Classy Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna shares admiration for John Mousinho and Portsmouth

John Mousinho will take his Pompey team to Ipswich knowing opposite number Kieran McKenna has the utmost respect for him and his team.

The managerial paths of Mousinho and the Town boss won’t have crossed until Saturday’s game at Portman Road.

Indeed, the two teams’ last meeting came in League One in December 2022, just a month before the former Oxford United defender replaced Danny Cowley in the Fratton Park hot seat.

Since then McKenna has guided Ipswich to two successive promotions and the Premier League - a top-flight stay, however, that lasted just one season.

Meanwhile, Mousinho led the Blues back to the Championship as League One winners - with a lot less money to spend - before defying the odds to keep them there at the end of last season.

Saturday’s fixture sees Pompey sit above their hosts in the table, albeit with one extra game played, as Mousinho and McKenna go head-to-head for the first time.

Yet fans shouldn’t expect any of the animosity that was on display when Southampton boss Will Still begrudgingly shook the Pompey boss’s hand at the end of the south-coast derby - and decided not to invite his counterpart to share a drink with him after the final whistle.

Indeed, you suspect things will be a lot more cordial than that, based on McKenna’ clear admiration for the Blues head coach.

Kieran McKenna’s admiration for John Mousinho

When asked to share his thoughts on Mousinho and Pompey ahead of the game, McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk: ‘He's done very well. He's done an excellent job.

‘So yes, full credit to him. It’s sort of a club that we had a good rivalry for a while in League One and I think a club that have a really good fan base and a good atmosphere and a good history, so they're always an enjoyable club to compete against.

‘We've sort of followed their journey since we were in the same division and John's done a terrific job there taking them up and stabilising them last year and done it in a good manner.

‘So no, full credit to him. He's done excellently.’

McKenna: Pompey were the better side against Southampton

McKenna will also have endeared himself with the Pompey after he admitted Pompey were the better side when they drew with fierce rivals Southampton in the recent south coast-derby.

The Northern Irishman shared that verdict when he was asked to assess Pompey’s start to the new season.

‘I think (it’s been) good,’ said McKenna. ‘I would imagine certainly up until last weekend they would have been really, really positive. Had some good early results, haven't conceded many goals, been really solid.

‘Of course, (they) had a really good performance at Southampton away, which I'm sure they would have been really pleased with in and a big derby for them with a better team on the day.

‘They'll have been disappointed last week, of course, missing a couple of important players and it can happen in the Championship, so I'm sure they were disappointed to lose that one at home.

‘But, in general, they've been good and they are really competitive, really strong, well-organised, well-coached, a team of good individual quality, so we're expecting a tough game and we're looking forward to that.’

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