The Blues boss quickly identified efforts to dominate possession and play a progressive and expansive game were falling short, after the step up in class from League One.
That led to Mousinho employing a more direct approach and a high-pressing game, based up hard running from his players.
But do the stats back up that statement - and just how hard and ‘relentless’ are Pompey when matched up against their Championship peers?
The intensity of the Blues’ press can be measured thanks to football data experts Wyscout.
Passes per defensive action (PPDA) is a metric which measures a side’s press by counting the number of passes an opponent makes, before they are forced into a defensive move - like clearing the ball under pressure, for example.
That can then be quantified with a low PPDA meaning a side are using a more intense press.
Wyscout have accumulated the data from the Championship this season, which we’ve ordered from least to most intense press in this gallery - and the results are very interesting!
