The residents of London have emerged victorious in their last seven visits to Portsmouth’s territory, a streak that dates back to 2005. As Saturday’s League One clash on the south coast looms, the prospects appear favorable for the London team. However, Mousinho remains unconvinced that past outcomes will influence the upcoming encounter between the two teams.
The manager of the Blues expressed, “I wasn’t aware of that history, though I recall watching the game against Charlton last season shortly before my arrival here. That wasn’t the best, but we now have two entirely different teams with different head coaches. Hopefully, we can relegate those records to the history books, and frankly, they are irrelevant to this game.”
Anticipating an engaging match, Mousinho commented on the opponent’s recent performance, stating, “I think it will be an exciting match against a side who have been playing some nice football since Michael Appleton came in. He has a reputation as an excellent coach for a good reason, and his teams have always played attacking football. They’re a side that underachieved at the start of the season but are now picking up some positive results. I’m sure the atmosphere will be right up there on Saturday, and it’ll be great to be back at a sold-out Fratton Park.”
Abu Kamara disclosed that his manager’s directive to increase his running efforts was the driving force behind his midweek triumph at Leyton Orient. Mousinho clarified, “I’ve never had an issue with his work rate, and he consistently puts in a solid effort off the ball. What we want Abu to do is leverage his athleticism because he’s probably the second quickest player in the squad after Gavin Whyte.”
Asserting Kamara’s potential, Mousinho explained, “I don’t see anyone else at this level keeping up with him in terms of that raw pace when he gets going. So, when the space is tight, we want him to receive the ball on the run. He has quality in front of goal, with three goals already, but we want to see more of it. Once we get him operating on the side and not always seeking the ball at his feet, we’ve got a truly valuable player.”
Concerning injuries, Mousinho is awaiting news on Regan Poole’s condition after he left the pitch at Chesterfield last Sunday. He noted, “We haven’t received the results yet, so we’re waiting on those. He’s unlikely to play for us on Saturday. Tino Anjorin’s scan revealed a slightly worse condition than anticipated, with a hamstring tear. We’re proceeding cautiously and are in communication with Chelsea. Marlon Pack is back in contention for Saturday, having fully trained this week.”
