‘He will be open to’: Huge ex-Portsmouth favourite delivers clear John Mousinho verdict amid Bristol City and Stoke City links
Pompey boss John Mousinho’s future has been under the spotlight amid links with Bristol City and Stoke City this summer.
Gareth Evans insists John Mousinho would be ‘open to a new challenge’ if he’s not given the financial backing during the transfer window.
And the former Fratton favourite believes Pompey’s best piece of business this summer could be keeping hold of their in-demand head coach.
The 40-year-old’s Pompey future has been under the spotlight over the past month, with growing interest from across the Championship.
Mousinho was an early front runner for the Bristol City vacancy, but the Blues haven’t received any approach for the head coach’s services.
Meanwhile, The News understands Stoke City also have Mousinho on their radar should Mark Robins, whose position is said to be under scrutiny, depart the bet365 Stadium.
Former Pompey favourite delivers clear John Mousinho verdict
Evans, who enjoyed a hugely-successful five-year stay at Fratton Park, expected Championship interest in Mousinho this summer after guiding Pompey to survival once again.
And the 38-year-old has stressed the Blues’ best piece of business in the transfer window could be retaining the head coach’s services.
Evans told The News: ‘He’s been a fantastic servant to the football club. How long’s he been here? Three-and-a-half years.
‘He obviously got promotion from League One to the Championship and then consolidated for two seasons.
‘Given the budget constraints that the football club operates, which has been pretty widely published, you can’t really ask much more from him than that. Pompey fans can’t really expect any more from the manager than what he’s produced.
‘A very young manager, inspirational in the journey that he’s taken and the transition away from playing into management and then backed it up with performances and results with Pompey.
‘So you can understand there being a lot of interest and potential suitors looking at someone of his ilk in terms of being young, had success very early on in his career and what else can he achieve?
‘Especially with the interest he’s gathered over the last few weeks and the last couple of months to be honest, it would be a very good piece of business keeping him in place.
‘It’s important to have consistency at the football club for as long as possible, it does pay off. I don’t buy into the business model of chopping and changing your manager all of the time.
‘It will be interesting to see if the purse strings were loosened a little bit and he was given a little bit more backing. What would he be able to achieve? That’s been one of the frustrations of the manager reading between the lines over the last couple of years.
‘Whether the football club can do that and by retaining his services that might mean they can invest into the playing staff a little bit more.
‘The job that he’s done has been absolutely outstanding. It would be a great piece of business if they can keep him as the head coach.
John Mousinho needs financial reassurances
During his brilliant three-and-a-half-year stay on the south coast, Mousinho has led Pompey to the League One title and avoided relegation in both his Championship campaigns so far.
After two years of consolidation, Evans is adamant the Blues boss will now have clear aspirations of progressing in the second-tier either at Fratton Park or elsewhere.
‘I don’t know (if he will be here on the opening day of the season). I’ve watched quite a lot of his interviews.
‘I don’t want to sit on the fence with stuff because that’s not really how I’ve ever done stuff. I think he needs some reassurances from the board with where the football club is going.
‘I don’t think he wants to try and keep Pompey in the Championship for another year, I think he has aspirations of either taking Pompey or another club to the upper echelons of the Championship and competing at the top end of the league.
‘That’s understandably what he would want especially after three-and-a-half years of management, that’s the next stage and the next progression of his career.
‘If he doesn’t get those reassurances, if it’s very-much the same as last summer and the summer before, then I think he will be open to a new challenge in my opinion. I would be the same.
‘That’s not me being critical of Pompey, that’s just where the football club is at. With the interest that’s coming in from various other teams in the Championship, you wouldn’t be surprised to see him moving on - albeit I really do want him to stay.’