John Mousinho - Portsmouth - Tactical analysis - October 2023
20th January 2023, John Michael Lewis Mousinho was appointed as head coach of Portsmouth Football Club, succeeding Danny Cowley in the process. Pompey were lying in 15th place in the Sky Bet League One table having gone on a barren run of 1 win in 15 league games, fan apathy was at an all time high, morale was at rock bottom & it seemed as though there was no end to all of the misery the Pompey faithful had to endure.
Fast forward some 9 months later & things are looking a lot more rosy at PO4 with Pompey now 1st in the League One table having gone on a 23 league game unbeaten run stretching back to last season. But it’s not just as simple as that, join me as I take an in depth look at how John Mousinho has set Portsmouth up for success with his brave, patient, pressing, attacking style of play.
Principles
Below are some of the core principles we have seen from Mousinho’s time in charge at Fratton Park.
Short & patient build-up
Intense pressing
Switching the play
Dominating possession
High defensive line
Wide triangles
Set-piece domination
I shall now go through each of these core principles & the effect this has on Portsmouth’s style of play under John Mousinho.
Short & patient build-up
It has become clear throughout Mousinho’s 9-month tenure on the South Coast that he likes his team to build from the back in a slow & patient manner, waiting for the opportunity to find passing options that open up by players moving into space or an opposition player jumping out to press the ball-carrier.
Pompey will often build out from the back in a 2–4–4 shape with goalkeeper Will Norris capable of operating as a +1 if the opposition go man for man, this involves the centre-backs being split in the penalty area, the full-backs joining the double-pivot in the second line & a front four with the attacking midfielder dropping between the defensive & midfield lines, also at times we’ll see one of the pivots (Usually Joe Morrell) drop in between the centre-backs. Norris will often lay it off to one of the centre-backs whilst keeping himself available as a passing option if Pompey can’t find any openings further up the pitch.
Mousinho’s 2–4–4 build-up structure is heavily influenced by that of Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton but that doesn’t mean he’s copied it in every detail, there are some tweaks that have been made to suit the personnel at his disposal.
The key to the 2–4–4 build-up is the amount of passing triangles that can be created, it gives the first & second line a minimum of two short passing options, Pompey possess a goalkeeper & two centre-backs who are comfortable with playing out but there is another way to progress, step forward Colby Bishop.
If Pompey decide to go direct from the goal kick, Bishop will often be utilised as a sort of target man in this instance due to his height (6'0), strength to hold off the defender & the fact he’s always willing to put the team first. He will take a touch with his chest rather than heading the ball upwards as this helps with ball retention but what’s important is Bishop having the sufficient support if the ball does go up to him, this is in the form of the central-attacking-midfielder (Usually Alex Robertson or Christian Saydee) or the right-winger (Paddy Lane or Gavin Whyte) since Bishop is used as the right-striker in the build-up phase. Additionally, we could have the right-back invert to provide an alternative progression route, this would make more sense when Zak Swanson is playing due to the technical security he provides.
Another way Pompey look to build from the back is by having one of the two pivots dropping in between the centre-backs which creates a 3–3–1–3 shape, this is usually done with Joe Morrell due to his mobility which allows him to receive on the half-turn & his short height which helps with his agility, Marlon Pack is also capable of this due to his game intelligence & passing range.
It would be unfair & unrealistic to expect Pompey to build up & play with the same sort of technique exactly like a team that finished 6th in the Premier League last season & that’s why no one should look to copy a tactic in every little detail, in most cases tweaks are necessary depending on the personnel. Mousinho has made the right adjustments to suit the ability of this Pompey team.
We can see from the data above that Pompey’s style is rather detailed as a result of this approach with an average of 3.38 passes per sequence ranking 6th in League One whilst the average sequence time of 8.94 also ranks as the 6th highest in the division. The Blues have completed 10+ passes per open play sequence 117 times in total which ranks as the 4th highest in the division.
I shall now touch upon some of the key personnel in our build-up phase & what makes them important.
Key personnel
Will Norris in my opinion is the most important player in our build-up phase, his brilliant passing range along with his game intelligence makes him a very good fit in Pompey’s system, he’s comfortable with the ball at his feet & can play either short to the centre-backs, direct to Colby Bishop or even spread the ball out wide to the full-backs, this is why he is often heavily involved in the initial build-up phase.
Regan Poole has been arguably the signing of the summer since his arrival from Lincoln on a free transfer in July, the right-sided centre-half has tremendous ball-playing ability which includes his passing range, composure when on the ball, bringing it out of defence & his excellent reading of the game, these are all key ingredients of a top ball-playing defender & Poole has all of that & then some.
Conor Shaughnessy has often been lauded as the unsung hero due to Poole’s standout performances but he too deserves a lot of credit for how he suits this style of play, it’d be unfair not to at least give him a mention.
Colby Bishop is our talisman having scored 8 league goals already this season but what makes him so integral to Pompey is his ability to hold off the opposition centre-back & holding the ball up which makes him a viable direct passing option. He’s as good a striker as you could possibly get at League One level & not just because of his goals.
Intense pressing
Another principle of a John Mousinho team is an intense press from the front, this is done with Bishop often jumping out to press the opposition centre-backs with the rest of the front four following, the team will look to counter-press when the ball is lost to stop the attacking transition.
It’s important to have a forward line who have high work rate & good stamina & fitness along with acceleration, we’ve seen Paddy Lane, Gavin Whyte, Abu Kamara, Alex Robertson, Christian Saydee & Colby Bishop all excel in pressing from the front which gives confidence to the rest of the team to play on the front foot.
According to data from Opta Analyst, Pompey rank 6th in both passes per defensive action allowed (12.7) & total number of high turnovers (87).
Switching the play
This is a key principle of how John Mousinho wants his Pompey team to play, to work the ball on one side before a quick switch of play over to the other side via either short or vertical passes.
By moving the ball patiently from one side to the other, there’s more chance of catching the opposition off guard as they could easily switch off for one moment whilst maintaining concentration which would then allow Pompey to exploit any gaps or lapses of concentration. There’s a lot of emphasis on the opposition midfield line needing to react & keep their concentration levels high at all times to not leave the defensive line exposed.
A good example is the 1st goal against Port Vale where Pompey are able to switch the play over to the left side having worked it on the right side.
Dominating possession
John Mousinho wants his Pompey team to play on the front foot & dominate the ball & the statistics back this up.
According to data from Wyscout, Pompey have an average ball possession of 56.6 which ranks as the 3rd highest in League One, only Bolton (60.1) & Peterborough (56.9) have occupied more average possession.
The Blues rank 6th for the number of direct attacks (19) while passes per 90 of 410.55 also ranks 6th in the division with an 82.9% success rate.
Pompey sit 3rd for passes to the final third per 90 with 57.64 with a 64.6% success rate & whilst progressive passes per 90 of 69.09 is only enough to see The Blues in the top 10, their % accuracy of 80.2 is top of the charts & they are usually able to convert possession into chances as shots per 90 of 11.1 ranks 3rd in League One.
There is perhaps one area for improvement & that’s the number of touches in the opposition box with The Blues ranking 17th overall for touches in the penalty area per 90 minutes, but more importantly the success rate % is 56.6 which is the 6th highest in the division. Interestingly despite this statistic, Colby Bishop has recorded the most touches in the penalty area out of anybody in the division with a total of 67 & ranks 4th for touches in the penalty area per 90 with 4.85.
Now there were a few games earlier in the season (Cheltenham springs to mind) where we dominated the ball but struggled to create anything meaningful as we couldn’t find a way into the opposition penalty area. We’ve seen a recent improvement where Pompey have found a way to break down low-blocks & create goalscoring chances & if we’re able to continue this trend, the stats should soon start backing this up.
Key personnel
Regan Poole’s composure, passing range, ability to play under pressure & decision making are all massive advantages to Pompey being able to retain possession.
Captain Marlon Pack has shown his importance this season with his leadership & understanding which has helped with Pompey’s ball retention & also has good passing range & composure on the ball.
Attacking midfielder Alex Robertson (on loan from Manchester City) is capable of receiving when under pressure, good on the half-turn & can drive with the ball
High defensive line
To go along with John Mousinho’s brave, attacking style of football, he will employ a high defensive line as the full-backs look to go forward to link up with the forwards & aid passing triangles. The key is having a centre-back pairing who are mobile & capable of 1v1 defending, this is another aspect of Regan Poole’s game he excels that, his recovery runs & excellent reading of the game are vital to stop a possible counter-attack & to slow the game down for a few seconds, Conor Shaughnessy is also capable of stopping the attacking transition.
As a result of Pompey implementing a high line, it allows the team to dominate the match in the opposition half. According to WhoScored.com, a total of 33% of Pompey’s actions have been inside the opposition half ranking as the joint 2nd highest in League One. Just 26% of actions have occurred in Pompey’s half which ranks as the 2nd lowest in the division.
Wide triangles
This principle is one of my personal favourites
To help with wide overloads, we often see from John Mousinho’s Pompey team the use of dynamic wide triangles. This will involve the full-back, winger & often the №6 or №10 depending on the attacking shape, there is an emphasis on positional interchange to ensure gaps are covered & there’s limited vulnerability on the defensive transition.
Exhibit A
I shall show a couple of examples of how this works. This first example is our equalising goal against Peterborough last month, we can see in the image above an initial triangle of right-back Zak Swanson, right-centre-midfielder Marlon Pack & right-winger Gavin Whyte.
Swanson lays the ball to Whyte who has come inside allowing Swanson the space to run into the box where he will look to occupy the LCB as Whyte occupies the LB, as this is occurring, Joe Morrell will come over to provide support & ensure there’s no numerical disadvantage, Pack has shifted over out wide to cover the space left by Swanson.
As a result of Pompey working the ball patiently & the positional interchanges that have occurred, we now see Pack free out on the right while there are 5 players in or around the box. Morrell is able to thread the ball out to Pack who whips the cross in for Bishop at the far-post resulting in the equaliser.
As a result of the movement out wide, we end up in a 2–3–5 end-shape from the 2–4–4 attacking structure with Swanson joining the attacking line from RB occupying the LCB (5) as five players are lined up in the box with Bishop lurking at the far post. A solid rest-defence is provided with Poole & Shaughnessy holding the high line.
Exhibit B
Another example is the move that led to the penalty against Port Vale but this time it’s different with Christian Saydee being the key in this move having drifted from his natural №10 role to aid the triangle, this results in Pompey attacking in more of a 2–5–3 structure.
We can see in the image above that this triangle consists of Saydee who’s drifted from his central-attacking-midfielder position, right-back Joe Rafferty & right-winger Paddy Lane, Port Vale sit in a 5–4–1 low-block so technique, bravery & movement are key elements to breaking this down. From here, Saydee makes himself available as a pass-back option, he’s able to thread the ball to Lane past the LCM as he then moves into space in the penalty area. Rafferty stays out wide to offer support, he then receives from Lane & goes past his man with a nutmeg before crossing with the outside of his right-foot. It eventually leads to Pompey winning the penalty thanks to a handball but this is another example of The Blues being able to work the ball out wide through passing triangles & dynamic combinations.
Thanks to this combination of movement, technique & bravery, Pompey win this 3v3 battle out wide with Rafferty now having the time to either cross where three players are in the box or lay it off to Stevenson on the edge of the area where Sparkes (21) is a free option, he can then drift out wide to cross or take the shot on from the edge of the area.
This was more reminiscent of a 2–5–3 structure as the central-attacking midfielder drifts over to provide support for the full-back & winger who are both on the edge of their respective zones, this is to ensure there’s no numerical disadvantage, otherwise we’re in a situation where it’s a 4v3 on the right hand side thus limiting our chance of progression. To also help combat the possibility of an opposition overload, the RCM can come in to support while the LCM acts as the DM & covers the gap between the two centre-backs.
Its’ why Mousinho is dead set on a 4–2–3–1 base formation as the №10 is a key clog in this system & it allows us to play a more attacking style.
It’s necessary to go with a 2–5–3 shape when playing against low-blocks as the №10 can be given a free role to aid wide triangles as the opposition wingers track back & aim to make the final-third more congested.
There is a downside to the 2–4–4 shape & I shall explain why.
If the №10 is required to stay in the box at all times, this risks a wide overload as demonstrated above, there’s no room for progression but also leaves us vulnerable on the defensive transition, for example if the ball is on our right hand side, the LCM would either have to shift over to support or stay where he is. If he chooses to support the wide combinations & the ball gets turned over, we’re left in a dangerous situation as if the opposition are quick with their play, the RW (7) becomes free to thread the through ball to the №9. If the №10 comes over to support instead, the LCM is able to occupy his role as the DM to ensure there are no gaps for through balls in the event of a turnover.
It’s worth noting The Blues’ ability to attack down the wings & create a high volume of chances as according to Wyscout, we rank 2nd in the division for crosses per 90 with a 38.2 percentage accuracy
Set-piece domination
There’s been a heavy emphasis on making the most of set-pieces under John Mousinho & I couldn’t help but notice the eye-catching statistics when doing my research.
According to Opta Analyst, Pompey have accumulated the highest amount of set-piece shots with 64 which is 10 more than any other team in the division, have the highest set-piece Xg with 7.35 & have scored the joint highest set-piece goals with 7. Plus data from Wyscout shows we’ve also averaged the 2nd highest amount of corners with 6.37 per game while the stat of 3.37 conceded per 90 ranks the 3rd lowest in the division.
Mousinho opts for in-swinging deliveries from corners with Jack Sparkes often tasked with delivering from the right side of the goal while the corner-taker on the left side has varied with Alex Robertson often assigned the role when available or Joe Rafferty.
Formation/line-up
Pompey have lined up in a 4–2–3–1 for 81% of their matches this season although Mousinho has shown at times this season that he’s flexible & is able to adapt during games when necessary. For example in the most recent game against Gillingham in the EFL Trophy, he switched to a 3–4–1–2 after 60 minutes, this helped our wing-backs (Zak Swanson & Jack Sparkes) get further forward & allowed us to build in a 3–4 structure with an extra centre-back.
In terms of the personnel, Will Norris & Colby Bishop are the only two players to have started every league game this season while Regan Poole, Conor Shaughnessy & Joe Morrell have started all but one, Abu Kamara, Gavin Whyte & Jack Sparkes are the other three players to have featured in every league game.
Defensive shape
Pompey often sit in a 4–2–3–1 shape when reverting to a mid-block although there is the flexibility to change to either a 4–1–4–1 with one sitting midfielder or a pressing 4–4–2 with the attacking midfielder joining the striker in the attacking line. The shape is compact with the team looking to restrict the space in the central zone & force the opposition to go out wide.
Attacking shape
On this occasion the straight arrows demonstrate passing & the dotted arrows demonstrate movement.
Often Pompey’s attacking shape consists of a 2–4–4 much like the build-up phase, the key is to ensure that all 5 vertical channels are covered to maintain positional superiority. The centre-backs are tasked with holding the high line while the full-backs get forward to provide support for passing triangles, the №10 is given more of a free role to find pockets of space & help with wide overloads if needed. There are a number of ways Pompey are able to turn these into goal-scoring opportunities either by going past the opposition full-back & crossing from the byline or by patient play, numerical superiority & positional interchanges.
What this also allows Pompey to do is to switch the play over to the left side if openings are hard to come by on the right side or if the opposition has locked the right side off, this can be done with the ball being laid back to Poole before he switches it over to Sparkes by aiming a vertical ball over to the left channel, Sparkes must be high & wide at all times.
My personal preference however is the 2–5–3 attacking structure with the №10 part of the wide triangle & a defensive-midfielder blocking off any gaps for through balls in the event of a turnover in possession. This variation does rely more on movement both on & off the ball due to the DM needing to stay back to provide defensive security, Robertson’s burst of pace & dribbling skills are essential to getting past defenders & making late runs into the box. Additionally the play could be switched over to the left hand side with Robertson coming over to support.
Outro
This time last week there were no plans to write anything as I was sort of stuck in a rut, I then saw a brilliant Twitter (I’m still not calling it X) thread from Blues breakdown (A football analysis page covering Birmingham City) on recently appointed manager Wayne Rooney’s style of play & principles. This gave me the idea to write an in depth column on John Mousinho’s style of play & principles that have been implemented at Fratton Park. I managed to get to 1500 words by last Friday before I was struck with Covid which halted my progression, I’m still not quite at 100% as I type this with aching muscles but I’ve been determined to finish this & publish before the next game & I’m glad I’ve been able to do so.
I thoroughly hope you’ve enjoyed this long read, if so make sure to follow on Medium, any shares & RT’s are a big help & keep an eye out on news about my new analysis page which will be created soon.
Until next time!
(Statistics up to date as of 18/10/23)
