‘There’s something about Fratton Park’: Portsmouth boss' future ambition for fortress
Fortress Fratton was back to its best as fans helped carry their team to Championship survival against Ipswich Town and Leicester City. Now John Mousinho wants to see how Pompey can ‘plug into’ their major weapon consistently.
John Mousinho believes Pompey have to find a way to leverage the Fortress Fratton fear factor after its return.
The Blues boss wants to see his team consistently ‘plug into’ the benefits of playing in one of football’s theatres moving forward, as he targets ways to find Championship growth.
Mousinho: ‘How can we leverage home atmosphere and its importance?’
That’s after two huge back-to-back wins at PO4 played a massive role in keeping Mousinho’s team in the second tier for another season.
It proved two big home occasions in quick succession last week, as arguably the atmosphere of the campaign greeted promotion-chasing Ipswich Town under the lights last Tuesday.
Kieran McKenna’s side were dismissed with a 2-0 defeat, before Leicester City produced an anaemic display and folded as the Fratton heat was turned up for their 1-0 reverse on Saturday.
That followed a difficult period at home after four losses on the bounce - the worst Pompey home form in 13 years.
The bearpit was back to its best when it mattered most, however, echoing last season where Pompey suffered just two home losses in 17 from October until the end of the term.
A string of big hitters were sent packing back then including champions Leeds United, with those displays the big factor in a 16th-placed finish.
Now Mousinho is looking for his team to find a way to make more of his team’s home support - and is ready to explore ways to do so.
For the Pompey boss, there’s little doubt a repeat of last season’s Fratton form married with a more progressive outfit would be conditions which could help his side up the Championship.
Mousinho said: ‘There’s something about playing at Fratton Park, undoubtedly.
‘It’s an interesting one, how can we leverage the atmosphere we get here and the importance of that?
‘We can do better as a team with that, but how can we plug into it in every single game?
‘I think that’s much more about us giving fans much more to get behind.
‘At times against Leicester it was an ugly game of football, but the crowd were there and they were ferocious.
‘I love how difficult it is to come and play here, I don’t think there are many grounds like this in the league anymore.
‘That’s something that we’ve been able to plug into at the back end of seasons.
‘I don’t know, but there’s something there.
‘My big take for next season, regardless, would be how do we not leave it so late. How can we make sure we’re not in that position? But that’s something we need to work on.’