we got the equaliser. I think that it can sometimes look like you're having a

07:21real meltdown for four minutes' worth of football, but that's what happens at this level. You get

07:25punished. So we have to be on it every single second, every minute to win games.

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