Gaffer For A Day: A typical bluff by Portsmouth boss. I don't know who to believe any more - but I love it!
Gaffer For A Day, Tom Nicholls, aged 33, from Bognor Regis, assesses Pompey’s 1-0 win at Oxford United...
An opening day win. Happy with that?
Pompey looked different to the start of last season - on Saturday, we looked like a team which belonged in the Championship. I thought it would be a close game - as it was - but we always looked like the better side.
We defended well and I suppose it was a stereotypical away performance. We never really looked like conceding and always seemed as if we were in control. We managed the game well, so, in the right moments, we were able to take the chance after their poor backpass.
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We never really looked under the cosh until the very end from the throw-ins and corners, other than that we were pretty much well on top. We deserved it.
Were you surprised to see Colby Bishop in the team?
No, none of us were. If Mousinho says someone is out for 2-3 weeks, I expect him to start on Saturday!
When the team came out, the first thing I wanted to do was look at who was up front - and when I saw Colby there I wasn’t surprised.
It's a typical bluff from John Mousinho. I don’t know what to believe any more. It doesn’t bother me, though. I love it.
He manages his interviews quite well, you always feel like he’s not completely telling the truth. No problem, I think it’s brilliant.
Who was your man of the match?
I would go for Segecic, when he got on the ball, you always thought something would happen. He looked like our most dangerous player.
I knew he would put it away after Bishop’s one-on-one was missed. Whenever he got that ball on the half turn and you've got the wingers running off him, something’s about to happen.
I saw Segecic for the first time against PEC Zwolle and he was brilliant, a stand-out performer. He reminds me of Conor Chaplin in a way, it’s how he picks up the ball and has that low centre of gravity, he rides a tackle really well, is intelligent and bright.
A first glimpse of Pompey’s latest signing too in Minhyeok Yang.
He looked okay, bright enough, but it’s too early to say. Maybe he might be a player who is more effective when we’re on top at home.
There was a moment only a cynic like me would notice where we were under the cosh and he could have just hoofed it up the pitch - yet instead tried to bring it down and got caught on the ball.
This is me being very harsh, I suppose. However, physically he is very slight, while Callum Lang is a winger and a lot more sturdy, although Yang could roll a defender easier than Lang may be able to.
These are early days, but, from what I saw in that 24-minute cameo, it might take Yang a while to get into it.
Nicolas Schmid - 7
Jordan Williams - 7
Regan Poole - 7
Conor Shaughnessy - 8
Connor Ogilvie - 7
Andre Dozzell - 8
John Swift - 7
Callum Lang - 7
Adrian Segecic - 8
Florian Bianchini - 6
Colby Bishop - 7