Pompey boss John Mousinho previews the EFL League One trip to Lincoln City as well as the contract futures of his 15 out-of-contract champions.
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00:00It's been a bit more normal than our approach to Wigan because we had those
00:07the celebrations after the game on Tuesday night we we didn't get back into
00:11the building until Friday and then physically and mentally I think the lads
00:13were completely drained so it's been much better this week in terms of the
00:17preparation we've had normal training sessions today and yesterday we'll be
00:19back in the building Friday and obviously travelling to Lincoln so I
00:22think we'll be in a lot better shape as a squad and then in terms of the game
00:26itself just making sure that obviously with with Lincoln having a huge amount
00:30to play for we respect the integrity of the competition whatever side we feel
00:34we know we're going to be strong and we're going to put outside that we think
00:37it's going to be competitive we haven't decided what that's going to look like
00:39yet but I think it's a really good game for us to finish off the season and we're
00:43looking to finish positively after the disappointment of the result last
00:46weekend.
00:51Yeah and it's going to be very very different for both for both sides we
00:56obviously want to win the game but for Lincoln there's a huge amount resting on
00:59the outcome of the game and you know not so much for us which is a really nice
01:03thing to be able to say going into the last game of the season but we want to
01:06reward the travelling fans we want to win games one of the things that we've
01:09we've always done consistently this season is want to win every single game
01:12that we play in every single competition regardless of who we're able to play and
01:15who we're not and that's there's no different for the weekend I think it's
01:18important that we go into the start of next season with a good performance and
01:23a win hopefully and it's going to be a really interesting afternoon because of
01:26the crowd and because of everything Lincoln have got to play for.
01:35We're not sure yet it's going to be something that we could sit down with
01:39the staff over the next couple of days there's plenty of it's difficult there's
01:43plenty of players that deserve a chance to play but we don't go off of that
01:46because there's you know we go off what we think is going to win a football game
01:50for us and we always have done throughout the season and we're going to
01:53try and find the right balance I think but I think regardless of what side we
01:56put out we are going to go into it believing we can win the game and we're
01:59going to go into it believing that we have a very very strong side we've done
02:02that throughout the season even when we've made 10-11 changes we've had some
02:05excellent results I remember off the back of playing Chesterfield and
02:10starting what might have been perceived as our strongest 11 I think we made 11
02:13changes going into the game on Tuesday night against Leyton Orient and still
02:17on there off off no rest so those sort of things I think are sort of things
02:23that run throughout this squad this season we want all players to be able to
02:27compete for a starting lineup and I genuinely think we've got that so if you
02:31look at the players have been left out of the squad at the weekend just as an
02:35example we've got Tom Lowry started a huge amount of games for us and Terry
02:39Devlin's had a real impact Riley Towler we know everything we need to know about
02:42Riley Josh Martin's come in he started games he's done well for us and you know
02:47even the players on the bench really really strong bench Myles we had to
02:50leave out a couple of squads who had a massive impact coming on alone so I'm
02:53just highlighting those players to to really re-emphasize that whatever side
02:57we pick we think we're going to be strong we've got 24 fit pros at the
03:06moment including the goalkeepers so it's been difficult selecting squads over the
03:09past couple of weeks and I name those four players that we left out of the
03:12squad at the weekend that probably tells you that strength and depth and
03:15you know we've really got a difficult decision on our hands I
03:20think as we as we go into the the back end of the season and and leaving
03:25players out is tough leaving players out of squads is even more difficult but it's a
03:29much better position I think to be in rather than struggling with with all the
03:33injuries we've just got a few injuries back at a good time and actually
03:36you know a really good time because we came into the back end of the season
03:40able to make those changes that we were made to freshen things up for for those
03:44difficult games and I thought obviously it's seen us in good stead because we
03:48we went and got the results we need to get yeah and and a difficult thing I
03:56think obviously from my point of view it's it's not a nice thing to have to
04:01release players at the back end of the season but it happens it happens every
04:05single year there's never going to be a year where you don't release anybody and
04:08it's a tough yeah it's a tough thing it's a tough thing I think for players
04:10to face it I think for the club to face and it's about getting the right balance
04:13between what players deserve and what's right for the football club and what we
04:17think is going to make us competitive at the next level and that is a difficult
04:20thing we did it at the back end of last year as well in terms of what players
04:23might deserve versus what we thought was going to make us competitive at the top
04:25end of League One and it always is getting the right balance and making
04:28sure that whatever we do we we make the decision in the best interest of the
04:31football club with everything we need to balance next season and how competitive
04:35we need to be next season and that's what we'll be making those decisions
04:37based on. Loanees of course as well, they'll be going back, so they'll be missing as well?
04:41Yeah so we've got the four loanees going back and and they've all had a huge
04:46impact on what we've been able to do this season so that's obviously another
04:51market we will explore we wanted to be less reliant on loans this year I think
04:55we managed to achieve that whilst having some really really excellent loan
04:58performances but who knows what it's going to look like next year because to
05:01be competitive at the next level I think you have to make sure that loans form a
05:06big part of that sort of competitive advantage that you take going into
05:10going into any league to be honest. Will you be sad on Sunday that that will be the last moment this special squad will be together?
05:16I think so, there'll be a tinge of sadness but also you've just got to be
05:20realistic in football and and realise that that happens it happens all the
05:23time and I think if we'd have been promoted or won the league on the last
05:27day of the season it's all a bit of a whirlwind and you don't have too much
05:30time to enjoy everything we've had plenty of time to enjoy it all the
05:33players have had plenty of time to enjoy Tuesday Saturday with the families
05:36and and the kids to settle down this week we've got another brilliant day
05:40coming up on Sunday so I think overall there's there is a bit of room for
05:44sentiment and then unfortunately come Monday morning that's all gone and we
05:47have to get on with the job. In terms of injuries and invalidabilities, any new ones at all?
05:53No new injuries at all we've got that the 24-man squad to pick from so I think if
05:57you if you look at the likes of Ben Stevenson, Tom Lowry they're back
06:01to full fitness available for selection even Josh Dockle's back in full training
06:04not available for selection it's just a bit too soon but really nice to see him
06:09back in full training after the injury that he sustained I think at Gosport
06:12and also to have Tom and Ben back fully fit is a real bonus. Terry Devlin as well, he wouldn't have been out for the season would he have come in?
06:20Yeah sorry Terry's the other one that I forgot about so Terry was available for
06:23selection at the weekend against Wigan he will be again against Lincoln and just
06:27yeah a little bit ahead of schedule which has been brilliant testament to
06:29the work that he's done and the physiotherapy team's done to get him back so quickly.
06:32Is it too early for him now? Is it not worth risking?
06:35I don't think so I think everything that we've all the indications we've had from
06:39S&C and from the physiotherapy department tell us that he is
06:42ready to come back in and play whether we do that at the weekend or whether we
06:46just leave it and go but let's have a really good preseason I'm not sure yet
06:50we'll make that decision over the next couple of days but really good to have
06:53him back in the fold particularly because when Terry come out the side he'd
06:56come off the back of a couple of really really strong performances away at
07:00Fleetwood and away at Port Vale.