Portsmouth manager John Mousinho is now one of the top young coaches in the EFL, but he has not been prominently associated with any of the Championship’s recently available positions.
Many second-tier clubs determined just before, around, or after the end of the 2024/25 season that the person in charge of their first-team was not the best person for the job going forward, and many have already hired or are rumoured to be hiring a new manager.
Mousinho performed an excellent job of keeping Portsmouth in contention while having a limited budget. He also lost his leading goalscorer, Colby Bishop, until early November due to a heart condition.
The odds were stacked against him, yet he overcame them to secure another season of Championship football before the season ended.
Fratton Park is the ideal area for John Mousinho to be
This is his first role with Pompey. Mousinho played for Oxford United prior to his appointment in January 2023. In his first full season, he won League One.
| John Mousinho’s Portsmouth managerial record | |
|---|---|
| Games in charge | 124 |
| Wins | 56 |
| Draws | 34 |
| Losses | 34 |
| Points per game | 1.63 |
| Source: Sofascore – data taken from all competitions | |
It’s an impressive CV for someone with his expertise, and yet no one has made a serious play for him. Don Goodman, a Sky Sports pundit and commentator, says this isn’t always a bad thing for the 39-year-old.
He exclusively told Football League World: “I believe clubs should always consider it a compliment when players or managers are linked with other teams, especially if those teams are higher up the food chain. Having said that, I believe John is in the ideal position for him at this juncture of his career.
“You’re looking at other jobs that are available. I know Ryan Mason has joined West Bromwich Albion, so that is not a possibility.
There could be a move to Bristol City, but would you leave Portsmouth for them? “There could be a Queens Park Rangers, but I believe Mousinho is already in a good position and wants to advance as a head coach/manager at Portsmouth. It’s a large club, and I believe they’ll back him.
John Mousinho should only leave Fratton Park under dire conditions.
If he continues to excel, a higher-ranked club will make a strong move to sign him away from Pompey. If a reasonable release clause is paid, it will be unfortunate for the club and its followers, but they cannot blame him.
The only other scenario in which Mousinho could go is if things start to go truly bad on or off the pitch. Things didn’t start well this season, but the club’s hierarchy persevered with their promotion winner and their patience was rewarded, implying that an absolute disaster would have to strike him before the 39-year-old was thrown overboard.
Leave a Reply