The problem is...' - Portsmouth fired John Mousinho warning by former Aston Villa favourite amid battle for Championship safety
Pompey have been warned they could face a battle to retain the services of head coach John Mousinho.
Former Aston Villa and England midfielder Lee Hendrie believes the job the Blues boss has done at Fratton Park since his January 2023 appointment will have made other clubs sit up and take notice.
And if the 38-year-old manages to keep Pompey in the Championship with the budget he’s been allocated this term, then it’s only going to enhance his reputation even further.
Hendrie, who operates as a pundit for Sky Sports following his retirement, spoke to Football League World about Mousinho prior to Saturday’s defeat at Preston North End.
Pompey remain 17th in the table despite the loss but now hold just a four-point advantage over the relegation zone with eight games of the season remaining. It was a 10-point cushion after their recent win against Leeds.
Hendrie believes Mousinho, who guided the Blues to the League One title last season, deserves huge credit for getting the club into that position - particularly given the difficult start to the 2024-25 season they were handed. But he believes if Pompey manage to stave off relegation, then the Blues might have a different problem on their hands if they don’t give the head coach the financial tools to improve on this term’s finish.
Mousinho has been ‘unbelievable’ for Pompey
‘John Mousinho is another one who has had a brilliant season, a real tough start to the campaign finding his feet coming out of League One, having been absolutely brilliant," Hendrie told Football League World.
‘He's got a lot of credit at the club for where he's taken them, season after season they got so close under different managers and then he's come in to steer the ship forward. It's been unbelievable.
‘It looks like they're going to be safe this season through having a recent good run of form.
‘That's down to him getting a togetherness. I think losing games and then giving time in the Championship is difficult, which he deserved. They stuck with him and they're getting the end result now. It's brilliant to see.
‘The problem is when you don't have a high budget, other clubs do look at what success you've achieved and how you've managed to continue on the way you have under a minimal spend. I think that appeals to a lot of clubs.
‘That will be the thing about John Mousinho. Hopefully Portsmouth stay up and give him the resources to invest next season because it's a massive club that can certainly go forward with its potential and that push from above.’
Mousinho on his Pompey future
Mousinho - who signed a new Blues contract in September - told the News last week that he remained happy at Fratton Park.
He said: ‘It’s an amazing thing to be part of, an amazing place to play football, to watch football, to coach football.
‘We tie everything in together with how the club has been and how much support I’ve had since I’ve come here, which is through the very good times last season and also 100-per-cent support through all of the tough times this year. That marries up to hopefully being a successful partnership.’
The Blues boss then elaborated on those comments in an interview with fournilwrittenalloverit’s Tom Chappell a few days later.
Mousinho said: ‘I feel genuinely extremely privileged to be the head coach here. I absolutely love it. I would love nothing more than to stay here for many, many years and build the football club, together with Rich (Hughes), together with the board, with Andy (Cullen), with Tony (Brown).
‘I think that if we have the time to be able to do it and if we can take the club from where, not just here, but where we were when the supporters owned it, when we didn't have this training ground, when we didn't have the facilities you see around us, I feel like we're just getting going.
‘I'm very settled down here. Family absolutely loves it here.
‘And then the other aspect of it, which I don't think should go unnoticed, is hopefully I repay the faith there as well - first of all the faith the football club put in me by bringing me in in the first place, and by not pressing the panic button any time during the season as well.
‘I think it would have been easy for the club to do that, so I think there's a really good relationship that I've got with the club and vice versa.
‘It's a very long-winded way of saying - (I) absolutely love it here and hopefully can stay here for many more years.’
For your next Pompey read: 'Going to be miserable' - fuming Portsmouth boss makes promise after defeat at Preston North End