‘Without being disrespectful to Derby…’: Portsmouth boss wrestles with inconsistencies ahead of Coventry City

And the Blues boss is refusing to use the superior depth available to his second-tier rivals as an excuse for his side falling apart in games this term.

Pompey are out to bury their 4-0 humbling at Derby County last Friday, as Frank Lampard’s Coventry City arrive at Fratton Park on Saturday.

That weak display adds another chapter to a list of woeful and unexpected performances peppering the campaign this term, after similar showings against Stoke City and Cardiff City.

After a ridiculously tough start in which performances were generally decent, if not results, and recent encouraging form it makes the displays tougher to fathom.

Mousinho thinks there’s a clear conclusion to take, however, in Pompey not totally wilting in tougher moments - as has been the case too often this term.

He said: ‘Without being disrespectful to Derby, they are a side we were neck and neck with last season and ended up being better than over the course of last year.

‘The disappointment with some of the results is there’s a few we were expected to be beaten in and didn’t, putting in some really good performances like Leeds, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Burnley and even Bristol City to an extent.

‘That’s versus some of the defeats like Cardiff, Stoke and Derby.

‘If anyone was at those games they would’ve expected Stoke and Cardiff to surge up the league, but they are still in a spot of bother.

‘So it’s been a bit of a strange one from that point of view, but the Championship can do that and throw up those results.

‘I think we just have to be better at staying in games when we’re losing and not capitulating as we’ve done at times.

‘We have to make sure if we lose games it’s because we are in it for 60 minutes, go a goal down for whatever reason and don’t give ourselves a huge amount to do.’

One mitigating factor in the search for Pompey’s fluctuating performance levels has been the resources other Championship rivals can call upon, in relation to Mousinho’s squad.

That could be seen as the likes of Swansea, Norwich and Bristol City of late called on some multi-million pound artillery from the bench, while the Blues had promising but untried alternatives.

Mousinho isn’t willing to except that scenario as an excuse when his squad have broadly shown they can be competitive in the Championship.

He added: ‘We sometimes joke about and laugh about some of the benches and some of the players available to some of these clubs.

‘At the same time, one of my messages to the players is: you’ve been on the pitch with these guys and the likes of Sheffield United, Burnley and these players who have gone or are going to go for multi-million pounds.

‘Bristol City, Norwich and the rest with these players - we’ve competed with them at home and we’ve competed with them away from home.

‘That’s the point I guess - we have competed when we’ve been at it and at full capacity.

‘The message to the boys is, yes it’s a tough league and some of the sides we come against have big squads with experience and strength in depth.

‘That’s fine and will happen, but when we’ve been at it we’ve competed - and we have to do that more often than not.

‘We have to make sure we don’t drop off at those times when we’ve let ourselves down. If we were getting beat badly every week you’d hold your hands up and say we can’t compete to the level.

‘I just don’t think that’s the case - I think we’re more than capable but have to be at it every second and every minute of the game.’