Portsmouth

Portsmouth must not panic and think they need to make wholesale changes to improve their Championship form, according to boss John Mousinho.

Pompey have slipped into the relegation zone on the back of a run of seven defeats from their past nine matches, with their 1-0 reverse at Swansea on Tuesday making it three successive losses.

"The gut reaction after losing any game is we have to change something, we've got to come up with another solution," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"The answer to that is if we'd not conceded that goal [at Swansea] and come away with a 0-0 draw away from home we go into the changing room and say that's a solid platform to build off.

"So we probably don't change too much but look at some of the aspects of the game we need to be better at."

Portsmouth are two points adrift of safety, albeit with a game in hand on Oxford United, who are directly above them, and host Blackburn on Saturday (15:00 GMT) which is part of a run of three games at home in their next four fixtures.

Mousinho is remaining calm and refusing to panic despite their drop down the table.

"That's the key, to not go too over the top and say we need to make those wholesale changes and at times this season we have needed them," he added.

You can hear the full interview with John Mousinho and more Portsmouth content on BBC Sounds.

"It was a pretty grim spectacle but we're at the point of the season where no-one's really too bothered and if Pompey had nicked it at the end it would have been a glorious night - it looked like a game between two pretty poor teams."

BBC Radio Solent's Chris Wise and Portsmouth commentator Andrew Moon discuss a 1-0 Championship defeat by Swansea which leaves them two points adrift of safety in the relegation zone.

Listen to this and more Portsmouth content on BBC Sounds.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent commentator

Image source, Shutterstock

A new season low and a very worrying night for Portsmouth. They will lose matches in the Championship against slick, impressive opponents but Swansea were poor and Pompey barely laid a glove on them.

There was no issue defending set-pieces. The inexperienced centre-back pairing of Hayden Matthews and Ibane Bowat did fine.

Pompey could not take advantage of a multitude of decent attacking positions and barely created a chance all night.

This is now a squad devoid of confidence. John Mousinho changed things again with Callum Lang playing as a striker. Lang worked incredibly hard but it made little impact.

Fans will look ahead to the January transfer window but Pompey are in danger of being cast adrift by then if they cannot turn things around in the coming weeks. Seven defeats from nine is a grim run.

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho has expressed his frustration at conceding the goal that led to their defeat at Swansea on Tuesday.

The match was closely contested until Swans forward Liam Cullen found the net in the 78th minute to leave Pompey two points adrift in the bottom three in the Championship table.

"The performance was really solid and the effort levels were there, we just switched off for the goal and didn't get the press right," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"There was nothing in the game but what is frustrating is that we got into some really good areas and just did not put Swansea under enough pressure.

"When we get into good areas we either don't shoot or the ball doesn't come into the area quick enough. With the players we have at the top of the pitch, we definitely have to be better.

"The major frustration for me was the goal. I could have taken coming away from here with a point."

Image source, Getty Images

The FA Cup third round draw was made on Monday evening, with all 24 Championship clubs entering at this stage of the competition.

Ties will take place between Thursday, 8 January and Monday, 12 January.

These are the ties involving Championship clubs:

• Cambridge United v Birmingham City

• Hull City v Blackburn Rovers

• Bristol City v Watford

• Charlton Athletic v Chelsea

• Stoke City v Coventry

• Derby County v Leeds United

• Ipswich Town v Blackpool

• Cheltenham Town v Leicester City

• Fulham v Middlesbrough

• Burnley v Millwall

• Norwich City v Walsall

• MK Dons v Oxford United

• Portsmouth v Arsenal

• Preston North End v Wigan Athletic

• West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers

• Sheffield United v Mansfield Town

• Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford

• Doncaster Rovers v Southampton

• Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion

• Wrexham v Nottingham Forest

You can see the full draw here.

Image source, Opta

Swansea welcome Portsmouth for a crunch clash at the foot of the Championship table on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

The Swans climbed to 20th courtesy of Saturday's 2-0 win over fellow-strugglers Oxford United, which ended a run of five straight defeats.

They lie three points ahead of third-bottom Pompey, whose game at Charlton was abandoned after a medical emergency in the crowd at The Valley early in the first half.

Pompey go into this game having lost three of their past four games, both overall and on the road.

• Swansea are winless in their past 13 league games against Portsmouth (D8 L5) since a 4-0 home win in December 1960.

• Nine of Portsmouth's 14 away league games against Swansea have been draws (W2 L3), with their victories coming across their last three visits (2-1 in December 1983, 2-1 in November 2010).

• Swansea have lost seven of their past 10 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Championship games (W2 D1), including four of their five at home in this run (W1).

• Portsmouth have lost eight of their past nine midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) away league games (D1), including each of the last seven in a row.

• Josh Murphy both scored and assisted a goal in both of Portsmouth's Championship meetings with Swansea last season (2 goals, 2 assists).

These two sides meet in the Championship (12:30 GMT) for the first time in 25 years with both looking to end poor runs.

Charlton have lost their past four league games while Pompey arrive in South London with back-to-back losses without scoring a goal on either of those outings.

• Charlton have lost just one of their past 11 league games against Portsmouth (W7 D3) and are unbeaten in six since a 3-1 home loss in February 2021.

• Portsmouth have lost just two of their past seven away league games against Charlton (W3 D2), though they've failed to score on either of their past two visits to The Valley.

• Each of the last 20 league meetings between Charlton and Portsmouth have been in either League One (12) or the Premier League (8). This is the first second-tier meeting between the sides since a 1-1 draw at The Valley in April 2000.

• Charlton have lost each of their past four league games, having lost just three of their first 14 this season. The Addicks haven't lost five in a row since February 2022 in League One.

• Portsmouth won 1-0 at Oxford on the opening weekend this season, but are since winless in seven away league games (D3 L4), losing each of the last three in a row.

Tom Chappell
Fan writer

Image source, Shutterstock

Saturday's opening 25 minutes was the worst I've seen from Pompey this season so far.

Until a pause for treatment for Nico Schmid and the opportunity for John Mousinho to rally his troops, we looked lost, slow and completely second best, albeit against a strong and talented Bristol City side.

Those in blue looked almost too determined not to be the one to make the costly error, and the Fratton End was beginning to turn nasty.

Whatever was said did at least improved Pompey in places - which in turn the crowd responded to, but only via a couple of half chances.

There was nothing that happened after those 25 minutes that suggested there was any chance that Mousinho's side would pull off an impressive comeback.

We were well beaten at Bramall Lane in midweek, and both Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich have travelled to Fratton Park and taken all three points. With that in mind, many would find it hard to argue that Pompey are the worst side in the Championship right now.

And what's perhaps most concerning is it doesn't look like this is going to change any time soon.

Without big January investment, Pompey probably won't get out of this.

With a fully fit squad, we probably just about have enough. Sadly, it seems we always have at least one big name player in the treatment room unavailable for selection.

The league is stronger this year, and therefore the method of relying on a Mousinho miracle is riskier than it was last season.

If you were to pick out a period in which Pompey's season would be defined, games against Charlton, Swansea and Blackburn would probably be it.

Find more from Tom at the Fournilwrittenalloverit, external YouTube channel

"Everything went wrong. Pompey were dreadful in that first 25 minutes. Bristol City could have been out of sight and Portsmouth could have had few complaints. They were not enough of a threat going forward.

"It's a recurring theme, we've seen slow starts, I don't know what it is about Fratton Park. Teams have changed when they come here. Five defeats at home is starting to weigh heavy - it's the same as the entirety of last season."

Pompey slipped into the Championship relegation zone after Saturday's 1-0 defeat at home to Bristol City, their fifth loss at Fratton Park in the league already this season.

The News' Jordan Cross joins BBC Radio Solent's Chris Wise and Portsmouth commentator Andrew Moon to discuss whether anyone should be pressing the panic button just yet.

There's reaction to Michael Eisner's video message to fans (20 mins in), a discussion over the injury situation at Fratton Park (26 mins in) and the biggest question of all, is John Mousinho under pressure (30 mins in)?

Listen to this and more Portsmouth content on BBC Sounds.

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho insisted there was no panic after a 1-0 defeat to Bristol City left his side in the bottom three.

He blamed a poor start for Pompey's sixth defeat in their past eight league matches which dropped them into the bottom three.

"The game was defined by the opening 25 minutes where we weren't at the races at all and that's putting it kindly," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"We fell behind to a side who were much hungrier and looked like they wanted the challenge of coming here and winning the game a bit more.

"The league position is something we are not pleased with but what is more concerning is that first 25 minutes that we put on at home. There is plenty of time left in the season and there is no panic.

"We have plenty of games between now and Christmas but we can't keep going on and saying we have competed and nearly got there. I can take losing games but not in the manner that we produced in the first 25.

"We know we can produce and dominate sides but it has been far too up and down. If things aren't going well for us we can't seem to dig in and do the basics very well. We fall apart and that's a real concern."

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent commentator

Image source, Shutterstock

So Portsmouth finally managed to look rock solid defending set-pieces after weeks of struggle.

Unfortunately the positives don't extend much beyond that and no fan will be celebrating that solidity from corners.

Pompey were dreadful for the opening 25 minutes and a more ruthless side would have had the game won by that point.

They did improve after that and were literally inches away from an equaliser shortly after half-time, but didn't pose enough of a threat on Bristol City's goal.

At times Pompey have been playing without important players this season, but Conor Shaughnessy was the only key man unavailable yesterday.

Performances like this were suppose to disappear when the injury issues eased.

Dropping into the relegation zone is never nice but far more concerning is turning out performances like this. It's now five points from the past nine matches

The table is not as bleak as it was 12 months ago, but once again a major turnaround is needed for Pompey to remain a Championship club.

Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho has defended his set-piece coach Michael Doyle following criticism that the team concedes too many goals from dead-ball situations.

Pompey conceded twice from Sheffield United's first five corner kicks in a 3-0 defeat on Wednesday. The result has left them 20th in the Championship, just two points above the relegation zone.

"Obviously Michael's devastated at what's happening set-piece-wise, but no more so than myself and every single department at the football club," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"We don't work in silos, like he goes off and does set-pieces on his own. He delivers them, he leads them, but every single thing we do on a set-piece, I sign off. 100%.

"I look at the set-up. I look at the markers. I watch us practice set-pieces on Monday and Tuesday, and it is 100% my decision to defend the way that we defend and to select the players to defend in the way we're defending."

You can listen to more from John Mousinho on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Opta

Portsmouth return to Fratton Park for the visit of Bristol City on Saturday lunchtime (12:30 GMT) under increasing pressure.

Depending on Oxford United's result against Ipswich on Friday and Sheffield United's at Leicester on Saturday lunchtime, John Mousinho's men could be in the relegation zone by 15:00 GMT on Saturday.

Wednesday night's 3-0 reverse at Bramall Lane was a fifth defeat in Pompey's past seven games, from which they have earned just four points, though those did come in their two previous home games.

The inconsistent Robins slipped to seventh courtesy of Wednesday night's 2-0 defeat at Wrexham, their third in five games, but Gerhard Struber's side could return to the top four, temporarily at least, with a win here.

• After winning three consecutive league games against Bristol City between March 1991 and April 1992, Portsmouth have since won just two of their 14 against the Robins (D7 L5).

• Bristol City have failed to win any of their past three away league games against Portsmouth (D1 L2), failing to score on their previous two visits.

• Portsmouth are looking to win successive home league games for the first time since March, following their 3-1 victory over Millwall.

• Bristol City have won three of their past four weekend matches in the Championship (L1), keeping a clean sheet in all three victories. The other game in this run was a 5-1 defeat away to Stoke, however.

• Bristol City's Anis Mehmeti only has more goals in the Football League against Plymouth Argyle (5) than Portsmouth (3), while he has four goal involvements in his past three league games against them (3 goals, 1 assist).

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent commentator

Image source, Getty Images

When does a problem become a season-defining issue? Portsmouth's troubles defending set-pieces is now potentially that significant.

For 40 minutes Pompey looked the more threatening team in the 3-0 defeat to Sheffield United.

But from the moment Terry Devlin instinctively handled Japhet Tanganga's header on the line, it was going to be an uphill battle.

When the second goal went in there was no way back.

Pompey were poor from corners on Saturday [in the 3-1 win over Millwall] but just about got away with it. On Wednesday evening, they conceded twice from the first five Blades corners.

This team is without question capable of staying up. However, the rest of the Championship will now be fully aware of this weakness.

It is going to be tough to win games without fixing it.

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho felt his side needed to show more quality in the final third in their 3-0 defeat at Sheffield United.

"For 40 minutes there was absolutely nothing in it, and that was the biggest disappointment - we had a game plan out of possession and thought we executed that very, very well, restricting Sheffield United to very little," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"We had so many opportunities in the final third to show more quality and we didn't do that, after I watched a side with a huge amount of quality in the final third on Saturday.

"The red card comes from that. We sling a pointless cross into the box, [Michael] Cooper springs a counter-attack, we concede a corner, and the game changes from that point. Those fine details we need to get better at.

On conceding from set pieces: "It's something we're concerned about. We lose the first contact, haven't marked aggressively enough or well enough and you are going to get punished."