John Mousinho explains why Portsmouth signed defenders not ready to start
John Mousinho has addressed a key concern from Pompey supporters after the club recruited two defenders who are not yet ready to start games in their Championship survival fight.
After asking fans to submit questions for the Blues boss this week, one theme stood out: why have Portsmouth signed players who aren’t fully fit or match-ready?
During the January transfer window, Pompey brought in Aji Alese on loan from Sunderland, along with Senegal centre-back Madiodio Dia from Norwegian side Haugesund. However, neither arrival was considered immediately ready to step into Mousinho’s starting XI.
Alese, formerly of West Ham, had impressed at the Stadium of Light but has endured a torrid run with injuries, including a broken leg suffered against Stoke in the FA Cup last year that kept him sidelined for 12 months. Dia, meanwhile, arrived late on deadline day after Pompey’s move for Dundee’s Luke Graham fell through.
With Portsmouth operating near the bottom of the Championship budget scale, Mousinho made it clear that financial reality heavily influenced recruitment decisions.
“I can’t think of many players who’ve moved from Championship club to Championship club who are completely ready to play for the sort of money we have available,” he explained.
“We did have £500,000 to spend on a 30-year-old and managed to do it. But the option of going to find players who are fit and ready to compete in the Championship at that price just doesn’t exist.”
Mousinho stressed that there wasn’t a list of proven, match-fit Championship centre-backs being rejected in favour of riskier options.
“I don’t look at a piece of paper and turn down proven Championship centre-halves who have been playing this season,” he said.
“I don’t turn down players who are fit and ready to go to take a risk on a couple who aren’t necessarily ready to play.
“There’s one who’s back from 12 months out and one who’s come over from Norway. That’s not a conscious decision — we’ve got what we’ve got to work with and that’s it, that’s the state of play.”
The Pompey boss also pointed to last season’s recruitment challenges, referencing centre-back Rob Atkinson, who had been out injured for two years when he arrived.
“Two of the three centre-backs on our list ended up playing regularly in the Championship, and the other was Rob Atkinson, who’d been out for two years. I was asked the same question about Rob — but that’s who was available at that time.”
Mousinho concluded by noting that few Championship clubs are able to sign players who have been ever-present throughout the season.
For Portsmouth, calculated risks appear to be the only viable route as they battle to maintain their second-tier status.
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