The harsh reality of fight Portsmouth midfielder faces after being left in cold
John Mousinho has acknowledged Owen Moxon faces a tough battle to force his way back into the Pompey starting XI.
But the Blues boss feels there is a role for the midfielder to play this season, after being named the 25-man squad which will tackle the first half of the Championship campaign.
Moxon has failed to make the 20-man matchday group in the past two games, after three sub appearances this season in the league.
Competition has been boosted in the middle of the park with Abdoulaye Kamara, Andre Dozzell and loanee Freddie Potts recruited this summer while Marlon Pack and Terry Devlin are already in the building.
Mousinho sees that as stiff competition, but sees a role for the January arrival from Carlisle this term.
He said: ‘He’s probably been a bit unlucky, Mox has maybe been a little bit unfortunate.
‘We’ve got Marlon in there in the middle of the park and we’ve brought in the three other sixes as well, so it’s really competitive.
‘We want Mox to be a part of it, hence we’ve kept him and he’s registered in that 25.
‘It’s just going to be a really competitive time for Owen to try to get back into the side.
‘The door’s certainly not closed - and that’s the case for all the players who are out of the squad.
‘We want them to keep competing and keep trying to get a spot in the starting line-up.
‘It’s one when we did sign him, where we thought he was a combination of being able to affect League One and also going forward in the Championship.
‘Owen hasn’t particularly had the chance yet, he’s had a couple of sub appearances but I’m sure at some point this season an opportunity will come - and when these opportunities come players have to take them.’
Mousinho spoke last season of the adjustment Moxon faced to adapt to the demands of operating in one of two crucial pivot positions, in Pompey’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
The 26-year-old has taken out that challenge with his managing seeing a player with the attributes to operate in the role.
Mousinho said: ‘We want players to be comfortable on the ball in that position and try to control games in the way we play through the sixes, but also aggressive and front footed as defenders as well. Any player coming into that spot it’s an adjustment in terms of how we want to play.
‘We try to get players who are suited to that role to try to do it, and it’s certainly one for Mox from where he was coming in from Carlisle where there was a period of adjustment.
‘We’re going to keep working with Mox to make sure we keep pushing him.’