John Mousinho's verdict on Portsmouth staying up after beating Watford

The News, Portsmouth

Pompey boss John Mousinho's on staying up with two games to spare.

Transcript

00:00First of all, congratulations John, you've kept Pompey in the Championship.

00:08Yeah, that's the most important thing. That was the remit before the start of the season,

00:13it was the remit before the start of the game today and we've managed to do it.

00:16It hasn't quite sunk in yet, I think, because of the nature of the game and how bizarre the second half was in particular.

00:22Once it does, I think we'll be extremely satisfied as a football club with where we've come.

00:27The most important thing has definitely been to make sure that we stay in the league this year.

00:30It gives us a massive boost, I think, first of all financially, but in terms of being able to retain players,

00:36retain the fan base, all of these sorts of things, I think are really, really important to build again next year.

00:42We're going to try and do exactly that, build again next year on the positives of this year and try and be successful.

00:50How can you build again for next year?

00:52I think we have to take all of the lessons that we've learned this year.

00:58Whether that's me tactically as a coach, we've changed a huge amount as a coaching staff,

01:03particularly as we probably went into the season thinking we'd probably be able to play like we did last season.

01:08We had to change that. Sometimes I look back and I think we didn't change it quick enough,

01:13but it's something that we managed to do. Interesting enough, slightly off the top of that,

01:19I think we've managed to draw a bit of that back over the last few games.

01:22We played some really good football scores and really good goals, so that's definitely a progression for next year.

01:25But I think we have to learn all the lessons from this year, which we'll review over the next couple of weeks.

01:33I thought we did that actually really well in January in terms of the players we went out and got.

01:38And so I think there's real positive signs that we're going to be able to do that.

01:41And it's just about building on that. I think it's about not getting too carried away, realising they can.

01:45If we're sat here, we're stood here this time next year, we're still a championship club.

01:49That's a good achievement. Not having ambitions too low. We don't have ambitions that are that low.

01:53We want to win every game, but it's about making sure we don't get too carried away.

01:56We establish Portsmouth as a championship club first and foremost and then go from there.

02:00To do it with two games to spare as well, at times this season that looks impossible.

02:05Oh yeah, you and I have spoken so many times after games this year where if we had scraped it in the last minute against Hull and stayed up,

02:13we would have both taken that. Yeah, I think it's a reflection of where we've been.

02:18I think certainly post West Brom, that was probably the last game I thought we were really out of it and we just didn't compete at all.

02:25We've competed in every game since then. We've had some very, very strong performances.

02:30We've cut out those games where they're 3-4 down at half-time where we've been blown away, particularly away from home.

02:35And that's been a real positive. That's been something that we've grown upon massively.

02:40But yeah, I think to do it with two games to go at any point during the season would have absolutely bitten your hand off.

02:45How have you done it? As players, as management, how have you done it?

02:48I think the biggest thing is that the players have never taken the lows and been too negative with anything.

02:57And we've spoken relentlessly this year about being positive but realistic.

03:01We had to be positive but realistic over the first 15 games. We won one, including the Cup game.

03:06So, as a coaching staff, first of all, I think we've had to tweak. Definitely had to tweak.

03:11Probably tweak is an understatement. We've changed a lot. We've learnt a huge amount.

03:15And I think the players have as well. The players, I thought, adjusted after seven or eight games.

03:19The players took on board everything that we spoke about. And to be honest, we've always come back into a change.

03:25We're willing to learn and we're willing to go again. And the most important, we're willing to graft.

03:29Some of the work rate the latter have put in this season has been absolutely incredible.

03:32I don't think there's a single game where we've looked at it and gone. The work rate hasn't been there.

03:36We've lost some games by big margins, but the work rate's always been there.

03:39I think that's been reflected in the response we've always had from the family as well.

03:42You say it hasn't sunk in yet. When do you think it will sink in?

03:45I don't know. Probably we'll have a day off tomorrow. I don't know. It's one of those weird ones.

03:51It's a bit like when we got promoted this time last year when we won the league.

03:55It felt so surreal in the evening because my head was so far and ghosting the game

04:00and making sure we got over the line in that game that it didn't quite sink in.

04:04And all of a sudden, you're back on the next day thinking about who you're going to sign in the summer

04:08and what your plans are for pre-season. I don't know. It's one of those that if you'd ask me at any point during this season,

04:13I said, oh, it's going to be this fantastic celebration. I'm going to enjoy the next couple of weeks

04:20and enjoy tonight, but I think the nature of the players and the nature of the coaching staff,

04:26we're going to probably get back on it pretty quickly in terms of planning for next year.

04:30And a few players got injuries today as well, didn't they?

04:33Yeah, we don't want players to make injuries, but a reflection of where we are as a group

04:38in terms of players putting their bodies on the line.

04:41Colby was absolutely dead on his feet. I think he's just picked up a bit of cramp on his calf,

04:45but dead on his feet. He's given absolutely everything for the football club.

04:49And the response from Colby, the response from Murph, Jordan Williams, I think,

04:55has probably picked up a bit more of a serious injury, but particularly the players that have sort of

05:01walked off the pitch dead on their feet, that summarises where the group's at.

05:05What is Jordan Williams? They look like hamstring.

05:07Hamstring. I think he's done his hamstring the same as at Plymouth.

05:09So, I don't think that'll be one we've seen for the rest of the season.

05:13We obviously saw how emotional he was as well at the time.

05:15I'd say gutted for him because we got him back in for a couple of games.

05:19He played against Millwall and played against Coventry.

05:21I thought he did really well in both of those games.

05:23We rested him for the Derby game because we've got really good options at right-back as well.

05:27He came back in and was outstanding, I thought, dealing with anything that knowledge to do at him on Friday.

05:33And, again, dealt with, I think, Vati, one of the top-run prospects on the wing.

05:39I thought they dealt with him really well.

05:41And you can tell because he's got himself back into that move and he's got himself back into the playing side of it.

05:47We didn't feel it was a risk for him today because he's had that bank of football previously,

05:51so we just have to try and get the bottom of it.

05:53And Josh Murphy?

05:54I think Murph's just taken a whack with the ball's gone out through a corner here.

05:56I think he's fine.

05:57He doesn't come off again as much, does he?

05:59No, we don't like bringing Murph off, so I think he's fine.

06:03I'll check with him, but that's not one I think we have to be concerned about.

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