Pompey 'can't drift into panic territory'

BBC News

08-04-2025

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho has warned his players they cannot let themselves drift into a situation that is "too precarious" as he bids to keep them in the Championship.After losing four of their last six league games, including Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Millwall, Portsmouth are 17th and four points above the relegation zone going into their final six matches. Ahead of a trip to Coventry City on Wednesday, Pompey manager Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent: "You have to get the right balance between remaining calm and making sure there is urgency as well about the way that we play and the fact that we do need to pick up points."We can't let ourselves drift into any situations that become too precarious and we've got to try and pick up as many points as quickly as we can."What you don't want to do is drift over into sort of panic territory and press the panic buttons, so not to confuse urgency with panic, but also not to confuse calmness with complacency."You've got to get the right mixture of of those two things and make sure that you come out on the right side of it. We want to be serious about the position we're in."
Mousinho felt a lack of physicality and aggression in certain areas cost his side against Millwall, who had success at the Den with a more direct approach.Mousinho said: "I think that Coventry will probably try and play a bit more."Coventry have got that option [to be direct with two strikers] as well with [Haji] Wright and [Ellis] Simss, physical centre-forwards."They've got good physicality and athleticism throughout the team as well. They'll really have the ability to mix it."Until very recently they were the form team in the country. It's been an amazing job [by Frank Lampard] of taking Coventry from the bottom half of the table right up to play-off contenders."They sit one point outside the play-offs at the moment so, certainly in Frank's time there, they've been absolutely phenomenal."