Forget the bookies, ignore the doom mongers, there's genuine Portsmouth optimism for 2025-26: Comment

It was not an issue I was particularly aware of until a member of the Pompey family alerted me on Wednesday evening.

‘I see most bookies got Pompey to finish in bottom 3,’ was the gloomy content of the WhatsApp message which disturbed my focus on Southern Brave in their televised Hundred match.

The originator has previous for cradling a glass half empty. At the end of October, he informed me that Rotherham possessed the lowest points tally in Championship history with 23.

He stopped short of comparing that damning 2016-17 statistic to Pompey’s poor start to the campaign, opting not to add to his fact-distributing mission. Yet the inference was overwhelmingly obvious.

In fairness, the Blues have consistently overachieved under John Mousinho. They weren’t charging into the 2023-24 season with all guns blazing and targeting the title, nor was anyone anticipating a remarkable 16th-placed finish in a first Championship campaign in 12 years.

Yet that is precisely what has been accomplished. We can all crack a smile at that, surely.

Infamous second-season syndrome

Irrespective of all the doubts over hiring a rookie boss as a cheap option, all the bleak predictions of immediate relegation, all the digs about recruiting somebody from Burton Albion, all the criticism aimed at Mousinho for not declaring he was aiming for promotion during a 2023 BBC Radio Solent forum, this has been a hugely enjoyable Fratton Park period.

The next step, negotiating that infamous second-season syndrome, promises to be even more tricky, particularly with the big-spending presences of Birmingham and Wrexham this term.

Mousinho has already spoken of realistic ambition centring on remaining in the Championship. Certainly no grand gestures or big promises to impress supporters, that’s not his style.

Rightly, there will be concerns over the Blues maintaining progress in the forthcoming campaign amid spiralling spending levels from rivals prepared to swallow soaring debts. As Kieran Maguire told The News in June, true Championship sustainability ‘can’t be done’.

Yet there is plenty for Pompey to be optimistic about in 2025-26 and not merely because Mousinho remains at the helm and the football side of the club continues to be overseen by the ever-impressive Rich Hughes.

Big performers are still at Fratton Park

Freddie Potts aside, the Blues have been able to retain all their best performers from last season, while shifting out squad members who had largely struggled to make the leap to the next level.

Josh Murphy, Pompey’s best winger since their Premier League days, has picked up where he left off during pre-season and is still a wonderful player to watch in full flow. Colby Bishop, once recovered from a groin issue, will be available all season as he bids to become leading scorer for a fourth successive campaign.

Callum Lang, such an outstanding presence in the opening half of last season when he largely carried a struggling side, is back from his hamstring issues. Nicolas Schmid continues in goal following an outstanding debut season in English football which earned an international call up with Austria.

The magnificent Connor Ogilvie, whose Championship transformation in front of our very eyes was one of the highlights of last season. Surprise hit Andre Dozzell, another who flourished as the campaign wore on, revelling in regular first-team football. They’re all still here.

Meanwhile, there is little doubt a fit-again Conor Shaughnessy will make Pompey a better team, similarly having Regan Poole alongside him again, who has enjoyed an impressive pre-season.

Injury devastated the centre-half department last term, yet it should be remembered it was very much a freak season in terms of the frustrating number of absences in that area and hardly the norm. With Shaughnessy, Poole and Hayden Matthews constants in the pre-season friendlies, plus Ibane Bowat’s return after a 10-month absence to play three times, Mousinho is confident he doesn’t need more than four central defenders in his squad.

Incidentally, Shaughnessy, Lang and Bishop started just four matches together last season. Having the trio playing alongside each other on a regular basis once more can only be beneficial.

Five new Fratton Park faces

As for new signings Adrian Segecic, John Swift, Mark Kosznovszky, Luke Le Roux and Florian Bianchini, judgement should be reserved for when they represent the Blues in a competitive fixture. Even Eugen Bopp and Gassan Ahadme dazzled in pre-season friendlies.

Of course it will be a tough season ahead, nobody can possibly claim otherwise, while undoubtedly the squad would be stronger if Matt Ritchie was still in its midst, even as a bench option, as much as it would have pained him.

Yet there remains plenty to be optimistic about, not least the Fratton Fortress, which was so pivotal in survival. For a team which won just three times on their travels to avoid relegation with two games to spare and eventually finish 16th is truly remarkable.

Like Schmid, Ogilvie, Shaughnessy, Poole, Murphy, Lang, Bishop, Pack and Co, the fans are still here, passionately driving on their team and refusing to quit, even during the bleakest of circumstances.

And, for the record, my response to that morbid WhatsApp message about the bookies? ‘Have they? Who cares’. You see, nobody should. This is Pompey.

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