Portsmouth history maker sets transfer target for John Mousinho

Portsmouth have been told what they must do to become a ‘mainstay in the Championship’ - by one former Fratton Park favourite.

After securing promotion into the second tier with an impressive League One title win last season, John Mousinho’s men endured a challenging start to the campaign as they failed to win any of their first nine league games. A 2-1 victory at Queens Park Rangers settled some of the concerns - but it would be safe to say Pompey did not really find some momentum until the second half of the season.

In a division well known for being tight and nervy, Pompey were always looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone but wins against the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Norwich City ensured Mousinho’s men had been steered clear of the bottom three when the final whistle was blown on the season following a 1-1 home draw against Hull City earlier this month.

Plans for the new season are already underway as Pompey confirmed Cohen Bramall, Tom Lowery, Alexander Milošević, Anthony Scully and Kusini Yengi are all leaving the club this summer and loan signings Adil Aouchiche, Rob Atkinson, Kaide Gordon, Isaac Hayden, Freddie Potts and Mark O’Mahony have now returned to their parent clubs.

Mousinho will hope to push on with his summer recruitment and bolster his squad in a bid to claim a higher finish in the second tier when the new campaign gets underway in August. Former Portmouth full-back Glen Johnson, who memorably won the FA Cup with Pompey in 2008, has reflected on the season at Fratton Park and despite admitting his old club had experienced a ‘tough year’, he believes they can build on their successful relegation by attracting ‘some more Championship-calibre players’ throughout the summer transfer window.

He told WDW Bingo: “It’s been a tough year for Pompey, but they have done the most important thing and survived. The first season after you have been promoted is always the hardest, and the players and manager have done a great job surviving. The Championship is a tough league, it’s a battle to stay in, but also hard to get out of. It’s so close every season that anything can happen.

“It’s a great club and hopefully they can attract some more Championship-calibre players over the summer and become a mainstay in the Championship. They’ve got a great fan base, and it’s been a shame to see the club go through tough times recently, but hopefully this is the start of things turning around for Pompey.”

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