Portsmouth manager John Mousinho is targeting victory at Hull City on Saturday to maintain a positive trend entering international breaks. Pompey secured wins before September and October’s breaks and the boss wants to make it three from three.
The Blues enjoyed Fratton Park triumphs against Preston and then-unbeaten Middlesbrough before those previous domestic pauses, and Mousinho is eager to replicate that success ahead of Saturday’s trip to East Yorkshire.
However, the manager acknowledges his squad must demonstrate greater attacking threat to claim maximum points against the Tigers.
Mousinho commented: “We secured victories going into the last two international breaks and we’re determined to achieve another positive outcome that settles things and positions us well for the season’s remainder.
“Taking forward the momentum from our enhanced display against Wrexham when we travel to Hull is crucial.
“They’re a transformed outfit compared to the team that barely survived relegation last term and have made an excellent start to this campaign.
“There’s a fresh manager and numerous new signings. We believed they deserved something from their midweek trip to Derby.
“We’ll need to perform at our peak and there’s significant emphasis on our entire squad to generate more opportunities and display a clinical edge to find the net.
“When you examine our attacking options from Wednesday, players like Colby, Conor and Josh possess proven goalscoring credentials.”
The club’s American ownership travelled across the Atlantic to witness Wednesday’s stalemate with Wrexham, and Mousinho appreciated their attendance.
He added: “We had brief discussions with Michael and his family pre and post-match, but now have opportunity for more detailed conversations.
“Face-to-face meetings are valuable, though communication channels remain open regardless of their location.”
Josh Murphy caught the eye against the Welsh visitors in his first starting appearance since mid-September, leaving Mousinho to assess whether he can handle consecutive starts at Hull.
The manager explained: “My initial feeling is he’s not quite ready for two matches in quick succession, but we’ll evaluate closer to kick-off.
“Connor Ogilvie will undergo a scan on Friday following his knee problem and we won’t have further details until next week.
“Callum Lane, Nico Schmid and Adrian Segečić should return following the international break, as previously indicated.
“Harvey Blair and Franco Umeh are expected back in training by then, whilst Thomas Waddingham likely faces another 6-8 weeks on the sidelines.”
