Remarkable Portsmouth boss John Mousinho now topping the Championship as he continues to fight the odds
There have been 23 Championship departures since August 2024 - but John Mousinho is still standing
John Mousinho admitted most other clubs would have sacked him when Pompey’s relegation struggles were at their bleakest.
Now he’s the longest-serving manager from the 2024-25 Championship line-up, following Michael Carrick’s departure from Middlesbrough.
What’s more, only 19 other bosses across the Premier League and Football League have been at their clubs longer than his two years, four months and 17-day tenure at Fratton Park.
Carrick yesterday paid the price for failing to reach the Championship’s top six in the last two of his three campaigns as Boro head coach.
Indeed, Pompey took four points off them this season as Carrick’s side finished a disappointing 10th - four points short of the play-off positions.
Of those clubs which lined up for the 2024-25 season in the Championship, a staggering 18 of them have sacked/lost at least one manager or head coach since August 2024.
23 Championship managers sacked since August 2024
Only the three promoted clubs - Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland - plus Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Pompey have stuck with their man at the helm.
In total, there have been 23 departures, not including caretaker bosses, while Hull, Stoke, Cardiff, Plymouth and West Brom have each changed their managers twice.
Although, in fairness to West Brom and Plymouth, Carlos Corberan (Valencia) and Miron Muslic (Schalke 04) both quit their respective clubs in favour of joining other teams.
Similarly, Liam Manning this week left for home-town club Norwich, while John Eustace jumped from Blackburn to Derby in February and, ultimately, kept them up. Marti Cifuentes technically remains at QPR, but he has been gardening leave since April and is effectively dismissed.
Mousinho had previously combined Oxford United playing duties with working as a set-piece coach, before surprisingly being handed Pompey’s head coach role in January 2023.
The then 36-year-old, who had to retire from playing to take up his first managerial role, replaced Danny Cowley at a club positioned 15th in League One.
Having steered them to eighth spot in 2022-23, he marked his first full season with the Blues by capturing the League One title and returning the club to the Championship after a 12-year absence.
This term, despite winning one of Pompey opening 15 matches and being adrift at the foot of the table in December, Mousinho remarkably steered his side to safety with two matches to spare.
Instead Plymouth, Luton and Cardiff were relegated to League One, while Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland won promotion.
‘A huge amount of loyalty’
‘An interesting thing, though, is the fans have never turned and that has been a reflection of them knowing what we are trying to achieve, they understand the circumstances. We’ve probably always just managed to put in that performance as well, which keeps everyone on side.
‘But there has been a huge amount of loyalty from the football club to myself, they have stuck by everything we said in that first press conference back in January 2023. Not many clubs do that.
‘Look at the amount of clubs which bring head coaches in. You talk about being a long-term project, but things go wrong after six months and there's a change. Things go wrong after three months and there’s a change.’
Those from the Football League who have spent longer at their clubs than Mousinho include Harrogate’s Simon Weaver (16 years), Mansfield’s Nigel Clough (four-and-a-half years), Wrexham’s Phil Parkinson (three-and-a-half years) and ex-Pompey now Chesterfield boss Paul Cook (three years).
In terms of the Premier League, Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Thomas Frank (Brentford), Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Marco Silva (Fulham), Eddie Howe (Newcastle) and Unai Emery (Aston Villa) are ahead.
And as far as Pompey fans are concerned - John Mousinho will be around Fratton Park for a lot more time yet.
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