‘They’re Engulfed’ – Portsmouth Warned On Drop Battle By Ex-Striker
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Former Championship hitman Sam Parkin has insisted the onus is now on Portsmouth to respond, particularly after a heavy weekend defeat to Queens Park Rangers that has dragged them deeper into the scrap at the bottom.
Portsmouth made the trip to Loftus Road last Saturday and were torn apart in a 6-1 thrashing, a result that marked a third straight defeat and extended their winless run to six matches.
Despite reinforcements in the winter window, moves praised by a former EFL striker who believed they would be enough to secure survival, Pompey’s performances have failed to improve, leaving them in 21st place, just one point above Leicester City and Oxford United in the drop zone.
The Fratton Park outfit had already been flagged by Parkin for their lack of cutting edge in attack, and the heavy loss to the Rs only went on to expose vulnerabilities at the back.
The former Championship attacker also pointed to a costly tactical misstep by John Mousinho, one the Portsmouth boss has since conceded, centred on the decision to deploy Ebou Adams in an advanced No. 10 role at Loftus Road.
The move saw the 30-year-old operate further forward while John Swift dropped deeper, a reshuffle Parkin felt created spaces that QPR repeatedly capitalised on.
He added that it is now all about how Portsmouth respond, with the side still locked in an intense battle near the foot of the table.
The 45-year-old said on EFL All Access (11:00): “Pompey, the one big tactical decision that John Mousinho made, I think he’s come out and held his hands up that he got wrong.
“Ebou Adams playing higher as a ten, which he’s done before at Derby, and I can understand it because he’s obviously all action, he can press, he can get in the box and get on the end of things.
“But to deploy John Swift slightly deeper, obviously QPR found gaps and hugely exposed them.
“So it’s about how they react now.
“Portsmouth, they’re engulfed in a hell of a battle down there at the foot of the table.”
Backed by former EFL attackers Chris Martin and Adrian Clarke last month to preserve their Championship status, Pompey now look short on confidence and in need of a spark, with a positive result required when they return to action on 3rd April after the international break.
A daunting trip to Carrow Road lies ahead, where they will face Philippe Clement’s in-form Norwich City side, who have won four of their last five games, with the Canaries boss even suggested as a contender for Championship Manager of the Year by a former Championship star.
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