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John Mousinho admits Kaide Gordon is growing frustrated at his lack of game time - and Pompey's head coach is delighted.
The winger has featured on just four occasions since joining on deadline day from Liverpool, with the Premier League leaders having been keen for regular football to aid his development.
Now the 20-year-old has found his Blues first-team pathway blocked by the form of Matt Ritchie in the right flank role he favours.
Naturally Gordon wants to feature more at Fratton Park - and it’s an attitude Mousinho respects and admires.
Pompey’s head coach told The News: ‘It’s a tough one with Kaide, he has come in with high expectations and quite rightly - but it’s stiff competition in wide areas.
‘We still have really positive expectations around him and what he can do at the football club, but, at the minute, we think he operates best off the right.
‘You have seen when we’ve wanted to make a change there, we've played Kaide and brought him on at half-time and played a few games, but presently Matty is giving us a huge amount.
‘Matty leads the press for us, he is obviously the captain at the moment, he shows his quality when he’s got the ball and also chipped in with goals and assists. At the minute, Matty is really impressing and Murph on the other wing as well,
‘Kaide wants to play more. If any of the players who aren’t playing are okay with their playing minutes then they are in the wrong spot and the wrong club. I don’t want any player to be happy with not playing.
‘I don’t want any player to be happy with not playing and I don’t want any player to go into a football club and not have any competition.
Kaide Gordon made 10 appearances on loan at Norwich in the first half of the campaign. Picture: Stephen Pond/Getty ImagesKaide Gordon made 10 appearances on loan at Norwich in the first half of the campaign. Picture: Stephen Pond/Getty Images
Kaide Gordon made 10 appearances on loan at Norwich in the first half of the campaign. Picture: Stephen Pond/Getty Images | Getty Images
‘Having that competition makes sure everybody is on their toes and really important in any squad we’ve had.’
Shone in Luton outing
Gordon has been named on the bench in nine of Pompey’s fixtures so far - and used in four of them.
The England under-20 international’s last Blues involvement was 31 minutes off the bench after replacing Adil Aouchiche at Preston last month.
And he is set to be among the substitutes once more on Saturday as Pompey travel to Millwall seeking to take another step towards Championship safety.
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Mousinho added: ‘He’s been bright, he’s had a real impact without necessarily having the end product - and that’s something we really want to work on with Kaide.
‘At Luton I thought he made a big difference. There were a couple of occasions when I thought Kaide had the freedom to keep getting at his man, don’t worry about coming backwards and passing the ball, we want you to be a one-v-one specialist and get at your full-back.
‘Once he gets that confidence, he’ll keep going from strength to strength.’
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