‘I want to improve this football club’: John Mousinho sets Portsmouth ambition after Bristol City’s summer interest
After Bristol City and other summer interest, John Mousinho has remained at Fratton Park. Now he wants to build a football club to thrive at Championship level.
John Mousinho has set his sights on bringing Pompey up to the level of their Championship rivals after a summer of speculation over his future
The Blues boss has laid out a challenge of making talk linking his club’s assets with second-tier rivals redundant, by bringing their infrastructure and facilities in line with those around them in the second tier.
Mousinho’s view Pompey need to improve club to a level where talk of Bristol City interest ‘isn’t a conversation for anyone’
Mousinho this week confirmed Bristol City’s contact this summer as they considered securing his services, along with other ‘minor’ interest in the head coach.
The 40-year-old spoke honestly about that situation as he eventually remained, with his sights now on carrying Pompey forward.
That’s where his focus now lies, with Mousinho vocal about the requirement to improve everything around the club to make them comparable to others at the level.
There’s certainly early promise on that front in terms of a much-improved transfer budget, with the playing kitty also increasing.
But Mousinho is looking at everything from the training ground to the club’s data and recruit platform, as well as improvements in areas such as the medical and strength and conditioning departments.
And the Pompey boss is hungry to drive those standards and developments, as he looks to remain content at the club moving forward.
Mousinho said: ‘I’m extremely happy here, I want to be here and I want to improve this football club.
‘I’m going to be as committed as I’ve been over the past three-and-a-half years. I don’t want that to change.
‘My pressing concern, and what I’ve got on my mind, is how can we can make Portsmouth like those Championship clubs we talk about?
‘How can we keep improving the training ground, the ground, the standards, the facilities and the way we do everything day to day?
‘We need to get that to a level where it (talk on Mousinho moving to the likes of Bristol City) isn’t a conversation for anyone.’
In terms of Bristol City’s interest, Mousinho explained he’s happy that scenario can now be put to bed - with his focus on Pompey’s pre-season preparations. The Blues boss explained that, in reality, that has now been the case for some time.
He added: ‘It’s always flattering to be linked with clubs but it caused me a lot more aggravation than pleasure, because everyone was asking what I was doing.
‘The first question when I came back for training from everyone was am I staying or not. I told everyone: “I’m here and I’ve gone through all of that this summer”.
‘It’s one thing talking to everyone here or talking to everyone in the street, but I’ve now been able to tell everyone I’m here (via the local media).
‘I had it to a certain extent when I was favourite for the West Brom job, there was nothing in that. I suppose this summer is different, because there was a little bit of truth in it.
‘It’s different to watch the speculation and a huge amount being written in the press.
‘Thankfully I was here, there and everywhere through the summer and, when I got back to Portsmouth, everything was as normal. I’ve been at the training ground for most of the summer and it’s been business as usual.’