Pompey boss John Mousinho speaks ahead of Sunderland match
John Mousinho interviewed before Pompey's clash with Sunderland.
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00:00Last weekend at Middlesbrough, how was your evaluation of the side's performance?
00:05I thought we played well in the first half and we caused Middlesbrough lots of problems.
00:08When we got the press right, it caused a few issues and we created chances when we got pulled out and played in spurs.
00:15I thought we looked like a good side.
00:17Defensively, it's always going to be a difficult one to keep outside of the town that Middlesbrough have got.
00:21We did a good job of the last part of the first half.
00:23I thought we sat a bit deep in the second half and we invited a bit too much pressure.
00:26But I thought naturally as the game went on and Middlesbrough didn't score, maybe that was what we were going to do.
00:31We mainly thought we'd be able to hang on for the last seven minutes.
00:34I think as soon as Middlesbrough equalised, we actually probably showed our most promising spell and Middlesbrough scored down the other end as well.
00:40I think going into the weekend, we'd like a bit more positivity.
00:42We want to get the fun for a bit more.
00:44At the minute, it's relatively difficult because we are patching things together in terms of the team.
00:51We've got a couple of injuries out but we want to make sure that we keep the momentum and go into the international break before we get a few more players back.
01:03I've been really pleased with a lot of aspects of the performances.
01:06First of all, the attitude, the effort levels and what the boys are giving to the football club has been superb.
01:13We've seen that not only to the eye, I think everybody's been able to see that when they watch the games.
01:17We've also seen it in the data that we get back from the running stats.
01:21It's not all about that but I think when the two match up, it's well worth making sure that we emphasise that.
01:26I think that is the bare minimum.
01:28What we probably want to do is maybe see a bit more quality going forward.
01:32Overall, we're really pleased with the start, particularly considering some of the circumstances.
01:36I think it's important for us to get through to the international break when we have a few more players back fit and we get the squad assembled and we get the squad together.
01:44The lads that have come in late, they've had a couple more weeks under their belt.
01:47Get used to the system, get used to training and then go from there.
02:00We're pretty happy with the way things have panned out.
02:02It's been a really interesting summer for us.
02:04The group has been completely different to how it was this time last year.
02:08I think it's a really welcome step up for us.
02:10We want to be in the championship.
02:12We want things to maybe be a bit more difficult for us when we do go up a level and we're competing against some of the bigger clubs.
02:19That's something that we have to deal with and we have to make sure we're good at.
02:22I think the players we've brought in are more than capable of playing at this level.
02:25Because we've brought in a couple later than we did maybe this time last year, it's just taken them a second to get up to scratch and a second to get up to speed, which is fine again.
02:34But I think once we do, we'll assemble a really strong squad.
02:37Freddie Cox has come in on loan from West Ham this week.
02:40What's it been like about him and what can he add to the team?
02:42Freddie had an outstanding season last year on loan at Wickham and was probably the best player.
02:49I'm sure that everybody at Wickham would attest to that.
02:52Whenever we saw him play, he was very, very composed on the ball and really technically gifted and also athletic, number six.
03:00He's had a really good pre-season with West Ham as well.
03:03It took us a while to get him and we wanted to wait and get the right player at the right time.
03:08Because of how highly West Ham rated him, they weren't sure if they were going to let him out.
03:11I'm really pleased we've got Freddie down.
03:13I think he's stepping up to the next level.
03:15I think he's going to have a really good influence in everything.
03:17Back at home this weekend, the Entertainment Society and the Suns have each won their own three league games.
03:22Does that affect your preparation or is it just business as usual?
03:25It doesn't affect the preparation.
03:27In terms of results, results never affect our preparation.
03:29Only the quality of teams and how we approach them in terms of the way the teams want to play.
03:35I think they've been excellent in terms of their quality and what they've actually done in these games so far.
03:41I think Darley deserves to win three games.
03:43Scoring, I think in the process, seven goals and not conceding any.
03:47Very, very well coached.
03:49Some really good young players.
03:51It's going to be a really good game for us on Saturday afternoon.
03:54How much are you looking forward to getting back on home soil and potentially being able to harness the power of that front park ground?
04:00It's a weird one.
04:02The season's been going for a while and we've only had that one home league game.
04:06I think everybody's really missing being back at Fratton.
04:10Thankfully, now we've got two home games on the spin.
04:12We've still got a couple of weeks in between them.
04:14I think that's really positive for us to get back at home to really try and make it as an intimidating atmosphere as possible.
04:20To really get behind the boys.
04:22I know everyone's going to do that.
04:23It's going to be another brilliant crowd, a brilliant afternoon.
04:25I think everyone's going to be cool to it.
04:27I'm kind of shocked to see a missed last weekend's game with the Brits.
04:29How's he doing?
04:31Yeah, he's fine.
04:32He's recovering very quickly from the illness that kept him out.
04:36There's a couple of knocks and bumps and bruises here and there that he's got.
04:41But we're hopeful that he'll be back for the weekend.
04:43How's the rest of the squad looking going into the weekend?
04:46Any players that tend to be back in contention?
04:50I don't think anyone's going to be back in contention for the weekend.
04:52It's going to be a step too soon.
04:53What we have to do is be practical about the way that we approach things.
04:56Because of the fact that we've got two weeks after the Sunderland game,
04:59to really get everyone in a really solid position.
05:01We don't want to hold players back for the sake of it.
05:04But also the likes of Josh Murphy, Jacob Fowler, Tom McIntyre,
05:08who should all be back in time for that West Brom game.
05:10I think it's wise to give them just that extra bit of breathing space.
05:14None of them are actually training so far anyway,
05:16so we're going to probably leave them out for the weekend.
05:19Regan Poole has been back in training.
05:20He's now done one and a half, four weeks worth of training.
05:24I still think he's four to five weeks away from being available for selection
05:27because of the length and the severity of the injury.
05:30And the fact that we have to ensure that he's up to scratch.
05:33Not with the knee, the knee's fine.
05:35It's making sure that everything else around that is strong.
05:38And the only way you can do that is by training,
05:40and making sure that we keep taking over on that.
05:43Really positive on that front, but we've still got time to go.
05:46You've been linked with Paul Dummit, the former Newcastle player.
05:49Is there anything in that at all?
05:50Not at the moment.
05:51Paul's a fantastic player.
05:53He's got a really good pedigree.
05:55He's played in the Premier League for a number of years.
05:58I think the one season Newcastle dropped out of the Championship,
06:00he was excellent in that year as well.
06:02The players that are available are free.
06:05Always interesting for us, but nothing in that at the moment.
06:08Are you looking for a centre-half at the moment?
06:11It's an interesting one because we've got four centre-backs in the building
06:16who we're pleased with, but two of them aren't fit at the minute
06:19and Shox not being available at the weekend.
06:21It may seem like we are thin on the ground.
06:24We are monitoring the market.
06:26I think that's the best way to say anything.
06:28We're not actively looking for anything,
06:29but if something does come up then we're not going to...
06:32I'm definitely going to rule it out.
06:33There are some positions, for example, we've just done in.
06:35That's most positions now, but I think we'll keep an open mind on that one.
06:40Obviously, you've gone makeshift in recent weeks, haven't you,
06:42with Jordan Williams there?
06:44Yeah, Jordan was signed as a right-back.
06:46He played as a right-side centre-half for Barnsley
06:49for the majority of last season.
06:51He's done it quite a few times.
06:53I thought he was really, really good when he came in the weekend,
06:55actually, considering what we were asking of him.
06:57He fit in there really well.
06:58We thought it was a game that suited him.
07:00It isn't the long-term solution for us.
07:02Unfortunately, we have had a few injuries
07:04and it's been a bit of a makeshift back four,
07:06but I think once we get through the weekend,
07:09then hopefully we have a couple of players back
07:12and the backline looks a bit different.
07:15So the fact that centre-halves are coming towards fitness again
07:18means you might not go in the market for another?
07:20Yeah, that does affect things.
07:22We're hopeful that we've got Tom McIntyre back for West Brom
07:25and we're hopeful that Regan is probably back maybe two weeks after that.
07:29What we don't want to do is give ourselves a problem at the back end
07:32where we've got two weeks centre-backs for too few spots.
07:35But it's still a balancing act.
07:37We rule that out completely.
07:38We've got to balance the two off and then go from there.
07:41How many signings are you hopeful of getting before the deadline day ends?
07:45I think we're hopeful of at least one.
07:47There's space for maybe one more,
07:51but we've got to get the right person in if we're going to do that.
07:54It's also about being flexible, even in terms of position.
07:57We haven't necessarily nailed down what that would be
08:00because we feel that we have got players in every position.
08:03If somebody comes up and we think that's the right player
08:06and that player can come fill in and do a job,
08:08then we're not going to turn that one down.
08:10We're keeping a bit of an open mind at the moment.
08:12But off the back of last week, I'm really pleased with where we were
08:15with Harvey and Freddie, who you know still in.
08:17I think they've made a big difference to the squad.
08:19And in terms of departures, because you've got quite a big squad now,
08:22obviously there's injuries there, but it is quite a big squad.
08:24Yeah, using the phrase, probably open mind in terms of departures.
08:29The deal's got to be right for the player, the deal's got to be right for the club.
08:32And I think that now we have a couple of players in the building.
08:36We're probably a bit more open to possibly letting players go if the deal's right.
08:41But for the time being, it's been one of those where we travelled to Liverpool
08:47with 20 players, 19 pros and 19 pros plus Harry Clower.
08:52So we've just not been able to actually look at any of that at the moment.
08:55And so far this week, there's been no activity there.
08:58So yeah, we're pretty satisfied with where we're at.
09:00Has there been interest in any of your players?
09:02That's not a department that I've dealt with at all.
09:04Because I've needed the players for matchday squads,
09:08it's just been one of those where I've left it to Richard and then the group of teams.
09:13So do you anticipate anyone leaving at all before Friday?
09:16Again, if the right offer comes in, and I think that's something that thankfully
09:21I can just get my head down and focus on Sunday and for the weekend.
09:24But I think if the right offer comes in and if a player thinks that it's the right thing to do,
09:28then if we're happy, we're going to send them away.
09:31The squad's 32, including Swan. What do you make of that size?
09:39I think the easiest way to answer that question is to disregard the total number in the squad
09:45because of the number that we have available at the moment.
09:48There are always going to be players that are injured, suspended, players that are alone.
09:54We would like to have more available, but we need to find 20 fit players at the weekend at the moment.
09:59We can't quite find that in our pro squad at the minute, so we have to be careful about it.
10:05It does feel like it's a big number, but at the minute that's just about covering where we are.
10:10When we have injuries back, that might change, but you just never know where you're going to be with injuries.
10:14We spoke so many times last year about when we have those injuries back, when we have those injuries back,
10:19and when we did, somebody else got injured or there was another one-time injury where we got,
10:22we had a three-fit squad, there was something here and there.
10:25It was almost like there were two extremes.
10:28We would either have Saturday morning sessions where we left six out of the squad,
10:32or we were just selected to an 18.
10:35In a strange way, that's where the squad is at.
10:38That's where having good numbers in the squad is worth it.
10:40You don't want to leave yourself too exposed.
10:42How many have you got available at the moment then?
10:45Awkward question.
10:46I'm trying to think what we got back from the weekend.
10:51I don't think we have any returning from the weekend, but Freddie's coming to the mix.
10:56Freddie will be the extra body there.
10:58I think the squad plus Freddie will be largely the same as we have to choose from this weekend.
11:02So last weekend was 20 plus White, Schmid and Potts.
11:08That's 23 then.
11:09Yeah, so about 23.
11:11So that shows you, yeah, you've got a big squad, but 23 available.
11:1423 available, so yeah, that's interesting.