Northampton 0-3 Pompey: John Mousinho's post-match verdict

The News, Portsmouth

Pompey boss John Mousinho chats to The News after the Blues' 3-0 win at Northampton

Transcript

00:00 Here with Pompey boss John Massino. John that was an enjoyable afternoon to watch from the press box

00:05 How was it from the slightly colder conditions down on the touchline?

00:08 Yeah, I never know if I can fully enjoy the games. I probably enjoyed it for maybe the last two or three minutes

00:13 I don't that's just the way it is until the games are properly secure it

00:16 It never feels that way for me, even if it did that up there, but to be honest, I

00:20 Did enjoy the football that we played today. I thought there was some excellent stuff and

00:26 We were I think we switched from a very professional performance on Tuesday night to one that went beyond that today

00:31 You know really really pleasing in almost every aspect of the game

00:35 So obviously the results the most important thing but to come away and play as well as we did is

00:39 Extra pleasing if I can take it half by half at times in the first half. It was a rampant showing

00:45 Going forward how pleasing was that?

00:48 Yeah

00:48 We looked like a real threat on the break and Northampton committed a lot of men forward we knew they do that so we had

00:53 A job to do making sure that we sort of nullified their attacking threat, which they've definitely got with their front four

00:58 And you know the the four that we we obviously have on the other side of it

01:03 I think create constant problems for sides and when they direct and when they get out sides

01:07 With what we've got behind that in terms of ball playing ability. I think we can cause sides real problems

01:12 So I thought we yeah, we're really good value for the two-nil at halftime

01:15 Maybe a couple of more obviously Cassie at the bar and we had a couple of opportunities

01:19 Christian not quite shooting when he's through and penalty shout as well

01:22 But yeah, it was really really good stuff at all and then the control you largely exercise in the second half

01:28 Yeah, that was that was brilliant

01:29 Sometimes these games are very very difficult when Northampton were clearly gonna come out and they made the sub

01:34 They were gonna come out differently in the second half and we got that early goal

01:37 Which obviously helped things but to play some of the foot we did still under under pressure

01:41 Yeah, you know

01:42 We've been there right this season where we were three up against Barnsley and one goal really changes the game change the entire momentum

01:48 Of it and we kept playing and we kept controlling the game and that was that was really good to watch and even right towards

01:54 The end I thought you saw with that that move that didn't quite come off Joe Rafferty down the right-hand side

01:57 We kept playing we kept one in the ball and and that is the most important thing for me making sure that we're brave in

02:02 Everything we do we know about Cassini and his quality qualities his natural abilities his physical qualities and pace

02:08 But there was elements of leading the line that were really caught the eye and was quite pleasing to see as well

02:12 Yeah, I mean funnily enough. I've just spoken about there with with the press where everybody

02:18 Talks about Cassini's goals

02:19 He scored so many in such a short amount of time when he first burst onto the scene in this country and that's great

02:24 That's brilliant. But there's there's much more to his game. There's much more we demand from this game

02:28 I'd say it with any of our centre-forward. So I say it when Colby's in the side and

02:32 Lovely, the goals are brilliant. But what we want to do is to lead the line if you don't score

02:36 I do care a bit

02:38 There's there's plenty more to come and you'll bring other players into the game and that's what Cass did

02:41 So if you look at Paddy's goal where and he brings him into the game

02:46 It leads the line occupies two centre-halves work right was brilliant. He's quick. He's a different threat. And so yeah, I'm

02:53 Such a casting get his goal. He'll be disappointed with that. But apart from that I thought it was a really pleasing performance

02:58 Especially considering the other started a single league game for us. So he's been 18 games without a start came in. Yeah

03:05 From from where he's been and he's been really good

03:09 Yeah, put Elaine two goals and I mean he had the Northampton defense on toast at times in that in that match

03:14 So I thought he was a constant threat Paddy. It was from the far side here in the first half

03:19 He kept running in behind and he kept getting the ball kept looking like he was he was really really likely

03:23 And you know, that was that was really pleasing me. We we obviously play Paddy the majority of the time on the right

03:29 I thought Abu the other night was a real threat on the right and we wanted to rest Josh Martin considering he had two games

03:34 in four days

03:36 And Paddy came on against Burton. It looked really sharp

03:38 So a couple of things were pad the first one he's running behind me was a threat

03:42 Yeah, really pleasing thing is that he put the final touches to his game which he sometimes has had when he scored those three goals

03:49 And he had that spell. Okay Paddy's coming into it. They probably took his

03:53 Not and not his eye off anything

03:55 But no then when he got into those opportunities in the recent games

03:59 We haven't seen the quality that we know he's got and that was something we go all it

04:01 We are gonna demand a bit a bit more from you because we know you've got it. Yeah

04:05 We wouldn't bother and and you know, Paddy put it all together today

04:08 Maybe apart from that that final finish where he was through for the for the hat trick, but yeah, really really pleased for him

04:13 You've told him you should have had a hat trick. Not yet. He's standing there

04:16 And Sean Raggett, okay

04:19 We spoke about a minute in the press and the build up to the game how he can fit in with your your football ideas

04:23 And I think he showed that while showing his natural attributes today as well

04:27 Yeah, I mean what we know about Sean in terms of being able to defend

04:31 his his own box and then be able to attack the other box and

04:35 Being a very very consistent defender at this level over very very many years. We all know that about Sean and

04:42 He doesn't let you down with that and I thought today

04:44 Sean and and Connor to be fair and with with will were very very brave on the ball and and create some really good

04:51 Opportunities for us and controlled the game a lot of the play came from the back and I did ask the boys to be brave

04:57 I didn't think we'd done that enough against blackpool

04:59 I thought was a bit too easy for them to win the ball back

05:01 But today there was some excellent stuff from both of them and obviously really pleased that Sean's got his goal

05:05 Gets a clean sheet and played as well as as well as he did

05:08 Yeah

05:09 There was one moment honestly back from Christian Sadie in the first half when look like the Northampton defenders were bouncing off him as he

05:13 Is he went through it's easy to see why he's a fan's favorite when he produces moments like that

05:18 You know Christian gives us everything he gives us absolutely everything. It's easy to forget that he's only 21 and

05:23 He's had a couple of stints on loan obviously

05:26 But he's not I don't think he's had the stints where the demand on him has been where it is at the moment

05:31 IE we're playing for Portsmouth now and you know, you have to be at every single minute of every single day

05:36 And you know, he provides us with something very very different

05:41 He makes things happen and even you know that chance in the first half where the only disappointment

05:44 He didn't put it away and didn't shoot earlier. I suppose. Yeah, you know, he's got that

05:49 He's got quality as well and and his work rates right up there

05:52 So, you know, sometimes we're we on him to keep his fitness up and get his work rate going

05:57 But the position we were asking to play as well when he's got a lock on to a midfielder and the two midfielders or three

06:01 Midfielders that Northampton had in there all really good players as well. Yeah, and so that side of it's really positive for him

06:07 - Colby Bishop was going through the scam. What's it? What's the update with him? Yes, we've got the scan results

06:12 We are sending it off for a second opinion, but it's some positive because there's

06:16 Scar tissue in there from a previous injury, which shows us sometimes being problematic, but that's actually not not an issue

06:23 So once we get the second opinion, we think it's gonna be relatively good news

06:27 So probably a matter of sort of three to four weeks rather than anything longer than that

06:31 Which I think considering we were all maybe fearing the worst and still got a reserve something on that just in case we get something

06:37 On the second opinion, but they're pretty positive news. So hopefully seeing this side of the new year

06:41 I mean it's just this context on the on Colby that that is readers that you know a decent result really

06:46 We will see him sort of the in a four weeks period

06:49 You never know with those ankle ligaments ligaments are the horrible one and Regan Paul's obviously not ankle

06:53 But yeah, any ligaments if one of the ligaments goes it can be it can be an issue

06:56 So yeah, you never you never know even like Connor Ogilvie now

07:00 It's been out for a while since that that Cambridge game and not quite ready to return yet. So yeah, they're sometimes really concerning ones

07:07 Especially when he comes out with a boot and crutches so quite quite positive

07:10 Yeah, and it's not what we you know, he's not back tomorrow, but

07:13 Pretty good news. And finally, I mean a return to the top of the table

07:17 I know a long way to go but it's another plus point on a positive day. It's a massive plus point to go as

07:23 You know as well as we had done and then

07:25 to fall behind on

07:28 Saturday

07:30 It's a tough one. I think to take but some tough one in a good way

07:34 We want we want the boys to feel that disappointment and we want them to make sure they can bounce back in

07:40 Hold on to what they've got in the moment. They are top of the league. I think I'm sorry

07:46 We deserve it today. They've already deserved it over the course of the 19 games we've played

07:50 But yeah, it's quite nice to look at it over the next few days

07:53 But what we've got is a really really tough game coming up against Bolton a week Monday

07:56 So we've got to be properly prepared for that. Cheers. Cheers Jordan

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