"I don't see how the first two years could have gone much better for John Mousinho."
BBC Radio Solent's Chris Wise and Andy Moon discuss Portsmouth settling into Championship life, raiding the Australian A-League and glance ahead at the upcoming trip to West Bromwich Albion.
Image source, Rex FeaturesPortsmouth have won their past two Championship games under John Mousinho
Portsmouth head coach John Moushino is pleased his side have lost their "soft side" in the Championship.
It comes after Stoke boss Mark Robins accused Pompey of using the "dark arts" in their 3-1 win on Wednesday night.
"I thought it was a really good compliment; I was really pleased to hear that," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.
"The opposite of that is a soft side who doesn't know how to manage a game, which we could be accused of at times this year."
Portsmouth have won their past four home games in the league but heads to West Brom on Saturday on a five-match losing streak on the road.
"We've spoken internally about being a bit smarter, a bit street smart. Sometimes we've been naive in games against clever Championship players.
"It's not something we're deliberately setting out to do to gain a competitive advantage, but we want to make sure we do things properly. I don't think there's anything wrong with that - we need to do things properly to win football games," he added.
Image source, Rex FeaturesStoke City boss Mark Robins was critical of his team for allowing Portsmouth to "bully" them in their 3-1 defeat at Fratton Park on Wednesday, but also accused Pompey of using the "dark arts".
We asked you for your views on Robins' post-match comments and here is a selection of your responses:
Peter: Rubbish, I was at the game. It was a good physical game of football from both sides. No dark arts, just one team wanting it much more than the other.
Ronan: He's not wrong and it has been a weak point of Stoke's game all season, but it was a total failure by the referee to control the game in my opinion.
The standard of refereeing in this season's Championship has been diabolical - I dread to count the number of points we have lost to objectively incorrect refereeing decisions.
I confess I watch the Prem with envy every time the referee runs over to that monitor…
Darren: Robins need to worry about his own team being pretty poor, and how he is going to stop their slide down the table, rather than making excuses for the defeat. Pompey had 9 fouls against them, Stoke 12... Hmmm.
Adrian: Sounds like sour grapes to me. I never saw anything other than a normal game of modern football from both sides.
Expect better from Robins. Maybe the pressure of the position he finds himself in now is dawning on him.
Image source, Rex FeaturesMartin: There's nothing dark arts or bullying about it. It's full blooded commitment and hard work. Sour grapes. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Julian: Robins has got it so wrong. Pompey just ran and won most 50-50s. Stoke were outfought rather than outplayed!
Nick: Robins' comments are pretty laughable really. Pompey "comprehensively outplayed a poor Stoke side for the vast majority of the game".
I'm a Pompey fan, but the quote is from a couple of disappointed Stoke fans I met in the pub after!
Tom Chappell
Fan writer from Fournilwrittenalloverit
Image source, Rex FeaturesMy feeling before the game was that this would be Pompey's biggest game of the season so far - and it proved not only to be a dazzling win, but a proper performance from John Mousinho's side.
Whether it be Colby Bishop's emphatic spot-kick, Callum Lang's audacious header and emotional celebration or Jordan Williams' colossal defensive display, there was something to like everywhere you looked at Fratton Park on Wednesday night.
I've written previously about my frustrations with the lack of decisions from officials seeming to fall Pompey's way - the penalty early doors validates this entirely.
It's a decision that referee Josh Smith should make and correctly does, yet you don't often see those given. It's not something we've seen too much of go in our favour this season to date.
Colby dispatches expertly, and Pompey have their desired start. The visionary Nicolas Schmid then fires one in Lang's direction, which Pompey's goal-scoring boy nods beyond Viktor Johansson's reach.
A fitting celebration followed as the 10-goal man wheeled in the direction of Alec Lumb's seat. A class player and an even better person.
Stoke get back in it with a goal that is disappointingly poor for all those of a Pompey persuasion - but, for me, it was our conduct coming back out after half-time that won us the night.
What can only be described as pedal to the floor, Pompey gave no respite or breathing room for an opposition's right to reply - Connor Ogilvie tucks it away nicely at the back stick and the evening becomes ever so comfortable.
There wasn't a moment where I felt from then on that the scoreline - and more broadly, the result - was in any danger. Mousinho's characterisation of that being up there with one of the best 45s of the season is wholly accurate.
As the Championship table stands, Pompey can name six teams inferior to them. The challenge now is to ensure that remains the case for as long as possible.
Resurgent Portsmouth head to The Hawthorns on Saturday (15:00 GMT) to face Tony Mowbray's West Bromwich Albion.
Pompey have climbed up to 18th, three points clear of the drop-zone, while the Baggies sit seventh, a point outside the play-off places.
West Brom have lost just two of their past 11 league games against Portsmouth (W7 D2), and after winning the reverse 3-0 in September, will be looking to record a first league double over Pompey since the 2001-02 season.
Portsmouth have failed to win any of their past seven away league games against West Brom (D2 L5) since a 3-0 victory at the Hawthorns in February 1998.
West Brom are unbeaten in their last nine home league games (W3 D6), their longest run since April 2023 (a run of 12).
Portsmouth have lost each of their last five away league games and could lose six in a row for the first time since March 2006 when they lost nine in succession in the Premier League.
Mikey Johnston has been directly involved in four goals (2 goals, 2 assists) in his last three home league games for West Brom, twice as many as in his first 18 such matches for the club (2).
Notts County striker Alassana Jatta is attracting attention with Plymouth said to have seen a £750k bid turned down, while Portsmouth and Bolton are also interested. (The Guardian, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip page.
Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent Portsmouth commentator
Image source, Rex FeaturesIt was a Portsmouth victory which was not a surprise or an epic battle, just one that went to the form book.
An intense start that Stoke City could not live with, followed by a second half of excellent control that allowed Pompey to coast to a 3-1 victory.
Fans are now arriving at Fratton Park expecting performances like this rather than being pleasantly surprised by them.
The Championship table looks better than it has done at any point all season. Can Pompey finally find a way to get results away from home, and can they put in three performances in a week?
A trip to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday may help answer those questions...
Image source, Rex FeaturesStoke City boss Mark Robins was very critical of both his own team and Portsmouth after their 3-1 defeat at Fratton Park on Wednesday night.
The 55-year-old said the Potters were "bullied" by a Pompey side who rolled out "all the dark arts" on their way to victory.
"I'm really disappointed, they set the tone right from the start and we didn't live with that," Robins said.
"We allowed them to bully us all night. I also didn't think for one second the referee was going to give a penalty [for the first goal] and then he did. It is what it is.
"Let's have it right, they've thrown themselves to the floor, they've fouled us, kicked us, and we've had nothing.
"It's all the dark arts, they've got experienced players in the other side of the game and it's old school football."
Robins' comments throw up a number of questions and we want to know what you think of his claims:
Were Stoke bullied by Portsmouth?
Did the decisions go against the Potters?
Do you agree with Robins that Pompey deployed the 'dark arts'?
Image source, Rex FeaturesPortsmouth boss John Mousinho spoke to BBC Sport following their 3-1 win over Stoke.
"It feels great, we knew how important this was pre game and just everything about what was at stake," he said.
"It meant that we could get ourselves up the league and above Stoke so we knew it was really key.
"We were ruthless and clinical and came out on top in my opinion in pretty much every area.
"I think it was a penalty (in the first half), when you push with two hands on the back you give an opportunity for the referee to give a foul"
Portsmouth continued their impressive home form by beating Middlesbrough 2-1 on Saturday to extend their unbeaten run at Fratton Park to six games (W5 D1).
Pompey have gained 19 points from 12 home games (W5 D4 L3) this season, compared to seven points from 14 away matches.
Stoke City are unbeaten in their past four Championship matches (W1 D3), following a 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion at the weekend, but are still searching for a first league win under new boss Mark Robins (P2 D2).
Portsmouth have lost each of their past three league games against Stoke, including a 6-1 defeat in the reverse fixture in October.
Stoke have won two of their past 12 away league games against Portsmouth (W2 D4 L6), but could win on successive trips there in the EFL for the first time, following a 2-1 win in the Premier League in February 2010.
Portsmouth have lost five of their seven midweek league games this season (W1 D1 L5), with Pompey failing to score in four of those matches.
Stoke have won three of their past four Championship games against newly promoted sides (W3 L1).
Robins is yet to win as a visiting manager against Portsmouth in the EFL (D1 L2), drawing 3-3 on his last trip with Coventry City in League One in August 2019.
Dan George & Andrew Moon
BBC Sport, South
Image source, Getty ImagesHayden Matthews has made 18 appearances for Sydney FC this season
Portsmouth are closing in on a deal for Sydney FC defender Hayden Matthews, reports BBC Radio Solent.
The 20-year-old 6ft 4in centre-back has made 18 appearances this campaign for Sydney who are fifth in the Australian A League.
BBC Radio Solent understands that Pompey are edging closer to a deal worth over £1m for the defender.
Matthews has been a long term target at Fratton Park with the Blues unable to secure a deal to sign him in the summer.
This window Portsmouth have already added both Isaac Hayden on loan from Newcastle and defender Rob Atkinson from Bristol City on a loan deal.
The Blues are currently third from bottom in the Championship table with 26 points, level with Hull City who occupy the space above them.
Matthews will look to compete for a starting spot with the current crop of central defenders at Fratton Park, one of those being Conor Shaughnessy who is not too far away from returning after injury according to boss John Mousinho.
The centre-back suffered a calf injury in November and Mousinho is hopeful that he will be involved when his side host Burnley on 1 February.
Tom Chappell
Fan writer from Fournilwrittenalloverit
Image source, Rex FeaturesMatt Ritchie scored twice on Saturday as Portsmouth beat Middlesborough
Saturday was probably Pompey's best win of the season so far.
We've had a 3-0, a 4-1, even a 4-0, but Saturday tops the bill.
And my reasoning being the calibre of Pompey's opposition on the day in Middlesbrough; the fashion of the win in terms of overturning a deficit; and the style in which 'Super' Matt Ritchie took his goals.
It almost felt like a demonstration to ourselves that we do have it in us to beat some of the best that this division has to offer.
Michael Carrick's Boro have been off the boil and there is a bit of a transfer window cloud looming over them, but they have an abundance of top-end Championship operators.
They also have one of the country's young stars in Ben Doak and a serial goalscorer in Emmanuel Latte Lath - who could be on the move in the January transfer window.
There were probably eyebrows raised all around the ground at the news of the inclusion of full-back Jordan Williams in head coach John Mousinho's starting line-up.
Fast forward to full-time and that looked like a shrewd and calculated call, Williams probably had his best game in a Pompey shirt to date.
The aforementioned Ritchie was the headline act for Pompey this weekend, but who I deemed to be the hero of the hour is the man who replaced Williams in the 81st minute.
Zak Swanson came on and inside 60 seconds crafted the goal that simply doesn't happen without him.
It's his exemplary tenacity to win the ball, play in Callum Lang, and allow Ritchie to do the rest which forges the winner. What a fantastic moment for him.
As I write, it is two years to the day since Pompey took a risk and hired the then Oxford United first-team coach to take over at the club.
That will be looked at as arguably one of the most impeccable judgement calls of Richard Hughes' career, but reflective upon the football club as a whole.
An immeasurably good decision, who needs Jose Mourinho!
And to the friends and family who so sadly lost a loved one at Fratton Park on Saturday, my thoughts are very much with them.
Portsmouth have agreed a deal worth about £1.27m for Sydney FC and Australia defender Hayden Matthews, 20. (Football Insider, external)
Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip here.
Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent Portsmouth commentator
Image source, Rex FeaturesSomehow Portsmouth continued to defy the odds at Fratton Park on another memorable occasion, this time against Middlesbrough.
A Pompey squad put together at a fraction of the cost of the Boro squad went toe-to-toe with a promotion-chaser and came out on top.
It was a fascinating spectacle with Pompey's press always likely to force mistakes, and Boro cutting through Pompey with ease on the counter-attack.
Matt Ritchie has shown glimpses of his talents so far, and on Saturday he delivered two Premier League-worthy goals to seal the win.
Image source, Rex FeaturesMatt Ritchie (left) celebrates a goal at Fratton Park
Portsmouth boss John Mousinho hopes Matt Ritchie has "six or seven" more seasons in him after scoring his first goals at Fratton Park, 16 years after starting out with Portsmouth as a teenager.
Ritchie's double secured victory over Middlesbrough and left his manager hoping he prolongs his career now back at the club he signed for as a trainee back in 2008.
"I think a big part of Matt Ritchie coming back here was the fact he had the roots here as an academy player and there was always a tinge of regret he didn't have a long career at Portsmouth," said Mousinho.
"I'm sure he wouldn't swap his brilliant career for anything but there was one thing that was missing, and that was coming back for some unfinished business.
"He got the goal away at Swansea but it is difficult to come here. You saw what it meant to him, he is absolutely buzzing. Since he's come back into the side he's given us a huge amount of energy and quality on the ball in the final third.
"It was a brilliant run and finish for the first goal and then more energy for the second, maybe more energy than you would expect for someone at the back-end of his career – maybe he has six or seven years left in the tank!"
