Pompey head coach John Mousinho chats to The News after the Blues thump the O's
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00:00 Here with Pompey boss John Massino after a Maiden League victory by an emphatic scoreline.
00:06 What was most pleasing about that today, John?
00:08 I think there's a couple of pleasing things that sort of contradict each other.
00:12 Coming in 2-0 up at half-time, having not played particularly well, and us really trying to sort a few things out.
00:17 We thought we'd gone on in the first half and then the response, I think, in the second half where we were excellent and won the second half 2-0 as well.
00:25 I think there were some really, really good bits throughout the game.
00:29 Yes, slightly disappointed about how we started the game.
00:31 I didn't think we looked brilliant.
00:32 I think we were a bit sloppy, looked a bit leggy.
00:34 But, you know, in fairness to the lads, they dug in.
00:37 They didn't let the, I suppose, the opening day atmosphere, the home opening atmosphere here with the side that was absolutely runaway winners of League Two last year,
00:46 and they made some good signings.
00:47 They didn't let them get on top of them.
00:50 And in not playing well, came in 2-0 up and then just saw the game off really, really professionally.
00:56 Yes, Marlon Pekka up and running with a great connection on that volley for the opening goal from a set-piece.
01:03 Yes, a really nice one from a set-piece.
01:04 Set-pieces are hugely important.
01:06 I think I always talk about the fact that we were really good at them at the back end of last year,
01:11 just defensively and offensively as well.
01:13 Joe Cordoma puts in a huge amount of work into that, and they are.
01:15 They're really key.
01:16 I actually thought the goal changed the game, like it always does.
01:19 We changed the game, I think we settled down, still made a couple of sloppy errors.
01:22 I think the one that really comes to mind in the first half was when we just tried to shepherd the ball out,
01:27 and all of a sudden, the late man had the best chance.
01:28 That was probably a real good indication of where we were in the first half.
01:32 We weren't making particularly good decisions, but the second half we came out and sorted ourselves right out.
01:36 I thought we were very good.
01:37 Yes, a number of strong performances today.
01:39 Who caught your eye?
01:40 I think one of the obvious ones for me was Connor Shaughnessy.
01:44 He was training with the group last Saturday, not in the squad.
01:48 Kept his head down, did brilliantly well Tuesday night,
01:50 deserved his place against Joe Piggott, who's a tough opponent today.
01:53 And a decent forward line from Leighton Orient.
01:56 I thought he was excellent.
01:57 At the back of the floor, I think, he deserved a huge amount of credit as well.
02:00 And another one, Joe Rafty, that probably stood out for me.
02:04 He got the assist for Colby's goal as well.
02:06 A constant threat down the right-hand side.
02:08 But I thought there were some really, really good performances across the board,
02:11 from the entire side, which is a great place to be in, because we are improving, I think, day in, day out.
02:18 With Connor, obviously, he's a defender first and foremost.
02:21 But you saw the other side of the game and that probably factors in to why you wanted to bring him in this summer as well.
02:26 Yes, and that was what we want from our centre-half.
02:29 We want players that can defend.
02:30 But also, you can probably see the way that we do try and play.
02:33 We get the ball in tight areas and have to move it and have to be comfortable on the ball.
02:37 And a lot of the attacks start from the goalkeeper.
02:42 I think his excellent will has come in and has made a real difference for us.
02:46 And the two centre-halves, we get the ball and we have to play from there.
02:49 That's the way it looks good.
02:50 We do want to mix it up.
02:51 I think we mixed it up really well today as well.
02:53 But ultimately, they need to be comfortable doing both sides of the game.
02:56 How pleasing that you made 10 changes on Tuesday and players coming in and took their opportunities.
02:59 And then the lads that came on the second half, a tempo was built and they maintained that relentless onslaught as the half built.
03:06 How pleasing was that?
03:07 Yes, a really difficult thing for them to do as well.
03:09 I think there probably would have been some disappointed players having done so well on Tuesday night to not be in the starting line-up today.
03:15 But ultimately, that's something I've got to obviously take on board.
03:18 And then to keep at it and come on and be as good as they were.
03:22 Really, really happy with the way they came on and kept that intensity to the game.
03:27 Alex Robertson, probably another eye-catching cameo.
03:29 I thought Jack was excellent.
03:30 Kassidy's got his goal.
03:32 Anthony came on at half-time and got himself in some really good positions.
03:35 And it's a really nice thing, I think, to have a centre-half of Sean Raggert's calibre coming in and seeing the game out and making a real difference.
03:42 Yes, with Riley Townley's selection today.
03:44 Yes, a really tough one.
03:45 I didn't have a huge amount to say to him before the game, other than the way that we shape up in terms of who we wanted to have on the bench.
03:52 He's been excellent through pre-season.
03:54 Riley's capped on the side a couple of times.
03:55 It's a real tough one for him.
03:57 And one, I just got to try and convince him that there's absolutely no issue whatsoever.
04:02 We've got a really competitive squad at the moment and that's unfortunately the way it is.
04:06 Yes, even with a couple of injuries, you've got three players not around today as well.
04:09 So that's indicative of where things are depth-wise.
04:12 Yes, and that's probably the hardest thing that I'm dealing with at the moment, is having conversations with players who deserve to be in the starting line-up, let alone in the squad.
04:21 And that's a really tough one to have.
04:23 Long may it continue.
04:24 I don't like having those tough conversations, but it's a much better position for me to be in.
04:28 And that's the reason we've tried to build the squad the way we have.
04:32 Zac Swanson, another one of those as well.
04:34 Yes, Zac was outstanding.
04:35 He scored.
04:37 He was a constant threat down the right-hand side and I had to have a chat with Zac and said,
04:40 "The likelihood is you won't be on the bench and you won't be travelling with the squad."
04:45 The trick with that is for me to try and convince these players that they are much closer than they feel to making an impact in the first 11.
04:52 It's a really, really difficult win.
04:54 You're sat at home, obviously, watching the score come in and you probably feel miles away from it, but they're genuinely not.
04:59 And thankfully, I had an opportunity this week to hopefully demonstrate that to them with connoisseur-ness,
05:04 not being in the squad last week and coming on and, like I said, building my man-of-the-match.
05:08 Yes, very formative days, but Pompey Travelling fans, they've come and had a good day in their capital.
05:13 How pleasing to send them home happy?
05:14 Yes, really, really pleasing to send them home happy.
05:17 And they were ecstatic at the back end, I think, especially with Cassini scoring.
05:22 They didn't stick to the word and stole him on the pitch.
05:24 That was the only disappointment.
05:26 But they're going to come in their droves, whether we're in sparkling form or not.
05:30 And that's the most important thing, obviously, for any fans in the football clubs.
05:34 It's just very, very nice to be able to reward them with a really good second-half performance, four goals, three points.
05:41 They'll travel up and down the country and spend a huge amount of money.
05:44 It's not lost on us.
05:45 We're football fans as well.
05:47 We know what it's like.
05:47 We know the frustrations of what it can be like, especially for a Liverpool team.
05:51 I think that's a particularly tough one over the past few years.
05:55 So, they're unbelievable and they make a huge difference.
05:59 I'm sure they know that anyway, but that would just be the message.
06:02 They make a huge difference, so stick at it and we'll hopefully keep going on in this vein.
06:08 [BLANK_AUDIO]