Pompey boss John Mousinho chats to The News after seeing his side beat Reading 4-1 at Fratton Park
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00:00 Here with Pompey boss John Massino. John, an afternoon maybe, you'll probably have to show different qualities at times and then come on and perform with a swagger through the end to see the results out.
00:10 Yeah, I think so. It was one of those where, speaking to John Zesch during the second half actually, I couldn't quite find how we were going to summarise the game.
00:19 I still haven't quite figured out how we would accurately summarise it. I'm going to have to watch it back. But after 25 minutes, half an hour, I thought Reading were the better side.
00:28 I thought they were more energetic, they caused less problems, created more chances. We had to slightly tweak things tactically, but I thought it was 50% tactical.
00:37 And I said this to the boys at half-time, 50% in terms of how we showed up with our energy and intensity that wasn't quite there.
00:42 We were losing challenges, we weren't picking up second balls. So, it was a mixture of those two things. We obviously got the goal at a good time.
00:49 And then, in fairness, in the second half, I thought we were excellent. We dealt with Reading's threat a lot better, we were a lot more composed on the ball and then we put the ball back in net for the right time.
00:58 What did you have to adjust? Was that in terms of the press?
01:01 Yeah, just in terms of the press. I thought we were asking too much of Colby and, in fairness, Bindon stepped out with the ball really well.
01:08 And as soon as one player steps out with the ball like that, it breaks the press, you're in trouble because you're overloaded somewhere else.
01:14 So, we just had to adjust that slightly and it was just about being a bit more aggressive, to be honest.
01:19 The lads took that on board, I thought.
01:21 As soon as they did that, we are asking them to be aggressive. We're asking them sometimes to leave themselves with one at the back.
01:25 When the ball goes longer, we're asking them to pick up the second balls in the middle of the park. And when we did all of those things, we looked a good time.
01:30 In those moments, you needed certain players to step up. Will Dorris made important saves at important moments in the game and tackled in factors like that in the victory today as well.
01:38 We had to defend a couple of set pieces. We obviously had to make sure that Will was on top of his game to pull out a couple of saves and that's what we needed him there for.
01:45 He's not just a brilliant keeper.
01:47 With his feet, whenever we called upon him to make saves, he's made big saves at good times this season.
01:51 Sometimes you do have to dig in. Reading were a good side there.
01:55 Yeah, they showed that.
01:56 They caused problems and they've got some really good individuals there as well. They were able to bring on some really good players off the bench as well.
02:02 I think they'll be absolutely fine this season. They'll cause plenty of side problems. I think that was a speed about all of that. In its whole form, it was a really good win.
02:14 Yeah, and once the goal went in, you built impetus from there and exercised really good control on the game for the most part.
02:20 Yeah, I think the goal going in helped us, obviously, because I thought Reading then went even more aggressive.
02:27 They committed more bodies forward and then as soon as they did that and we decided that we were going to be a bit more calm, controlled and composed on the turnover, picking up second balls and playing forward, we looked like a much better side.
02:40 So, the first goal obviously helped. I even felt early on the way that Reading were playing in terms of their aggression.
02:45 If we could just settle the game down and skip past one or two challenges, then we'd be in.
02:50 The first goal perfectly summed it up. I think the ball broke down and Abs obviously picked it up and their lad flew into the challenge in the middle of the park.
02:58 What we saw for the first half, I was reading winning it, coming out on the side and then breaking on us.
03:02 When we showed that bit of quality and then Abs unsurprisingly paid it to Paddy, we got a bit of a goal.
03:07 I think we've spoken to you about it and certainly spoken to Marlon Pack about it.
03:10 Playing with a bit of swagger and really putting sides to the sword when the opportunity arises, that's been an issue sometimes, but today obviously wasn't the case.
03:17 Yeah, it has been an issue. We've had a lot of narrow victories this year and this season.
03:22 There's nothing wrong with that, obviously. We all like a 1-0 win, absolutely, but it's a lot more comfortable when you actually put sides to the sword.
03:28 We've had far too many games over the season where we're not coming off the pitch properly.
03:34 We have opportunities in the second half to create more chances.
03:38 In two of those games we obviously held on for the win and in the other one we didn't.
03:42 It makes a big difference, so to be able to do that against Northampton and Cambridge and obviously here tonight or here this afternoon was really pleasing.
03:51 The quality of the finishing was obviously one thing, but Abu Kamara's part in those trio of goals as well, quite another.
03:57 Yeah, and Abs is a player that we've been really excited about having this season.
04:02 He's been excellent through every single game that he's played.
04:06 He adds that quality or adds that composure, should I say, because he's got the quality.
04:10 One of the big things I have with Abs is making sure that he stays positive, that he keeps getting at his player.
04:15 If he's not having the best of days, he still does it again and again and again.
04:18 I thought he was excellent tonight.
04:20 If you look at Tuesday night, he probably didn't have a huge amount of joy up until the second half where the game opens up and he ends up getting a goal.
04:26 That's Abs, that's what we want him to keep doing. He's got masses of quality and if he can keep doing that,
04:31 then he'll go beyond this level.
04:34 You've spoken about giving Owen Moxham time to learn that role.
04:38 Obviously, circumstances dictate that's not been the case.
04:41 How did you think he came through? Probably a bit of a tough moment in those games to really grow into that performance today.
04:46 Yeah, exactly that. So a big ask for Mox to come in and make his debut or make his full debut here.
04:52 Making his full debut under these circumstances is a big ask for Owen.
04:59 I thought after that initial period where not just Owen but a few of the lads couldn't quite get to grips with the game,
05:05 he settled into it, he grew into the game and was much, much more effective in the second half.
05:08 You could see a couple of bits of play settled him down and we started to see his quality.
05:13 So we're really pleased for Owen because I thought as the game went on he was excellent.
05:17 And then to get through 90 minutes as well, we're really, really pleased with him.
05:20 I guess when the supporters saw the team seat going and Miles Pitt, Harris not on it,
05:23 they'd have been worried about how things are given how things have been.
05:26 Yeah, quite rightly. Obviously, it wasn't lost on me at all.
05:29 So Miles just picked up a minor injury.
05:32 He did try and train yesterday to just give you a sort of overview of the picture of what he has.
05:38 If it was obviously serious, he wouldn't have even tried to train.
05:40 But I think he should be absolutely fine for next week.
05:43 We'll see how it settles down on Monday and go from there.
05:45 But one of those that thankfully isn't too serious.
05:47 Can we just talk about something we don't always talk about, Conor O'Griffey?
05:50 Once again, so dependable, so impressive consistency, always there.
05:53 Yeah, on both sides of the game, I thought obviously marking Aziz, who's one of the biggest threats,
05:58 I think, at this level and has got that pedigree to be able to really cause sides problems.
06:03 And he has done over the past couple of weeks.
06:05 And then the attacking side that he provides us as well, playing as a higher left back.
06:10 I thought he was really, really good.
06:12 He's very, very dependable, I think, Conor.
06:15 But he probably doesn't get enough credit for how good he is on the ball and how much quality he shows as well.
06:19 Chips in quite a few goals.
06:20 So really happy with Conor coming back into the fold and we've asked him again to play 90 after 90 after 90.
06:26 And he's come in and he's done brilliantly well.
06:28 And it just goes to show how much he's put into his rehab.
06:31 Yeah, and looking at the table tonight, looking pretty rosy, would you say?
06:35 Yeah, I think it looks slightly better than it did this afternoon, which is good.
06:40 That's all we can ask for.
06:41 All we can do is take care of the wins here.
06:43 That's what we obviously did.
06:45 And then move on and make sure that we try and win as many games as we possibly can over the next 12.
06:50 And everything else hopefully will take care of itself.
06:53 So we always do pop in and have a look at the results and have a look at the table after.
06:57 But certainly, yeah, it's been a really, really good week for us.
07:01 So the owners have seen two wins this week. Have they now got to stay on?
07:05 Yeah, well, no, because they came to the Bristol Rovers game earlier in the season and saw a draw.
07:09 So they've not got 100% record, but I'm really pleased to have them over.
07:12 We had a really good chat on Wednesday. It was just all football related.
07:16 And that's the best thing about, first of all, my role.
07:21 And second of all, the owners coming over and showing a huge amount of interest and passion for the football club.
07:26 And I'm sure the fans are getting to grips with that.
07:29 Not only the amount of money they put into it, but trust me, I wouldn't come out and lie.
07:34 They absolutely love football and they love Portsmouth.
07:36 They're lifelong fans.
07:39 and so I know everyone there can start to understand that.
07:41 So brilliant to have them.