John Mousinho hopes ‘amazing’ Matt Ritchie’s Hull performance will spark his second Pompey career.
The 35-year-old, who had previously been a bit-part player relegated to bench action since his return from Newcastle in the summer, made his second start of the season on Saturday.John Mousinho hopes ‘amazing’ Matt Ritchie’s Hull performance will spark his second Pompey career.
The 35-year-old, who had previously been a bit-part player relegated to bench action since his return from Newcastle in the summer, made his second start of the season on Saturday. Ritchie took advantage of the rare opportunity by delivering an enthusiastic display with a touch of quality from a right-wing position.
Following a 1-1 draw in which Mousinho hailed the Blues’ second-half performance as their greatest 45 minutes of the season, Ritchie was singled out for praise. Pompey’s head coach told The News: “Matt has been fantastic around the place.” It is the leadership that he brings to the table in terms of how we want to press and organize. He brings us serenity and quality on the ball.’I thought he was fantastic on Saturday; I would not have taken him off, but he tightened up, so we opted to put fresh legs on.
‘Matt has really, really deserved that, and hopefully it marks the start of his second Pompey career and propels him into a successful season.
‘He
He pressed hard, was active, and performed admirably when the ball was passed to him. Matt snatched the ball high up for the penalty claim against Kusini Yengi, which we later won back.
‘It was all about his game. I feel very confident when he’s on the pitch, especially when we’re lacking Marlon’s leadership. It’s critical to have that expertise in there and to ensure he drives the team.
Ritchie’s leadership on the field was critical when Marlon Pack came on as a substitute for the second straight match.
Ritchie played 75 minutes, his biggest outing since returning to Fratton Park, before being substituted by Sammy Silvera.
Mousinho went on to say, ‘I hope it’s a stimulus for a lot of the players; for many of them, it was their greatest performance so far this season.
‘We need to make sure it’s not simply a one-time thing and then we get started.
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