Pompey 1-1 Hull: John Mousinho's post-match verdict

The News, Portsmouth

Pompey boss John Mousinho talks to The News after the Blues' final game of the season against Hull.

Transcript

00:00Here with Pompey boss John Messina on the final day.

00:04John, I think your players certainly fulfilled their obligation to the championship today.

00:08Yeah, I felt not relieved because I knew that we'd have a group of players that go into this

00:14and go with the right mentality.

00:16But probably after the first 10-15 minutes, I thought, right, we really need to liven up here.

00:20We weren't being professional enough.

00:22We didn't do the right things.

00:23But after the goal went in, I thought it was probably the best thing that could happen to us

00:25because we settled into the game after that.

00:27And I played really well, particularly for the second half.

00:29So, pleased with that overall because after the opening, I thought it could be a long afternoon.

00:34It felt like towards the end of the first half and probably most of the second half,

00:38you were just lying in the assentancy asking a lot of the questions.

00:40Yeah, I think apart from the brilliant tackle, apart from that, it was by and large,

00:44you know, sort of pressure on the holes goal.

00:47They always had threatened to make those decisions and through the afternoon

00:50and the finale and the lack of appreciation at the end.

00:52Yeah, you know, we looked at the line-up

00:57and we looked at what we thought was the best possible line-up to try and win the game

01:02and that's what we landed on there.

01:03So, it was great.

01:04It was great from that perspective.

01:06We obviously wanted to win the game.

01:07We would have loved to have won the game and we didn't manage to do that.

01:09But at the end, it was a really nice occasion

01:12because we managed to spend a lot of time on the pitcher,

01:14even probably a bit more so than we even did last year.

01:17So, that was really good for us.

01:19In keeping with most of the season, they picked up a couple of injuries,

01:21which kind of seems poignant, doesn't it?

01:23Yeah, Harvey really early on with that challenge.

01:26It was a poor challenge and Harvey's injured off the back of that.

01:30That's to remind me of the other injury.

01:32Oh, the Marlon just cramps.

01:33Oh, the cramp was it?

01:34The first 90 minutes, sorry, the first start he's had in a while,

01:38so understandable.

01:40Sorry for me as well.

01:42With hay fever.

01:43I'll make sure I'm drugged up by then.

01:47With the antihistamist.

01:49You clarified that.

01:50Yeah, yeah, yeah, just in case I said, I hope I.

01:53At the end there, obviously, that lap of appreciation is rather a nice moment.

01:56And for a lot of the players, it would be goodbye, naturally,

01:59some of the farewell, but hopefully not goodbye.

02:01There's a different dynamic there, so it's nice to have a moment.

02:04Yeah, I think so.

02:05You look at players that return today,

02:07the likes of Abu Kamara, really pleased that he got that ovation

02:10when he came off the pitch,

02:11and he'll always be a special part of the football club.

02:13Anybody that's played for the football club

02:14will always have a really special place here,

02:18particularly over the past couple of seasons.

02:19And I think it's a really proud thing that players should do.

02:23I think it's just staying in the Championship,

02:25and for that, they should be really proud.

02:26Yeah, nice moment for Freddie Potts there, wasn't there?

02:28That ovation from all sides of the ground.

02:30Yeah, and he massively deserves it.

02:32It was one of those, if we could have made more substitutions,

02:34maybe we could do the same with Rob,

02:36and we could bring a couple of the lone players on as well.

02:37But, you know, with Freddie in particular,

02:40who's been here for such a long time and done such a good job,

02:43and most likely we won't see him next year, unfortunately.

02:46It was a really good moment.

02:48Yeah, so you say you won't see him next season?

02:49I mean, I suspect he'll go back in challenge at West Ham.

02:52So, look, if we do it, it's great.

02:54If we do, it's a bonus, I think.

02:55But that would be my expectation for Fred next year.

02:58And if not, then we'll certainly be knocking on the door

03:00and hopefully first in the queue.

03:00I think he'll say first in the queue,

03:01a bit like Rob Atkinson, hopefully, then.

03:03But do you think he's ready to make that step now?

03:05I've seen a lot of evidence,

03:08particularly over the past six weeks,

03:09that he's ready to make that step.

03:10I think if he was our player,

03:13I'd be expecting a lot of bids from him

03:14from Premier League clubs in the summer.

03:16So the fact that West Ham are giving him a new contract,

03:18they know what they're doing there.

03:20And they're smart operators.

03:21Whether they're thinking it's going to be another year

03:23to have a line or not, I don't know.

03:24And hopefully we'll see what Bristol City do in the playoffs

03:26and then go from there.

03:28But we'd love to see both of them back in the playoffs.

03:30That was my next question with Rob Atkinson.

03:32Do we now become all Bristol City fans?

03:34Does that have a plate of...

03:35Probably.

03:36If we're going to be honest about it.

03:38Yeah.

03:38We'll see.

03:39We'll see.

03:39It's one of those.

03:40We can watch and enjoy the playoffs now

03:42like we did last year.

03:43And I'm sure you've been aware

03:44that you were spotted at a game last night

03:45and allowed at Crystal Palace,

03:46Hindelone, Stafford.

03:48Can you tell us anything about that?

03:50Yeah, I mean, it's...

03:51You know, I'll always be open and honest about games.

03:54Nearly two games as possible.

03:55I think at this stage where it's the quarterfinals

03:57it's a really exciting time

03:59to see some of the young talent that's emerging

04:01and plenty on both sides for Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

04:04So, it was just nice to actually enjoy the game

04:07and not have today to worry about.

04:08So, yeah, just one of those.

04:11I'm going to keep going to games next week as well.

04:12So, yeah, we can keep guessing all we want

04:14and, you know, I'm not going to comment on anything.

04:15I was going to say,

04:15first you're on the name Hindelone, Stafford.

04:17Are you going to give your...

04:18Well, go on, you say it.

04:19Yeah, you know, he's contracted to Crystal Palace.

04:22So, yeah, until then,

04:23particularly with the young lads, right?

04:24So, I don't want to create any pressure

04:26on the young boys either.

04:27And it's not the first time I've seen Crystal Palace.

04:30I think it's the fourth time I've seen them.

04:31It's not the first time I've seen Chelsea.

04:33I've been to a lot of games this year

04:35because I really enjoy them

04:36and the standard's great.

04:37So, you can get there without any traffic as well,

04:40which is amazing with the Premier League two games.

04:42Just on that, is that a fee,

04:44without naming names, et cetera,

04:45you're still looking into that market

04:47and you still think that's one

04:47that can reap dividends?

04:49Well, yeah, we did...

04:50If you look at what we did last year

04:52with Abou and with Robbo

04:54coming from the PL2,

04:57coming from the 21s,

04:59we took loans from there.

05:00We've done the same this year

05:01with the likes of Cade on loan,

05:03Mark on loan,

05:04and obviously taking Harvey as a permanent.

05:07So, those are, in theory,

05:10and a lot of the time in practice as well,

05:11the best young players coming through

05:12from those cat ones at the very top.

05:14And not all of them are going to get a chance

05:16at the first team for their Premier League clubs

05:17and that's a really good opportunity

05:19for us a lot of the time.

05:20And you talked about the brutal business of football

05:23and the retainer's obviously essential

05:25to that at the moment.

05:26Where do things stand at the moment

05:27since we last spoke?

05:29We're going to have another chat tomorrow,

05:30myself, Rich, Andy and Tony,

05:32and we'll loop up.

05:33We've ran into that as well

05:34and just see what we think

05:35if now the dust has settled.

05:37We're pretty advanced with all the decisions

05:40that we've made

05:41and it's just now about communicating to players.

05:42So, you're pretty much clear

05:43on where you're going to go on those ones

05:45that maybe there's one or two

05:46that might be more in the balance than others?

05:48Yeah, yeah, I think so.

05:49And that's where,

05:50particularly towards the back of the season,

05:51you just have to take the season as a whole

05:52and make the decisions,

05:54I think, objectively

05:55and yeah, go from there.

05:56Would you be communicating those tomorrow

05:58or is it going to be

05:59just between now and Monday?

06:01Between, yeah,

06:02we'll,

06:03it depends on players.

06:04Some players are,

06:06some players have got different plans,

06:07but yeah,

06:07we'll make sure that by the end of the week

06:08and actually probably much sooner

06:10by Tuesday or Monday.

06:11Okay, all right.

06:12Just finally then,

06:13how do you reflect on the tumultuous campaign

06:15and your evolution as manager,

06:18I suppose,

06:18and your tenure at Portsmouth?

06:20Yeah, very positively,

06:22I think.

06:22We're very grateful to be here today

06:24and not having anything to pay for.

06:26I holler,

06:27they're safe now

06:28and they can have a party,

06:29but I would not have liked

06:30to have been in their shoes

06:30for the full 90 minutes.

06:33And I think that's credit

06:34to everyone at the football club

06:35in terms of what we've managed to achieve,

06:36to be safe with two games to spare.

06:38I think the amount of times

06:39we've been stood here after games

06:40and the situation's been perilous,

06:42we've been flirting with the relegation zone

06:44for the majority of the season.

06:45So to be able to finish 16th

06:47and be safe with two games to go,

06:49I think that represents

06:50a very, very successful season.

06:52Having said that,

06:53we want to improve as a football club.

06:55We don't want to be in this situation.

06:58We're not all of a sudden saying

06:59we're going to fly away with it.

07:01We know that the most important thing

07:02next season is to score

07:03our championship status again

07:04and build as a football club.

07:06But we have to try and push a bit higher.

07:09Whether that's trying to push

07:10high on the 16th or not,

07:11I think we'll see.

07:12But it's probably more about

07:13being competitive across the season.

07:15We weren't competitive

07:15in enough games across the season.

07:17And the second part of that question

07:19in terms of the evolution

07:20as a head coach

07:21and as a football club in general,

07:22I think that we've learned

07:23a huge amount.

07:24We've learned a huge amount

07:25about the championship,

07:26about our own squad,

07:26about what we need to do better

07:27going into next season.

07:28And I think we're in a good position

07:29to try and act upon that.

07:31Congratulations.

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