Portsmouth chief delivers crucial approach update over John Mousinho as stock rises amid West Brom, Norwich City and QPR managerial hunts
Significant news over the Pompey boss’ future today with Southampton, Hull City and a string of EFL Championship sides looking for new managers.
John Mousinho remains ‘totally committed’ to taking Pompey forward in the Championship.
That is the conviction of Blues chief executive Andy Cullen, who has today confirmed there’s been no approach for the head coach’s services.
Cullen expects Mousinho is gaining admirers, after winning the League One title and establishing his side in the second tier.
But with the 39-year-old’s 29-month reign at Fratton Park the second longest in the Championship behind Middlesbrough’s Michael Carrick, he feels the manager is firmly on board with the club’s plans.
Mousinho was linked with the West Brom job earlier this month, as he became clear favourite for the Hawthorns hot-seat.
Meanwhile, a host of Championship clubs including Norwich City, QPR, Hull City and Southampton are looking for new bosses, but Cullen is clear no one has moved for Pompey’s manager
When asked if there’s been any approaches for Mousinho, Cullen said: ‘No, and we’re all absolutely thrilled with how well John has done, establishing himself now as the second longest-serving manager in the Championship.
Pompey boss ‘totally committed to the club’
‘We’re absolutely delighted with what he’s achieved. To win League One, take us back into the Championship and maintain our status, the leadership he gives and alignment he has with Rich in terms of our sporting director is the bedrock of our success.
‘We’re very lucky to have John and it’s always an issue when you have a successful head coach, players or members of staff. They are always going to attract attention in football in terms in what they achieve and how successful they are.
‘But we’re really lucky because John is totally committed to the club and we rewarded that success with a new contract last September.
‘We’re delighted with our working relationship with him and looking forward to seeing where we can take the club under John’s leadership and working with (sporting director) Rich (Hughes) himself.’
Mousinho has been clear in his stance he feels a debt of gratitude to the club’s owners and Hughes, for placing their faith in him as he came into the Pompey job as a relative unknown. The Blues’ hierarchy also never wavered through a testing start to this season, with just one win collected from their opening 15 games.
Cullen is comfortable with Mousinho gaining admiring glances from potential suitors, with the CEO seeing a football operation on the same page.
He added: ‘When you’ve got successful, talented people you will always have people looking at them.
‘We’re just really fortunate John has given us that sense of commitment. We’re building for the long term here with the structure we have in terms of the sporting director, coaching, medical team and sports science.
‘It’s a really good group together who are well aligned and we’re really lucky in that respect, because to be successful you need spirit and togetherness.
‘If you’ve got good people you’re very lucky to have them. We just want to build on the foundations we’ve put in place with John coming up to two-and-a-half years and Rich being here nearly three years to take the club forward.
‘We want to back the head coach, management and staff as best we can.
Pompey chief: ‘No one panicked’
‘I feel very, very fortunate we have that back. It’s been a two-way process, no one panicked when we had a difficult run in September and October because we’ve all bought into the long term here, not just a knee-jerk short-term reaction you see at other clubs.
‘It’s very difficult for head coaches at other football clubs, where you have a bad run of six games and your position might feel precarious.
‘Yes, we are all judged on results but we want to make sure we have the long-term plan in place, we know where we’re trying to get to and what we’re trying to build in terms of the football strategy. That’s been well executed by Rich and John - and been well backed by the owners.’