Blues boss John Mousinho chats to The News following Pompey's defeat at Whaddon Road
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00:00 So Jon, obviously a disappointing result today, what did you make of that performance?
00:05 I thought the performance for the most part was really good. I thought we dominated the first half and we kept getting the ball in really good areas.
00:12 Didn't quite take advantage of that, that was my big takeaway at half-time, is that we need to take advantage of the areas we're getting ourselves into and create a bit more in terms of testing the goalkeeper.
00:21 We came out in the second half with a lot of purpose and scored the goal for 50 minutes, I thought that was probably one of our most dominant away performances of the season.
00:30 Then we just had a bizarre, bizarre five minutes, gave the ball away a couple of times in our own box, just dwelling on it.
00:37 That cost us, really, really uncharacteristic from our team and from the players that we had on the pitch.
00:42 After that I thought we responded well, but sometimes things just don't go for you and you don't end up getting an equaliser and a winner.
00:49 If you put yourself in a position that we did, I'd go 2-1 down and give a side like Cheltenham something to defend and they're capable of doing it.
00:56 You say they didn't go for you in terms of the bounce of the ball and decisions?
01:00 I think obviously the fans that were here today will see the decisions that didn't quite go for us.
01:04 I don't think we lost the game because of that, but it certainly didn't help.
01:08 The bounce of the ball, a couple of goalmouth scrambles, ones that we should be putting in the back of the net really.
01:14 We've got to make that happen for ourselves. I think our finishing has to be a bit more clinical and we've got to make sure,
01:20 especially on the first half, we just had chance after chance to really test the goalkeeper and didn't manage to do it.
01:25 Decisions, a couple with the referee, wasn't there, with Kamara 1 for the first, 2 involving Kamara 1st time?
01:31 Yes, we've obviously watched it back. We've got that privilege in terms of the fact that we can watch it back.
01:40 We did the one with Abouy, I can't fathom for the life of me why he's been booked for that. It's just a penalty.
01:46 If it's not then, at worst, it's not booking, it's just two players going for a ball.
01:52 There was one, I think about five minutes before that, where the referee played advantage.
01:56 Abouy beat his man, he's gone into the box and the Cheltenham players decided to buy him over the advertising hoardings.
02:01 The Cheltenham players didn't touch the ball, but the referee decided to give a corner.
02:05 A bit strange, there was also the one where, I don't know if he plays advantage for half a second more, Paddy Lane puts the ball in the back of the net.
02:11 So there were some frustrations, obviously we're looking right down the barrel of Anthony Scully, somehow gets booked for a dive when he's been pulled back.
02:17 Those things, obviously as an accumulation, were frustrating, but I think it's important to say we lost the game because of our own decisions, not because of the referees.
02:25 The Scully one was interesting as well, because he was booked for simulation. Was he took back then, do you feel?
02:29 Yes, the fourth official said he saw what I saw, which was he was pulled back.
02:33 You can see the players reaction, you can see the fans reaction, they all saw it, I don't know why I put it to him.
02:37 Surely referees would be very confident to book players for simulation, it's difficult isn't it?
02:41 That was my big problem with him in the first half, if you think it's simulation on Abbott, you've got to be 100% sure.
02:47 That's a big turning point in the game either way, and he wasn't sure, definitely wasn't sure.
02:54 That was a very strange one.
02:56 You mentioned the goals, you could see the two goals, the first one was poor from that throw in first goal, wasn't it?
03:04 Just conceding the throw was poor, we dwelt on the ball in the box, conceded the throw and then didn't deal with the threat.
03:10 We're physical enough, we're strong enough to be able to deal with that threat.
03:13 Obviously the second goal, just dwelt on the ball in the box, dispossessed, is very, very uncharacteristic of the players involved to do that.
03:20 It was really uncharacteristic of us, and to do twice in one game is really strange.
03:26 Do you put the defeat down to uncharacteristic mistakes in defence?
03:29 Yes, 100%. I think we performed really well apart from that.
03:33 I thought we performed well around that mad five minutes, and obviously that five minutes is part of the performance, so that has to be taken into account.
03:40 I've spoken to the press after games and we're trying to pick the bones out of why we've lost games,
03:46 and there's the larger spells in games or the difference of problems that we've had with the press, problems we've had with X, Y and Z.
03:52 We didn't have any of that today, we just made a couple of errors.
03:55 And in terms of the chances you had later on, Colby had a great chance at the end there as well, didn't he?
04:01 Yes, we had those chances and I think we've got to be a bit more ruthless and we've got to be a bit more clinical,
04:06 but we've got players that are scoring at the top end of the pitch, we know they can put the ball in the back of the net.
04:10 I think we just need to make sure we do it more often.
04:12 I think one of the big takeaways today as well is that you sort of earn the right to make the mistakes that we made if we are more clinical,
04:19 and because we're not at the moment, then you can't afford to do any of those things.
04:23 Against sides at any level, you do get punished.
04:26 They keep it that they make many saves, do they?
04:28 No, I didn't think they had much to do in the first half, which was really frustrating.
04:31 We had so many times where we got our players in good positions and just didn't quite take advantage of where I thought we were, particularly in the final third.
04:40 That was a big part of my half-time team talk, was trying to make sure that we just showed a bit more quality and demanded a bit more of ourselves.
04:47 Again, I think it was slightly different in the second half.
04:50 The game was different and we had quite a few opportunities to put the ball in the back of the net and didn't quite do it, especially around the six-yard box.
04:57 So, yes, obviously really frustrating from that point of view.
05:00 Alex Robertson was a notable absenteeist today.
05:03 What's the situation there?
05:04 Yes, Robertson felt his hamstring in training on Thursday.
05:07 He's gone back to Man City for a scan.
05:10 It isn't one that we're particularly hopeful of, say being a seven to ten day or so.
05:17 We think it's going to be longer than that, but we don't know yet.
05:19 So we're going to get the scan results and go from there.
05:21 How did it happen in training?
05:22 It just happened in training.
05:24 It's just one of those that there was no contact or anything like that, which ended up feeding the hamstring.
05:29 So it's going to be a test and a sort of grey time?
05:32 Yes, you think so.
05:34 And they're going to do a test. When will you likely find out the situation?
05:37 Hopefully Monday, with the scan on Monday.
05:39 How will that impact your recruitment plans in this January?
05:43 I think it impacts it and we'll have a look at what that does.
05:45 Robbo can cover a couple of different positions that we've seen and he's been a really influential player.
05:49 So, yes, we'll have a look at that.
05:52 I think when we get the news on Monday and see where we go from there.
05:55 It's strange because you've said many times that your plans can change, anything can alter them.
06:00 And we're seeing that, aren't we, with that news especially?
06:03 Yes, that's a perfect example of where we need to be prepared with every single position.
06:07 You never know what's going to happen, you never know what's going to happen on a day like today.
06:10 We've come away from today with a clean bill of health, which is great.
06:13 But, yes, these things can change very quickly in January.
06:16 Have you got a good feeling of how long he might be out before?
06:18 No, no, we'll figure it out on Monday when we get the scans on.
06:22 Where was Ben Stevenson today?
06:24 Ben Stevenson just slightly felt his knee in training on Thursday as well.
06:29 So, Ben's been in and out of squads and it's one we thought it was best just to give him a bit of rest and see where we go this time next week.
06:35 So, that's not too much.
06:36 Shouldn't be too bad, hopefully, yes.
06:38 Cheers, thank you.