‘Interesting if they’ve got money’: Former Portsmouth boss’ question over Eisners as Fratton factor highlighted
There’s intrigue over whether the Pompey owners will significantly invest on their squad this summer - from the former Blues, Crystal Palace, West Brom and Middlesbrough boss.
Eyes are on the Eisners this summer and whether they will loosen the transfer purse strings.
And it’s not just the Pompey fans who will be looking on intently to see the level of spending on John Mousinho’s squad in the months ahead.
Former Blues boss Tony Pulis has aired his intrigue over how much the club’s football operation will be backed, as they strengthen the squad for a second Championship season.
Pulis’ words on the subject come as he lauded the job Mousinho has done in getting his former club into the second tier after seven years in League One - and then keeping them up with time to spare last term.
The Welshman managed Pompey at the same level in 2000, when being brought in as Alan Ball’s successor by Milan Mandaric.
Pulis spent 10 months in the Fratton hot-seat before an acrimonious departure and dispute with Mandaric, before moving on to Stoke City where he enjoyed his best success.
The 67-year-old saw exactly what the Fratton Faithful were all about in his time at PO4, as felt the benefit of their ferocious support.
Pulis knows that was a significant weapon in Pompey and Mousinho’s arsenal in a successful campaign, as he watched Fratton Park bouncing on occasions himself.
But now he wants to see how things pain out for the Pompey faithful and their manager when it comes to the transfer warchest their team is afforded this summer.
Tony Pulis: ‘It'll be interesting to see if they've got money to invest’
Pulis told BoyleSports, who offer the latest Football odds: ‘John Mousinho will be the first to say that the fans at Fratton Park are just extraordinary, I’ve talked about Crystal Palace having great supporters and the atmosphere being great – if you go to Fratton Park the stadium actually rocks, it actually moves.
‘The fans are very important to that team and very, very important to John. If they get behind you and they have done this year, I've been to a couple of games, it's just been absolutely fantastic.
‘It's a great football club and they've got an advantage with that ground because that ground is really tight, really on top of people and it can be intimidating.
‘It'll be interesting to see if they've got any money to invest, but he's done a great job over the past couple of years. He's done a fantastic job there.’
When it comes to Pulis’ question over Pompey’s spending being answered, the signs are looking promising as supporters wait for the first transfer arrival with the window now open.
The head coach has also outlined a conviction increased fees are available for players this summer after £1.27m was shelled out for Hayden Matthews in January - the most Pompey have spent on a player since buying Erik Huseklepp for £1.5m in 2011.
Pompey are competing in a division with fewer teams in receipt of parachute payments next season, though the Championship welcomes the spending might of both Birmingham City and Wrexham into the division.