Media duties are an increasingly significant part of mangerial duties in the modern-day game.
Pre-match press conferences and post-match interviews after the cut-and-thrust are now a staple for bosses, and those looking to soak up the quotes.
Naturally a focus will fall on the opposition to some degree, with plenty of compliments usually forwarded by managers and coaches - but also some brickbats too.
We’ve pulled together what rivals have had to say about Pompey so far this term, with some interesting assessments offered on John Mousinho and his men.
5. Southampton boss Will Still after the south-coast derby
'I didn't quite get that (handshake with Mousinho). Well, it's just a derby, it's football, isn't it? I don't mind it, but I didn't and don't understand why he grabbed hold of my hand, but fair play, he came with a game plan and did what they wanted to do. 'Like I said, he's a good coach, he's a good manager, and he's done really good things with Portsmouth. Fair play to him, it's just part of football, so it's fine. 'I thought it was quite a poor derby, I thought our first-half performance wasn’t good enough, it wasn’t up to the standards we wanted to set, and it was quite a bitty, broken up first half – fouls, throw-ins, free-kicks, goal kicks that took forever and ever – so there was no real rhythm to the game, there was no real intensity in it. 'But we weren’t at the levels we wanted to be, we wanted to stretch them in the first five, 10 minutes and then play through them, but we didn’t get our foot on the ball, didn’t show enough bravery or personality to do that, which we corrected and tweaked at half time. The second half was more positive, we were at least playing forward and totally dominated. 'We knew they were going to come and play long to their forward players and play off second balls, and we dealt with that better in the second half, but we’ve wasted 40, 45 minutes and then you’re playing catch up on what you really want to do and where you want to be going.' | Tony King/Getty Images Photo: Tony King/Getty Images
!['I’m pleased. Proud of them. We came to a difficult place and I thought we were the better team. Especially the second half, I felt we got on top and really controlled the game.
'We pushed and gave everything but nothing fell for us in the box. I think their ‘keeper only made a couple of saves.
'They were making real good blocks and just the amount of crosses we got in and balls into their box was fantastic really, because that's why we spoke about Pol [Valentín] when we signed him and what we thought he could do in the final third. Same with Thierry [Small].
'But then it's the finishing touches and still having that aggression in the box. I felt Lewis [Dobbin] and Mads [Frøkjær] came on, gave us a bit more control again, and were very good and had moments again to get us up the pitch. But maybe their skillset is not the physicality in the box. They played their part as well.
'I can't be disappointed with that performance and can't be disappointed with the first four games.
'They defended the box better and made a lot of blocks to protect the ‘keeper and the goal. When it did drop to us, we just missed one or two chances. I’m just disappointed with the pressure we had and the balls we got in, we couldn't get anything to fall for us. The only thing I'm disappointed with is the fact we've come away with nothing.'](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2025/10/06/10/27/CS110_Preston_v_Charlton.jpeg?crop=4:3&trim=&width=800)
6. Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom after his side's 1-0 loss to Pompey
'I’m pleased. Proud of them. We came to a difficult place and I thought we were the better team. Especially the second half, I felt we got on top and really controlled the game. 'We pushed and gave everything but nothing fell for us in the box. I think their ‘keeper only made a couple of saves. 'They were making real good blocks and just the amount of crosses we got in and balls into their box was fantastic really, because that's why we spoke about Pol [Valentín] when we signed him and what we thought he could do in the final third. Same with Thierry [Small]. 'But then it's the finishing touches and still having that aggression in the box. I felt Lewis [Dobbin] and Mads [Frøkjær] came on, gave us a bit more control again, and were very good and had moments again to get us up the pitch. But maybe their skillset is not the physicality in the box. They played their part as well. 'I can't be disappointed with that performance and can't be disappointed with the first four games. 'They defended the box better and made a lot of blocks to protect the ‘keeper and the goal. When it did drop to us, we just missed one or two chances. I’m just disappointed with the pressure we had and the balls we got in, we couldn't get anything to fall for us. The only thing I'm disappointed with is the fact we've come away with nothing.' | CameraSport - Rich Linley
7. Norwich boss Liam Manning after his side's 2-1 win at Fratton Park
'I'm exhausted to be totally honest, I feel the same emotion as everyone else watching it. 'Coming to Fratton Park is so difficult, you only have to look at their form here last season and also the fact that they're such a consistent side. 'It's a difficult place, but think we really stood up to a tough test today and showed a real resilience and fighting spirit that will allow us to be in games this season, there's some real positives to take from today. 'We know how important our set pieces are so credit to the lads for taking it on board, we started the game really well and made it difficult for them. 'You have to be realistic you come to a place here with the noise and atmosphere - you have to except at times there are passages here where you'll be up against it. 'It's a tight pitch and they do such a good job of blocking the centre, they're so expansive. I was fearful at times.' | Getty Images
8. Gary Rowett afterPompey's 1-0 opening-day win at Oxford
'It was a physical encounter which we knew against a Portsmouth side who are good at what they do. They’re quite a physical side. We have our own level of physicality as well, so there are certainly no complaints with that. 'I felt as though we allowed them to dictate some of those moments and then I thought for the last 20 minutes was exactly what you’d hope from the first 70 minutes, and we had a little bit more edge about us and a little bit more quality, some great balls in the box and some good shots. 'We maybe should’ve hit the target on a few more, but we’ve had lots more shots than them, and a lot more moments in that last 20 minutes, and really should punish one of those. ‘It’s one mistake that’s the main factor in the game because other than that, I felt as though Portsmouth certainly edged the share of the game without really causing lots and lots of problems. 'They’ve had a couple of moments in the first portion of the game, but one mistake gives them that little bit of impetus and gives them something to hold onto and defend for the last 20 minutes. '(Nicolas) Schmid makes two or three very good saves, and of course Jamie (Cumming) made one for us in the first half, but certainly I think that last 20 minutes, we deserved something out of the game, but we didn’t get anything. 'I thought they defended well, I thought the keeper steps up and makes good saves when you need to him, and I thought the centre halves headed the ball out the box when they needed them to.' Photo: Cameron Howard