The moment which saved Portsmouth’s season as boss lifts lid on crisis talks which turned around campaign
A revealing insight from the Pompey boss into the afternoon and ensuing ‘crisis talks’ which turned his side’s Championship season around.
John Mousinho has pinpointed the QPR thrashing as the moment which saved Pompey’s season.
The Blues believes the 6-1 annihilation at Loftus Road last month and the ensuing crisis talks marked the turning point which secured his side’s Championship status.
Mousinho: ‘I had a group who were willing to speak, take responsibility and excellent leaders’
Mousinho looked a bereft figure in the wake of the humbling in the capital, ranking the loss as the lowest in his managerial career.
The 45-minute dressing room inquest and meetings across the ensuing international break proved a line in the sand, however, sparking the five-game unbeaten run which carried Pompey to safety.
Mousinho said: ‘Post-QPR, and I don’t know if it was because it was immediately post game but I felt the pain of the loss - and then there’s the embarrassment on the day.
‘We had those two weeks to figure it out. Part of it was figuring it out and having a very good 45 minutes in the dressing room with the boys.
‘There was no launching sandwiches and tea-cups and there was no shouting. It was just a discussion about that after the game, that was really important and fitting.
‘It was the same when we got back here, twice. We did across the way at the academy building and then we came back to the lecture theatre to discuss the game.
‘For me, it was important and consistent. We need to be level-headed with that.
‘Obviously on the day we will be a bit more down. TalkSport once said to me I’m asked questions in the wake of defeat and don’t snap back with the answers.
‘It’s not their fault I’ve lost games, so I try to be as measured as possible in my response - I try to do that with the boys and stay as level as possible and objective as possible.
‘By the time we’ve dusted ourselves down from QPR, made our plans and thankfully executed them.’
Mousinho gave a revealing insight into the discussions which took place at Pompey’s training ground, in the wake of a result which made it five losses out of six.
And it was the leadership shown within his group at that point which convinced the Blues boss things could turned around.
He added: ‘I think so (it was a turning point). It’s easy to say now when we came off the back of those games and went five unbeaten, winning three and drawing two.
‘It’s easy to say that, but my feeling was off the back of that game we have a group which is committed no matter what happens.
‘We’re trying to be better, I wasn’t thinking: “Oh here we go it’s another crisis meeting and I’m a manager bleating about desire, commitment and heart”. Those are important things, but you need to define what they mean.
‘I had a group who were willing to speak, take responsibility and had some excellent leaders in there. Top leaders, you can guess who they were.
‘We have an exceptional captain in Marlon, Conor (Chaplin) has done brilliantly well with that leadership role as well.
‘There’s contributors who were wide - Colby (Bishop), Regan (Poole) and Shaughs (Shaughnessy). Josh Knight seemingly had nothing to play for but was getting in there and involved. There were others too and that was very pleasing.
‘You get lads who will speak in meetings through the years and will say what the manager wants to hear. That can be damaging, but thankfully that didn’t happen and it’s played out well for us.’