Portsmouth boss applauds midfielder's Sheffield United impact after shock first-team selection
The former Casa Pia midfielder has made four appearances for the Blues since joining in August
John Mousinho has hailed Iyad Mohamed’s shock maiden Pompey start.
And the Blues head coach has detailed the tactical reasons behind the surprise selection decision which also saw Ebou Adams dropped.
Adams found himself on the bench against Sheffield United, despite shining at St Mary’s, with Mohamed instead preferred.
The former Casa Pia midfielder had previously featured off the bench three times since his arrival late in the transfer window, yet the visit of the Blades was viewed as the perfect occasion for his full debut.
‘He didn’t look out of his depth’
Mousinho told The News: ‘It was a thought around the way the game would play out tactically and we've got a couple of options in there.
‘Iyad and Ebou are very, very different players. Iyad probably gives you a bit more control and is slightly deeper, a different type of physicality. Whereas Ebou is a bit all-action at the top end of the pitch.
‘It was a take based on what we thought was best for the game and, once Iyad settled down, I was really pleased.
‘He’s had a disrupted pre-season, he’s not played properly since May, and that was the first time he’s had the intensity of Championship football up against a really good Sheffield United side.
‘He didn’t look out of his depth, which is the most important thing. I’m not saying that’s a positive, all players look good at the level, but it was his full debut on an intense night where the pressure was massively on - and that was good.
‘Iyad controls the game well. I guess for me, I didn’t look at it and didn’t think there were any gaps in the middle of the park in particular. He fought well and competed well and got on the ball.
‘He had to drop a bit deeper and add a bit of control, Sheffield United are very strong in the middle of the park, particularly picking up second balls. When he’s deeper, it gives you a bit more control.
‘Ebou is a bit more high action and energy up the pitch and we made that call to bring Iyad off. He’s not played a huge amount of minutes and has gone away and travelled huge distances in the international break, so we have to look after him.’
Midfield options for Portsmouth
With Marlon Pack continuing to be a fixture in the centre of midfield, Rocco Shein, Adams and now Mohamed have all started alongside him so far this season.
Odin Bailey is also an option, having featured six times since his arrival from Stockport, all as a substitute.
And with the Blues heading to Norwich on Saturday, it will be intriguing to see who gets the nod following a much-needed victory over the Blades.
Mousinho added: ‘The thing with that rotation and team selection is we want to have a squad which is good enough so we can have players coming in who are suited to certain games.
‘We have a few options in the middle of the park and there’s a load of different factors which come into the decision-making. The way we think it’s going to pan out, the way we think we’re going to try to play, the freshness.
‘Iyad, Ebou, Rocco and Odin are different types of midfielders and that was where we wanted to go with that against Sheffield United. I thought Iyad brought us some nice control, he’s technically very good and has a good presence as well.’
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