Do Portsmouth look a promotion side? Boss’ response to big question in bid to beat Derby County, Bolton Wanderers, Charlton Athletic & Co to glory
John Mousinho believes Pompey are showing the traits of a promotion side.
But the Blues boss made it clear his team won’t be the real deal in League One until they’ve added consistency to their game.
And Mousinho promised there will be no getting carried away by Pompey’s positive start to the campaign.
Two big performances on the road returned four points in trips to Derby County and Barnsley in the past week.
But the Blues head coach stressed there’s still a long way to go – both in the season and his team’s development.
Mousinho said: ‘Winning games and winning games away from home against good sides is the trait of a promotion contender.
‘And certainly what we did last Saturday, when the chips were down and coming back into the game.
‘Likewise, coming through it when the chips were down at the back end of Tuesday’s game.
‘There were disappointments about how we came through the second half, but we came through with the win after a lot hadn’t gone for us in terms of player availability.
‘That is the sign of a squad which is coming together, I think.
‘But we still have a hell of a long way to go. We’re only eight games in.
‘So we have to make sure we don’t get carried away.’
Lincoln provide the next test for Pompey, as they aim to make it 20 league games unbeaten this weekend.
Backing up the platform they’ve built with a consistent run is Mousinho’s challenge to his players now.
He added: ‘The biggest sign of anyone who wants to achieve anything at any level is consistency.
‘You can’t get carried away with one or two results.
‘That’s the way we’ve been trying to do things this season.
‘On the flip side, when we’ve drawn and not won games we’ve tried not to get too obsessed with anything other than performance.
‘There have been a couple of performances when we felt we needed to do more. The two which spring to mind are Cheltenham and Stevenage.
‘There are other draws where I thought we were excellent, like Bristol Rovers and Derby.
‘There’s always chances to improve and we want to keep the hammer down, but the most important trait is consistency.’
Mousinho: Results A Boost In ‘Brutal’ Schedule
Boss preparing Pompey for Lincoln test
Pompey will be happy to return to Fratton Park on Saturday following a gruelling week on the road.
A trip to Derby was followed by a trek up to Barnsley, with four points collected from that pair of fixtures.
John Mousinho admitted that the relentless League One schedule does have an impact on his table-topping squad.
But ahead of a home clash with Lincoln, he believes that Pompey’s unbeaten opening has provided them with plenty of belief.
The Blues boss said: “It does take a physical and mental toll and we’ve adapted training to ensure we have fresh legs.
“But coming from those two away games – against sides we expect to be up there come the end of the season – with four points has provided a real boost for everyone.
“We’ve given a really good account of ourselves and so there are many, many more positives for us to take.
“The Football League schedule is brutal and relentless – I know exactly what it’s like with all the travel and games.
“It does take a physical and mental toll and we’ve adapted training to ensure we have fresh legs.”
“There’s a demand on teams and a lot of responsibility for the lads to take on board, but they’ve done that brilliantly.
“The key for us, though, is to keep winning. We’ve had four games at home, won two of them, drawn two and want to improve our record at Fratton Park.
“Lincoln have enjoyed a really good start to the season themselves and we know we’ll have to be at our best to beat them.”
There were several players missing for the midweek match at Oakwell and Mousinho provided an update.
He said: “Connor Ogilvie picked up a groin strain on Tuesday and we’ll see how he is once he gets back out on the grass.
“It’s a similar story for Christian Saydee and we’re trying to build him back up – we want to make sure he’s back at full tilt.
“Sean Raggett has trained again and was absolutely fine after getting a knock on his foot, so he’ll be available.
“The longer-term ones are all coming along nicely, with Kusini Yengi and Anthony Scully both back out on the grass, although Tom Lowery is still a couple of weeks away from that.”
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