‘Everything is going wrong’: EFL experts share worrying Portsmouth verdict after dropping into relegation zone
Pompey have won just one of their previous nine Championship matches and fell into the relegation zone on Saturday following defeat to Bristol City.
Pompey have to start improving results in order not to be cut off in the relegation zone.
That’s the verdict of Ali Maxwell and George Elek from the respected Not The Top 20 Podcast, who believe ‘everything is going wrong’ at present for the Blues.
With the likes of Oxford United, Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers all improving in recent weeks, the Blues have slipped to 22nd in the table, having won just four of their opening 18 matches.
‘Everything is going wrong’ at Pompey this season
And with other sides down at the bottom of the table starting to find their feet, Elek has made it clear Mousinho’s men have to raise their performances after dropping into the relegation zone.
Speaking on the latest episode, he said: ‘Worries for Pompey. Bristol City took the lead, a brilliant ball in from Neto Borges on the left-hand side which Anis Mehmeti sprung a header. A lovely header into the roof of the net.
‘1-0 to Bristol City there and then Pompey had quite a few chances in the second-half, Knight had two headed opportunities which he really should’ve done better with. Both good chances where you’d hope they’d go close but were pretty wayward.
‘Colby Bishop had a couple of opportunities, Josh Murphy, still hasn’t scored yet this season, went close with a shot outside of the area which whistled past the post with his right foot.
‘For Pompey, it feels like everything is going wrong. They have players back, you would’ve thought that would have improved them.
Maybe there is an element of improvement from their performances at home in particular but for the most part they are struggling.
They are now looking at teams who started the season poorly but are improving and they need to find a way to improve because right now they are in a bit of trouble.’
Pompey’s performance woes highlighted
Elek’s fears for Pompey have also been echoed by co-host Maxwell, who is concerned by the Blues’ poor run of performances over the past two months.
Following their 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at the start of October, Mousinho’s men have since picked up maximum points just once, but have also suffered six defeats.
And Maxwell has highlighted Pompey’s worrying displays as an area of much-needed work by the head coach.
He added: ‘It kind of strikes me that Portsmouth’s sequence of performances in the last two months have been; poor, okay, poor, okay, poor, okay, poor, okay.
‘The poor games they lose and the okay games they generally draw or lose which is not ideal. Lots for John Mousinho to sort out.’