Liverpool signing’s Portsmouth future made clear as Mousinho discusses Fratton exit for starlet
John Mousinho is unconcerned over Harvey Blair’s inability to make a concerted Pompey breakthrough as he sits in the stands.
And the Blues boss stressed the £300,000 Liverpool signing remains a long-term project, as he discussed his lack of first-team football at Fratton Park.
Hopes were high for the winger following his August capture, but playing time has been limited for Blair this term and restricted to eight outings off the bench.
The last of those arrived at Swansea in November, with the 21-year-old making one of Mousinho’s past nine squads.
The Pompey boss isn’t worried about that, however, as he adjusts to the step up senior football, with Mousinho stating there’s no plans to send Blair out on loan next season.
He said: ‘There’s no panic with Harvey, in terms of his long-term development.
‘Harvey’s had a little bit of involvement, but he’s also had the injuries he’s picked up.
‘We see it with a load of players and you see it with players who come out of PL2 all of the time. We had it with Robbo (Alex Robertson) last season. He had a really, really solid first half of the season and ended up tearing his hamstring in January.
‘Abu (Kamara) was a real exception to the rule, but bear in mind Abu really struggled when he was first here.
‘I guarantee if you look at all the first loaners, even though we know Harvey’s not a loan it’s the equivalent of his first loan, there are very, very few who come in and just hit the ground running.
‘We purchased Harvey as a long-term project who we think will be successful at this football club.
‘Who knows (what could happen over a loan), we haven’t got that intention (of going out on loan) at the moment. My challenge to him is to come back in pre-season and challenge for the first team, I’ve actually got really high hopes of that.
‘I expect by the time we’re sat around for pre-season that he will not be out on loan.’
Blair has shown signs of the natural ability and attacking talent which saw Pompey trail the Huddersfield-born winger extensively, before making their move last summer.
But there’s also been indications of the inexperience he currently has at Championship level, something Mousinho is comfortable with.
He added: ‘That’s fine (signs of inexperience), we expect that from young lads.
‘We had the luxury last year of being able to play Abu through some difficult times, because we were winning games and found ways to win games.
‘Abu was developing in that first half of the season and we were giving him that exposure, but it was never an issue. We never looked at it and thought this or that is going to cost us the game, so he got that time. Then when he hit his stride around November time he was unplayable at times, certainly one of our best players last season.
‘But he had that luxury of adapting, whereas the situation this season has made it slightly more difficult for some of the young lads to come through and have that time.
‘People may make the argument about Freddie (Potts), but it’s his second loan. He’s had that experience, gone out and played 40 games in the league, so by the time we get him he’s gone through most of the things some of the others lads haven’t gone through.’