Portsmouth FC's fight for survival as the season approaches its climax continues to be fraught with challenges, following consecutive defeats to bottom side Plymouth Argyle and Preston North End.
On Saturday, March 15, 2025, Portsmouth faced Preston at Deepdale, where they endured another disappointing result, losing 2-1. This defeat left the team languishing just four points above the relegation zone, having recently enjoyed a brief cushion of ten points after defeating the league leaders, Leeds United. Now, with only eight matches remaining, the stakes have never been higher for manager John Mousinho and his squad.
After the match against Preston, Mousinho expressed his frustrations with the team's performance. Despite managing to equalize against Preston, the Blues allowed Stefan Thoradson to score the winning goal just three minutes from full-time, illustrating the team’s tendency to falter under pressure. "We have this horrible habit of seemingly needing much more league table pressure to perform," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent. "It's probably a reflection of the group - if you're a good team and you want to make it at this level, you have to manufacture this yourself to make sure you play with the intensity like when our backs are against the wall."
Notably, the match against Preston highlighted tactical changes implemented by Mousinho. Following the disheartening defeat to Plymouth, he made significant adjustments to the lineup. Skipper Marlon Pack and Zak Swanson were dropped, and Cohen Bramall was introduced at left-back for his full debut. Connor Ogilvie was shifted to the centre-back position, ostensibly to strengthen the defensive line amid multiple injury woes. "What we wanted to do was protect the channels, have two runners at centre-half; it was the theme for the whole team selection," Mousinho articulated. He emphasized the necessity of finding ways to use players effectively, especially noting Ogilvie’s consistent presence as one of the team's standout performers this season.
The club's defensive challenges have been exacerbated by significant injuries. Regan Poole was the only recognized centre-back on the pitch against Preston. To address these issues, Portsmouth signed Alexander Milosevic as defensive cover on March 7, 2025; the former Watford player has yet to make his matchday debut with the team. Long-term absentees like Ibane Bowat, Rob Atkinson, Conor Shaughnessy, and Jordan Williams have forced the management to explore alternative configurations. Mousinho noted how injuries have contributed to the team’s struggles, expressing confidence but also disappointment with certain patterns: "I can't live with what we did on Saturday, we switched off and did things we explicitly told the players not to do."
The recent string of results has more than halved the gap between Portsmouth and the relegation zone. With teams below them, like Derby County, gaining momentum and achieving wins, the pressure has intensified. Derby, sitting 22nd, has closed the gap to the Blues significantly by winning its last three matches. Mousinho's team faces the task of not only remaining competitive but also regaining the confidence they had when they were ten points clear. "The next two weeks is going to be miserable and that's the way it should be. I'd love to be more positive about it but we have to be harsher because the message just isn't sinking in," remarked the Portsmouth manager, underlining the urgency of upcoming training sessions as the international break provides much-needed time to reflect.
Looking forward, Portsmouth will next host Blackburn Rovers on March 29, 2025. This game looms large as the first encounter post-international break and presents another opportunity for Mousinho's squad to either strengthen their position or deepen their struggles. Blackburn has had poor form recently, gaining only one point from their last five matches, and Mousinho will be hoping to capitalize on any continued poor performances from their opponents.
Portsmouth currently boasts the 10th-best home record within the league, and to bolster their chances of survival, they will need to rely heavily on their home advantage. With only two away wins this whole season and 13 losses from 19 away games, the upcoming matches are being framed as pivotal. The club's fortunes have undeniably taken hits—the loss to Preston was not just another defeat, but rather, it constituted the culmination of mismanagement of late-game situations and poor performances against teams they should ideally be beating.
Mousinho concluded his thoughts on Saturday's encounter and his squad's mentality, stating, "Most of the players at Preston played very well for 87 minutes but if you want to do well, you've got to do it for the full duration." The message resonates loudly: if Portsmouth wants to secure their Championship status, every minute from here on must translate to diligence and drive.
