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.
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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.