'Deserves the opportunity' - Portsmouth boss John Mousinho praised for 'brilliant' job at Fratton Park

Former Football League star-turned pundit Don Goodman has spoken glowingly about Pompey boss John Mousinho, which the Fratton faithful will love. The Blues head coach has made quite an impression at Pompey ever since he was handed the managerial reins back in January 2023. After guiding Pompey to the League One title during his first full season in charge in 2023-24, Mousinho has twice managed to keep the Fratton Park club in the Championship with one of the division’s lowest playing budgets. Those successes have inevitably attracted admiring glances from elsewhere, with the 40-year-old linked with both Bristol City and Stoke during the close season. The 40-year-old is staying put, however, and Goodman believes Mousinho deserves the full backing of the club’s owners during the transfer window so he can take them to the next level. Goodman, speaking exclusively to Portsmouth.co.uk via the iGamingNuts Team, said: ‘I like John. I like what he's done. You've got to remind yourself that he's only been a head coach for, what, three seasons? ‘So I think you've got to take that into consideration. And when you look at the job he's done getting Portsmouth, after all of those years, getting them promoted back to the Championship, it had been a lot, a lot of years since Portsmouth had been in the Championship. ‘He's kept them up twice. They have survived. I think he's done a brilliant job in very difficult circumstances with one of the lowest budgets in the Championship. For me, he deserves the opportunity to take Portsmouth to the next level. ‘I do feel that he needs a little bit more support and a little bit more backing in terms of recruitment, and that looks to be happening now. But no, I like him a lot, and I think he's done a brilliant job at Portsmouth.’ Pompey have already dipped their toe in the transfer market with the signings of Odin Bailey and Eoin Kenny. However, they are due to ramp up their business with multi-million-pounds deals for striker Marko Milovanovic and Rocco Shein in the offing. A reported £400,000 bid for teenage New Zealand international Luke Brooke-Smit has also been made.