'Nice-guy' John Mousinho's important Portsmouth message as he looks to close gap on Barnsley, Bolton Plymouth & Co

The Pompey head coach said he takes winning games for Pompey very seriously.

And while the Blues players, by his own admission, are yet to see a different side to him, the 36-year-old added there’s no-one under any illusion of the seriousness of the job expected of them under his management.

Mousinho has been in post at Fratton Park for nearly a month now.

That has seen him collect 11 points from his first seven games in charge and match the points tally predecessor Danny Cowley secured in his final 14 games at the helm over a three-and-a-half-month period.

But while Pompey’s form has picked up, their play-off hopes are effectively over as they sit 10th in the League One table and well adrift of the top six.

Defeats to Peterborough and Plymouth, plus last Saturday’s goalless draw at Lincoln, put paid to those ambitions.

And with the Fratton Park boss already telling the players that they are now playing for their futures at the club, he’s reminded everyone that he won’t tolerate any drops in effort or performance under his watch.

‘No, the players haven’t (seen a different side to me),’ said popular former Oxford defender Mousinho.

‘I actually haven’t come in after a game, at half-time or before a game and said anything I don’t think is fair and normal and rational.

‘And so, I like to think they know how seriously I take this. We are here to have fun but we’re here to have fun by winning games – that’s the best way to enjoy football.

‘If we can enjoy it and win games then great, I think you have a really potent combination.

‘I like to think I’m a nice guy but I also know that we’re representing Portsmouth here and we’re very, very serious about winning football games and that’s my responsibility.

‘I take it very seriously.’