'He's improved': John Mousinho on why the time is now right for Portsmouth to unleash ex-Newcastle man
John Mousinho believes Elias Sorensen’s adjustment period is almost over - resulting in his Oxford United start.
The Blues boss last month insisted the striker required time to adapt following his return to English football after a four-year absence.
Certainly his early Pompey appearances had been sporadic and largely from the bench, despite netting 23 minutes into his debut at Leeds.
However, Sorensen was handed his just third start in last weekend’s visit of Oxford United, partnering Mark O’Mahony in attack in a new-look 3-5-2 playing system.
And while the 25-year-old missed a first-half penalty in the 1-1 draw, Mousinho was delighted with his display - and ongoing improvement.
Pompey’s head coach told The News: ‘Is he still adapting? Yes and no, because I thought he was really good against Oxford.
‘Eli could have gone under when the penalty didn’t go in, but he was still a threat, he had some really good touches, physically he was much, much better than we’d seen in previous weeks. He was getting himself up against the centre-half.
‘It’s just about those moments in the box where the ball falls to him and he gets those opportunities, once he sharpens up then he’ll get a lot more goals.
‘I think we’ve seen an improvement, that’s why we played him.’
Meanwhile, Mousinho has no qualms over Sorensen taking the third-minute penalty he subsequently missed.
With previous spot-kick takers Kusini Yengi, Colby Bishop and Callum Lang sidelined, the Dane took the ball off Josh Murphy to carry out duties.
However, Oxford keeper Jamie Cumming dived to his left to keep out Sorensen’s effort and deny the Blues what would have been a perfect start to the match.
Mousinho added: ‘You want your number nine on the penalties and you want you to be a confident player and Eli’s that.
‘It’s fine, it’s one of things, we’ve missed penalties before at Fratton Park and unfortunately also didn’t put it into the back of the net on this occasion.
‘Eli is the one we want to take the penalties. If in the moment, for whatever reason, he hadn’t been confident and Murphy fancied it, then we’re happy with that as well. Players just get on with it - and Eli fancied it.’