Marlon Pack has shared what John Mousinho did in January to alter Portsmouth’s alarming League One form.
The Blues are now within touching distance of the Championship thanks to a 15-game unbeaten run since the start of January.
Pompey know that a win on Saturday against Bolton Wanderers will seal their place in the second tier and end their 12-year stint in the EFL’s bottom two divisions.
However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for John Mousinho. A difficult run of form around Christmas and into the new year saw the Blues suffer three defeats.
Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham Town and Leyton Orient all managed a maximum as doubts emerged over their automatic promotion credentials.
The Blues’ blip was quickly forgotten about, and Pack has now shared what the Pompey boss did to arrest Pompey’s form.
Marlon Pack shares what John Mousinho did at Portsmouth in December
Pack has been Portsmouth’s standout performer this season and has been nominated for Sky Bet League One Player of the Year.
The 33-year-old’s ball retention, range of passing and experience have been a crucial part of the Blues’ form this season.
Yet, Pack was quick to heap praise on his rookie manager in a recent interview with Sky Sports News.
“I think there’s a bit of a myth around Portsmouth at Christmas and that they don’t tend to have a favourable run around that period,” he explained.
“It came down to the management team and the gaffer in particular. Throughout the season, we’ve remained consistent in what we’ve done.
“Whether that’s our behaviour around the training pitch, our attitudes, or the way we’ve analysed games post- and pre-match, It was more to do with the gaffer making sure we continued believing in what we do.”
Marlon Pack praise shows Mousinho continues to defy expectations at Portsmouth
When Mousinho was appointed Portsmouth boss, fans were right to raise questions. Oxford United’s fourth-choice central defender was probably not on the Fratton Faithful’s radar.
Pack’s comments show Mousinho for management. Despite having little experience, Mousinho has made all the right decisions at the correct points in the season.
There’s nothing the 37-year-old hasn’t done during his stint at Fratton Park. The Blues could have easily fallen away after their Christmas wobble, and Mousinho deserves immense credit for preventing that from happening.