Mousinho’s future, signings and budgets: What comes next after Portsmouth’s astounding Championship turnaround
It’s been quite an astounding Championship turnaround for Pompey, one to be celebrated in the circumstances. But for how long should those returns be lauded for this football club?
Eleven days ago Pompey were on the brink of dropping into the Championship bottom three, with their winless run about to be stretched to nine games.
It was just a month back the Blues headed into the bleakest of international breaks on the back of a 6-1 thrashing at QPR, drenched in survival self-doubt from the top down.
Now this club can begin preparing for its third season at this level, with its second-tier status assured. With two games to go.
It’s a quite astounding turnaround, with the now sedate air of the season’s finale one to be gloriously cherished.
So pause for breath, reflect and take in that rareified view of Championship comfort, as others suck up the suffocating heat we all felt lied in wait at the season’s climax.
But, as we all know, this transient business waits for no one. Like the elite athletes who treat success as the dawning of their next challenge, thoughts will quickly turn to what comes next.
And that means considerations for players, contracts, signings and, indeed, the future of the key PO4 protagonist will now come sharply into focus.
These are the main issues that will form the narrative over the coming days and weeks, with everyone of a royal blue persuasion seeking answers.
None more so than Mousinho himself and it will be interesting to see the stance taken by Pompey’s boss, as the questions come his way on the big issues.
What is clear is the club now assume a stronger position when deciding the fate of their key out-of-contract figures this summer.
Andre Dozzell, Zak Swanson, Marlon Pack and Connor Ogilvie are the quartet taking the lion’s share of the spotlight on that front. At this juncture, it feels like all four could remain.
Avoiding a repeat of the strain Mousinho’s squad has so clearly felt amid a crippling injury list, perhaps exacerbated by an overreliance on certain players, is a must.
That is certain to lead to another purposeful summer of player trading, with all departments clearly needing surgery again.
Supporter focus will most likely fall on another No9 with the Championship nous to share the load with Colby Bishop, given his travails for much of the campaign.
Regardless of budget, trimming excess fat from the squad will be necessary to action that recruitment.
There appears to be a fair amount of that in the centre-half and midfield departments presently. The reality is some hits will likely need to be taken to action those exits.
That can take place off the back of Preston North End parting with a record fee to land Callum Lang in January, however. It will likely occur with the coffers bolstered further by Terry Devlin’s departure.
Ultimately the resources available to Pompey's football operation for recruitment will be one of the two key factors deciding its direction.
The noise is of an understanding of what’s required by those who hold the Fratton purse strings. We were here this time last year, however, with levels of spending not aligned with fans hoping for Championship progress.
The other fundamental issue will be the destiny of the man who’s done everything to take this club to League One silverware and a third season at this level.
The stakes were high for Pompey this season - they were matched for Mousinho when it came to his standing in management.
Now he will turn 40 next week with his star on the rise once again. The Championship doors which would’ve slammed shut amid relegation will be ajar for the Blues’ head coach.
Blackburn Rovers, West Brom, Birmingham City and, perhaps most significantly, Bristol City are all postings which could be under the spotlight. The one certainty is there will be others.
The question for Mousinho will be whether there is career progress away from PO4 at this juncture? The next few weeks will be revealing on that front.
So savour the moment, securing Championship survival again really is an achievement all things considered. But we all should do so knowing interminable struggle will not be viewed in the same light.