'It makes a massive, massive difference' - Portsmouth boss John Mousinho reveals his admiration for the Fratton faithful

The Fratton faithful have taken to John Mousinho very quickly since his surprise appointment back in January. A 23-match unbeaten league run and a place at the summit of the table has taken care of that.

And it seems the head coach knows all too well the role the fan base, both at home and away, can play in his team’s fortunes.

That’s something that was learned well before the former Oxford defender made the move Fratton Park. As an opposition player arriving at PO4 on a match day, he dreaded what was in store.

It was also central in his mind when he decided to move to the city with his young family following his appointment. It was important for Mousinho to stay in tune with those who spend their hard-earned cash each week to follow his team.

Nearly nine months on, Mousinho, naturally, still possesses that admiration for the Fratton faithful. But after seeing the interest and passion his side’s current form has generated, his appreciation levels have shot up even more.

With his side going behind five times this season, and on each occasion seeing the fans rally his troops to secure five wins, it’s an admiration that continues to grow.

The Pompey boss this week appeared on the official EFL Podcast. And when asked about living up to the expectations of the Pompey fan base, he didn’t hold back in voicing his appreciation for the supporters’ backing.

He said: ‘One of the things I committed to when I joined the club was to move down here, so I’ve moved down with the family. I think you just get a better sense of what the club means to the people in the city. It’s a bit of a cliche but there’s plenty of people down here who live for Saturday afternoons and that’s the way it should be. I was like that as a fan and as a kid as well.

‘The football club means so much to the city. There’s the navy, the university and the football club and Portsmouth, as the football club, are definitely No1 in the ranking.

‘The club in recent history has gone through some pretty tough times. The fans have been used to Premier League football and European football and have now had to go through the mill a bit with what they’ve witnessed with the club going through administration and then going back through the leagues. With that, there’s a huge amount of expectation, a huge amount of pressure, but when it goes the right way, I think you get all the rewards – and we’ve seen that over the past few weeks, especially when the fan base gets going. When they can see the progress on the pitch, then you get just a massive backing.

‘I had only previously come to Fratton Park as an away player and I knew it was just a horrible, horrible place to come to. It’s awful to come here as an away player, so let’s keep that up.

‘Coming out through the tunnel, it’s a proper old stadium, and when the Fratton End gets going it’s an incredible thing to be part of.

‘When you’re on the receiving end it’s not particularly nice. But when you’ve got that back – home and away, to be fair, the away fans are brilliant as well – it makes a massive, massive difference.’