'I'll be shocked' - Portsmouth boss John Mousinho shares Sheffield United prediction ahead of Championship clash
Portsmouth boss John Mousinho is anticipating a stern test when his side travels to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United on Wednesday night.
Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho has said he would be “shocked” if Sheffield United don’t mount a play-off charge in the coming months ahead of his side’s visit to Bramall Lane this evening.
The Blades brought their four-game winless run to an end against neighbours Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, winning 3-0 at Hillsborough, meaning a victory over Portsmouth will lift them out of the relegation zone for the first time in just over a month.
United made light work of their cross-city rivals, scoring three goals without reply to register their biggest victory of the season. They will now be attempting to register back-to-back wins for only the second time this term.
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Having been impressed by what he saw from Chris Wilder’s side in Sunday’s Steel City derby, Mousinho, who watched his team halt their own winless run with a 3-1 victory over Millwall at Fratton Park on Saturday, is anticipating a stern test in South Yorkshire, admitting the Blades currently find themselves in a “false position”.
Mousinho previews Blades trip
“There have been a couple of false dawns so far this season and the key is to try to find that level of consistency,” said Mousinho, as quoted by Pompey’s club website. “We want to perform in an away game the same way as we do at home, which we admittedly have done much more this season than last.
“It might not be that we’re all out on the press for 90 minutes, but when we do sit in, we still have to show intensity and aggression. Sheffield United were outstanding last season and only just missed out on promotion.
“There’s since been a lot of upheaval and didn’t quite work out at the start of this season. It’s not just as simple as Chris Wilder coming back in and waving a magic wand, although at Hillsborough on Sunday, they looked as strong as I’ve seen them.
“It’s a false position they find themselves in and I’ll be shocked if they don’t still have a run at the play-offs this season.”