‘Different qualities’: Portsmouth boss on why newcomer is preferred to Joe Rafferty as Blues right-back
The former Barnsley man will be the Blues’ first choice in the role previously occupied by Rafferty and Zak Swanson during the League One title-winning campaign.
Although asked to serve as a right-sided centre-half at Oakwell last season, Williams is earmarked by Mousinho for right-back in their forthcoming Championship season.
The decision to release the popular Rafferty proved controversial among many of the Fratton faithful, who anticipated the 30-year-old winning a fresh deal.
Mousinho told The News: ‘Jordan’s natural position is right-back, someone who can provide width and get forward, and we play full-backs as a back four.
‘We lined up as a back four in 43 of our 46 league games, we have that certainty around the formation and the way we want to play, but you have to be attacking, we want that flexibility.
‘We want players who are fluid and can do both, I want full-backs able to get forward but also defend the back post really well.
‘Jordan has different qualities to Joe – and any player coming in is going to have different qualities to players we’ve had in the past.
‘I wouldn’t want to say it’s more or less of anything, but Jordan certainly brings a different type of game. Barnsley fans would have seen both sides of it, sitting as a right-sided centre-half and also operating as a right-wing back, where he’s probably more straight lined and attacking, getting into the final third.
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