Pompey boss John Mousinho previews the crucial Derby County Championship survival clash at Fratton Park on Saturday.
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00:00John, how much impact do you feel last night will have, the man of the resort, will have on the Derby game on Saturday?
00:08I hope it has a positive impact, to be honest.
00:10I think that the nature of the defeat and how much it hurt should spur the lads on to make sure that we're back on it again at the weekend.
00:19And I think that if you look at the history of when we had those setbacks so far this season, the response has been really positive.
00:26So I'm very confident in terms of the group and their ability to bounce back.
00:30And, you know, I think that there's been times where we've had positive results rolled into the next game and maybe took our eye off the ball or took a foot off the gas.
00:38We haven't had the positive result the other night, so we need to take that, use it and hopefully it'll spur us on.
00:43Did you have a chance to watch the game back at this stage?
00:46Yes.
00:46What were your thoughts on that?
00:48Very similar to what I thought after the game.
00:49I thought we were excellent in the first half.
00:51I thought we controlled possession when we had the ball really well.
00:53When we didn't have the ball, Coventry had some really decent spells but didn't really go anywhere.
00:58A couple of times they hit the diag to Mason Clark and that caused us a couple of problems.
01:03But apart from that, I thought we've restricted them to very, very few chances.
01:06And we had the better of the chances down the other ends.
01:08No, least of all hitting the crossbar from a set piece.
01:12So I thought we looked a dangerous side.
01:14Second half, I thought naturally, as the game went on, we sat a bit deeper.
01:18However, I still think there was opportunity for us to control the game a little bit more when we did have the ball, but we didn't do that.
01:23And I think maybe nerves sort of came into it later on, which was fine.
01:26Hence, when we got sort of beyond the 70th minute, the feeling on the bench was, OK, we still think we've got enough athleticism to go and hurt them if we need to.
01:34But we're very much going to be making substitutions to make sure we shore things up, maybe as opposed to what we did at Preston, for example.
01:40So we wanted to be solid and very, very, very nearly proved right in the 92nd minute.
01:45We had the good chance, the brilliant chance down one end to, you know, to test Collins.
01:50And unfortunately, we didn't. And next thing you know, the ball's in the back I met.
01:52How big is this match on Saturday?
01:54Yeah, it's massive. It's obviously massive for both teams.
01:58It's probably the fixture that, as the season's gone on, we've always looked at as a really important fixture and a crucial fixture.
02:05And it's proved to be that way. And, you know, we've got both teams now fighting at the bottom of the league and both needing a result.
02:12What do you make of Derby's resurgence?
02:14Well, they've been really good, really good since John's gone in, maybe not for the first couple of games, but since I think he's had a bit more time with the team.
02:21They won four games on the spin, probably a disappointing result at Swansea,
02:24but then a really well-deserved point, I thought, having been to the game on Tuesday night against the league leaders at the time, Burnley.
02:32So they've really solidified, don't concede many goals, look at real threat going forward as well.
02:38And, you know, they're a very, very different side from probably how they were six weeks ago.
02:42I suppose both clubs are very different to when you met in December.
02:45Obviously, they went four nil that time, but you're a completely different side as well.
02:49Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It was one of those interesting things.
02:52I think if I'd have told you after that fixture in December that when we welcome them back to Fratton Park in April,
02:59we'll be three points ahead and it'll be, yeah, it'll be that sort of interesting bottom-of-the-table crunch match.
03:07I think that most people on the night would have dismissed that and said,
03:10no way, Derby will be safe mid-table obscurity.
03:13So that's just how tight the league is, how difficult the league is.
03:15And both sides have changed and, yeah, we've certainly changed since then as well.
03:18So it's going to be a different clash.
03:19Presumably, you look at five games left, three at Fratton Park.
03:23That's going to be a positive, isn't it?
03:24Yeah, yeah, it definitely is.
03:26We've been very good at home.
03:27We can't take that for granted.
03:28We can't just show up, though, and expect to win games at home.
03:31And particularly against sides like Derby, who've got a very, very good defensive record.
03:34So we have to do all the right things.
03:35But we're, yeah, we're very positive about the back end of the season.
03:38We still think there's plenty of points available, plenty of scope to get ourselves out of where we are.
03:43What sort of game are you expecting?
03:44Are they going to sit back like Plymouth that time?
03:48I don't think it'll be quite like Plymouth.
03:50I think, you know, Derby have definitely showed plenty of attacking intent in the games over the past few weeks.
03:55Maybe not a huge amount in the first sort of 35 minutes against Burnley at the weekend.
04:01Sorry, on Tuesday.
04:02But that game was a remarkable game.
04:05I thought Burnley sort of controlled the game for 35 minutes, didn't create a huge amount.
04:08And then towards the back end of the first half, Derby were just right on the front foot, pinned Burnley in.
04:14Burnley couldn't get out of their own half, had to defend really, really well.
04:17So they've got plenty of attacking threat and plenty of attacking intent, Derby.
04:21So I don't expect it to be a game when we just sit in.
04:23Obviously, we're speaking to you before training.
04:25Any injury updates on anything?
04:27No, no injury updates.
04:28It looks like we've got a clean bill of health from last night.
04:31But I've just had a quick informal chat with the physio department there.
04:35So we'll have our meeting after we do press and go from there.
04:38So Milosevic is having a scan today, I think you said, as well, isn't it?
04:41Yeah, so we'll see what the results are on that.
04:42Is Ackerton like his train today at all?
04:45He probably will.
04:46But it's just a very much a tapered sort of session to get him back into the swing of things and not with a view for the weekend.
04:52Well, you've basically said no promises he'll be involved against Derby anyway, haven't you, really?
04:55Yeah, I just think it's too soon for him, unfortunately.
04:57Riley Tower, is he just not selected at the moment?
04:59Yeah, Riley Chave was with us last night, but not selected, but certainly in the mix.
05:04And Yangi as well, he's just not selected at the moment?
05:07Yeah, same, just on a selection issue.
05:10And is it shocking to see he's still pencilled in for next week, perhaps?
05:12Pencilled in to come back to train next week.
05:15And then, yeah, we'll see.
05:16It's been a long injury, I think it's been now seven weeks.
05:19So, yeah, we have to make sure we're cautious.
05:22Finally, Callum Lang, how's he getting on?
05:25Yeah, Callum's doing well.
05:26You know, I think doing a lot of sort of back-end rehab work on the training pitch.
05:33I think champing at the bit, but it's always been one where we've been looking to get Callum back for the beginning of next season.
05:39So, yeah, he's doing well.
05:41I think he's really progressing nicely, but nothing we're expecting for the next five games.
05:46Has he given up on this season then?
05:48Oh, I don't think he's given up on anything, but we've been realistic with him.