'Not the end of the world': Defiant Portsmouth boss sets record straight on axing of Luton winger
The Luton loanee has scored once in 15 appearances since joining the Blues in January
John Mousinho played down the significance of Milli Alli’s Oxford United omission and insisted: He missed a game - it’s not the end of the world.
The out-of-sorts winger has been desperately struggling for form of late, having initially burst on the scene at Fratton Park with some sensational early performances.
Such wildly contrasting displays have rendered the Luton loanee’s overall time on the south coast immensely frustrating as Pompey battle for their Championship lives.
It signalled the first time the Irishman hadn’t been named in Mousinho’s line-up, following 15 successive starts since his January arrival from Kenilworth Road.
But Pompey’s head coach defended Alli - and hinted he may be recalled at Middlesbrough on Saturday (3pm).
‘I think he has been excellent since he’s come in’
Mousinho told The News: ‘I am not going to cry about the language we use in the press and in football - I try to convince the players that it is what it is,
‘I made the decision to go with Keshi. I think footballers get far too wrapped up - and I did as a player - in selection and deselection. It’s not the end of the world, I’ll just pick a side who I think is going to win the game.
‘If I go with certain players, all I want is for other players that haven't made the starting XI to be ready to go. Things change very, very quickly in football, so I need Milli to be ready to come on, I might need him to be ready to start at Middlesbrough.
‘If Milli had scored six in six we probably wouldn't have left him out, but that’s the nature of where we’ve been. I think he has been excellent since he’s come in.
‘I understand the question, but he’s missed one game, it’s one game since January. He’s just got to be ready for the next six games, there's no panic, there's no big “Oh my goodness what’s going to happen?”. He’s just missed a game. It’s not the end of the world. Just be ready to play.
‘He got the assist for Doz’s goal. For Oxford’s second goal, he was getting into the pace of the game. It can be difficult sometimes with substitutions that come on - and we need to make sure we are right at it.
‘Whether Milli is starting games or whether he is coming off the bench, we just need players to be ready.’
Man-of-the-match display from Keshi Anderson
The decision to name Anderson in Pompey’s starting XI earned swift rewards for Mousinho, with the 31-year-old opening the scoring against Oxford on nine minutes.
In only his fourth Blues outing due to injury, the winger proceeded to produce an outstanding man-of-the-match display to hand supporters a tantalising glimpse of what he can offer.
In his first start since New Year’s Day with Birmingham, Anderson had to come off in the 81st minute with cramp - to be replaced by Alli.
And while the substitute was exposed by Michal Helik for Oxford’s second goal, at the other end of the pitch he laid on an 88th-minute equaliser for Andre Dozzell in the 2-2 draw.
Mousinho added: ‘I know Keshi got the man of the match award and there are a couple of things which are frustrating about that.
‘Number one, that’s the first we have probably seen of Keshi because of the injury. Number two. I was convinced that had we stayed with 11 men then we’d have seen far more of him on the ball in an attacking sense.
‘I think he would have had even more of an output that afternoon.’
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