'We don't want to' - Portsmouth boss' Ebou Adams stance revealed as ex-Derby and Cardiff midfielder risks ban
Pompey midfielder Ebou Adams runs the risk of a two-match ban following his yellow card in Tuesday’s win at Charlton Athletic.
John Mousinho has no intention of taking the edge out of Ebou Adams’ game.
That’s despite the influencial midfielder’s yellow card at Charlton on Tuesday night taking him to within one booking of an automatic two-match ban.
Adams, who was signed from Derby County for £500,000 in the January transfer window, has transformed Pompey’s engine room in the seven games he’s featured to date.
The 30-year-old’s sheer presence has made the Blues more combative and competitive in that key area of the park. He’s also registered two goals and an assist in that period as well, which already puts him on more goal contributions than any other midfielder at the club this season.
The former Cardiff ace has a penchant for finding himself in the referee’s notebook, too, though, with his 87th-minute booking for a foul on the Addicks’ Amari’i Bell his second in Blues colours.
That’s nothing extraordinary. But when Adams had already accrued seven yellows before swapping Pride Park for Fratton Park last month, and an immediate suspension handed out to anyone who collects 10 before match-day 37, then alarm bells start to sound.
The midfielder will, therefore, have to navigate his way through fixtures against Millwall (A), Wrexham (A), Hull City (H), Blackburn Rovers (A), Swansea City (H) and former club Derby County (H) before the threat of a two-match ban is lifted.
However, at no point will head coach Mousinho be asking the expierenced campaigner to lessen his approach.
Yes, conversations - like the one after the full-time whistle went at The Valley - will be had about avoiding unnecessary bookings. Yet, no instructions will be passed on asking Adams to tone down his game.
Something we’re just going to have to deal with
Speaking about the threat of a ban hanging over the midfielder, Mous told BBC Solent: ‘Yeah, that (booking) was frustrating last night, because he'd been so disciplined. I think it was 87 minutes that he ended up getting booked.
‘We don't want to take that edge out of his game. We sort of joked about it with Ebou that those are the sort of yellows that are really avoidable, I think.
‘So we'll try and manage it as best as we possibly can, but in terms of the edge that he has in his game, we don't really want to take it out of him.
‘That's something we're just going to have to deal with. We've still got quite a few games until the cut-off, so we'll see how that pans out.’
Pompey’s bookings this season
The Blues have picked up 68 cautions in the Championship this term - currently the joint-third highest in the division.
While Adams leads the way on nine bookings, neither Andre Dozzell or John Swift are that far behind, with both having accrued seven so far.
The pair are followed by Marlon Pack on six, while Regan Poole and Zak Swanson have earned five and four yellow cards respectively this season.
Connor Ogilvie, Josh Murphy, Jordan Williams and Luke Le Roux have amassed three bookings, with Colby Bishop picking up just the two.
Terry Devlin’s sending off against Sheffield United (A), is the only red card picked up by a Pompey player this season to date.
For your next Pompey read: 'Definitely a throwback': Portsmouth boss John Mousinho on what makes ex-Derby man Ebou Adams so special