'In an ideal world': Portsmouth boss' admission over form concerns for Luton loanee Millenic Alli
The Luton loanee has started Pompey’s last 12 matches - completing 90 minutes in 10 of them.
John Mousinho absolved Milli Alli of blame for his Pompey form dip and insisted: We are asking a huge amount from him.
The Luton loanee was substituted at half-time in Tuesday night’s 2-1 defeat to Swansea after producing his most disappointing display in a Blues shirt.
The electric winger also failed to reach the impressive standards set by him against Hull and Blackburn, in a noticeable decline in performances since bursting into Fratton Park.
Mousinho, however, isn’t concerned, highlighting the physical demands heaped on the left winger, having started all 12 games since his January arrival - and completing 90 minutes in 10 of them.
‘I thought he looked a bit tired the other day’
The Blues’ head coach told The News: ‘It’s one of those where we have been asking a huge amount out of Milli. I thought he looked a bit tired the other day, he didn’t have the normal zip.
‘In an ideal world, you would have four wingers all vying for spots where you can play one for 60 minutes, the other for 30 minutes, then change it around after a couple of tough games if it’s a quick turnaround like Saturday-Tuesday. We haven’t got the luxury of that at the moment, though.
‘The output Milli has given us has been absolutely huge, he plays pretty much 90 minutes every game, we’ve not been able to bring him out, we’ve not been able to give him a rest.
‘Ever since that Sheffield Wednesday game, where he came in off the back of not playing many minutes for Luton in the first half of the season, he has started every single match, we just haven’t had the option to change him.
‘We’ve had that many injuries in those wide areas and there are times in games where, if you are winning, we’ve been hesitant to make changes and bring Milli off because he is very, very good on the press.
‘He is probably our biggest outlet, so, whether you are losing games or drawing games, we always want him to be that constant attacking threat. Unfortunately, we just haven't been able to change him.
‘The Hull game is probably a good example where he didn’t have his best day, but I thought he was our most attacking threat. The fact Harvey could only last the time on the pitch that he did, we had to eventually manage Milli.
‘So we will assess what that situation with Milli looks like on Sunday and go from there.’
Portsmouth’s overreliance on the winger
Alli had gone a month without a match before Pompey took him on loan from Kenilworth Road - and threw the former £1.5m signing straight into the action against Sheffield Wednesday, subsequently flourishing.
In the injury absence of Josh Murphy, Keshi Anderson and, for a period, Harvey Blair, the Blues have heavily relied on the 27-year-old to provide the attacking threat from wide positions.
Certainly he has impressed during his time at Fratton Park to date, regardless of the last three performances.
‘You are going to have ebbs and flows’
Mousinho added: ‘That’s also the nature of attacking players and wingers in particular. There are going to be times where they have really good games, everything goes for them, they are taking on their full-back and they have a lot of joy. And there are going to be games where it is completely different.
‘I still want the boys to be really positive and take their players on. If, for whatever reason, the first and second time it doesn't come off, I still want them to keep going and getting at the full-back.
‘If you do that and sometimes it doesn’t come off, you are naturally going to have the ebbs and flows in their performances.’