Disagreements, solutions and challenges ahead: Portsmouth boss’ revealing insight into relationship driving club to success

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Michael Eisner spoke of the ‘power of partnerships’ when celebrating the news all Pompey fans wanted to hear last week.

The fundamental link-up powering this football club to success has been secured, with the Blues owner looking forward to more of ‘the magic’ behind the rise to Championship - as we all are.

Today, John Mousinho gives an enlightening insight into the ingredients behind the collaboration with sporting director Rich Hughes which has created the spell-binding success at Fratton Park.

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Yet, with the extensions to their existing long-term contracts’ sealed, theirs is a study in humanism over sorcery and the values of communication, trust and respect.

‘We never made any bones about it,’ said Mousinho, of the man he met while on a Uefa Pro Licence course at St George’s Park. ‘Rich’s influence in bringing me into the football club was huge, Rich was the one I knew previously to coming into the football club.

‘In terms of the partnership we work really closely, incredibly closely, every single day. That’s whether it's in the transfer window or out, I think it's really important part of what we do.

‘The relationship has probably developed in an interesting way where it's just become more and more of a partnership.

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‘Every time we execute another transfer, every time we win a game, lose a game, draw a game we are always honest with each other and work really, really closely together.

‘Most of our working days Rich is here. He's not overbearing but certainly in, around and ready to offer support for myself, the players, the staff and for anybody connected to the football club. I think that's a really important part of it. We haven't got a distant sporting director here, we've got one that doesn't overly get involved but is always there.’

January will mark two years since Mousinho’s arrival on a contract which now extends until 2028 and his working relationship with Hughes began in earnest.

It’s been an alliance which has naturally evolved in that time, but one still underpinned by similar ideologies which sustain the relationship in the face of differing viewpoints.

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Mousinho added: ‘It's an interesting one to look back on, but from the day that I took the job, I thought it was really important to be aligned as a pair - and to be aligned from the top to the bottom of the football club.

‘That's really where we try and aim everything. So if we do have a disagreement it's under the same umbrella and we're still looking at the same sort of things.

‘It’s just that's what happens in football, somebody sees things one way and some sees another. It’s just being open and honest with each other always - that's a really important part of it. We very rarely disagree and 99 per cent of the time when reviewing a game together, we've got a very, very similar view of it.

‘Sometimes there's incidents or performances from certain players that you see in different ways, but that happens between me and the coaches as well.

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‘Jon (Harley) and I would look at one game and he'll say “he’s played well”, and I’ll think he hasn’t. In the recruitment department that happens as well. There may be a player that we look at and I’ll think there’s a player in there or not. That happens across the board as well.

‘It’s not just me, it’s Rich and the entire football operation. I think that's healthy, it's really healthy to have that.

‘But if you then are constantly looking at the complete opposite end of the spectrum on things, then I think it becomes tricky. But we're very much aligned in the way that we look at football - it's not just agreeing with each other for the sake of it.’

It’s now been five months since Hughes embraced Mousinho in the bowels of Fratton Park, in a quiet moment of mutual reflection after League One title success against Barnsley.

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As this game dictates, however, things have quickly moved on into the next stage of Pompey’s evolution in the Championship, with the anticipated baptism of fire in the second tier proving just that.

For a club used to winning that brings different challenges to the key duo at its heart, with new strains placed on that understanding.

‘Maybe,’ said Mousinho, if his partnership with Hughes is now under more stress. ‘It's almost been the opposite, though. I've not come away from any of the games this year and Rich and I have wildly disagreed.

‘We’ve tried to find solutions rather than have any disagreement on things - I think that's the most important thing.

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‘I feel that the relationship is very, very strong - probably stronger than it's ever been.

‘Sometimes when the pressure's on every week to try and win the league it's a different pressure from what we're facing at the moment.

‘I'm not saying it any more or less, just a different pressure. The most important thing for us is to be aligned, work together and make sure we improve - and we feel we’re doing that in our relationship.’

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