Nicolas Schmid has amassed 32 Championship appearances for Pompey this season.

John Mousinho felt it was the right decision to stick with Nicolas Schmid after recent ‘criticism’.

And the head coach is adamant the keeper is returning to his best form after outstanding displays against Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town.

It’s been a frustrating campaign on the south coast for the Austrian, who has kept seven clean sheets in 32 Championship outings to date.

Schmid came under fire during the Blues’ poor run of form before the international break, with his performances coming under the microscope in the aftermath of last month’s 6-1 thrashing at the hands of QPR.

Mousinho, though, opted to stick with 29-year-old heading into the critical point of the campaign, with the keeper subsequently stepping up to the mark in the past four games.

The 2024 arrival was the hero against Middlesbrough last week and came to the rescue on a number of occasions to keep the scores at bay at the Riverside Stadium, before Conor Chaplin stole it for Pompey at the death.

That eye-catching performance was then backed up in midweek, with Schmid keeping high-flying Ipswich Town at bay through a number of crucial stops at the death.

Why Pompey boss stuck with Nicolas Schmid amid ‘criticism’

And his timely return to form has been praised by Mousinho, who has explained the shot-stopper’s drive for improvement was the main reason why the Blues stuck with him despite recent criticism.

Speaking to Express FM’s David Howes, the head coach said: ‘It felt really great for Nic off the back of some criticism that he’s had over the past couple of weeks.

‘He’s been working really hard to make sure his performance levels were there. To be honest, that’s the reason we’ve stuck by him and kept him in the side.

‘His ability to do what he did on the weekend (against Middlesbrough), we had seen that quite a fair bit of last year, probably not had to see a huge amount of that this year, which has been a positive.

‘But when he was called upon he did a brilliant job.’

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Nicolas Schmid’s Pompey career to date

placeholder image — Nicolas Schmid. | Getty Images

Schmid was one of 14 arrivals at Fratton Park in the summer of 2024 as Pompey prepared for their first season back in the Championship in 12 years.

After making the £350,000 switch from BW Linz, the 29-year-old had to bide his time with Will Norris the preferred option in the opening weeks of the 2024-25 campaign.

But following his introduction in October 2025, the shot-stopper never looked back and solidified himself as Mousinho’s number one, which saw him keep eight clean sheets in 35 outings as the Blues secured a 16th-placed finish.

Despite starting the opening six matches of this term, Schmid was forced to sit out two months of action after sustaining a fractured hand during September’s goalless south-coast derby against Southampton after a collision with Connor Ogilvie.

After completing his return in November, the keeper penned a new long-term deal a month later, with his extended terms tying him down to Fratton Park until the summer of 2029.

Schmid has totalled seven clean sheets in 32 Championship outings for Pompey this term.

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