'The one non-negotiable' - John Mousinho's blunt message to Portsmouth players as he spells out best way to approach Championship games against Leeds United, Sheffield United, Sunderland & Co

The Blues head coach has also revealed exactly how he wants his troops to approach the forthcoming Championship campaign as the Fratton Park outfit prepare to resume historic battles against the likes of Leeds United, Sheffield United and Sunderland - fixtures that have been few and far between in recent years.

And there’s a clear, unequivocal message to Pompey’s current first-team squad as they prepare to head into the Championship battlefield. Firstly, they do everything within their power - both on a match-day and away from Fratton Park - to win. Secondly, they whole-heartedly embrace the challenge that lies ahead rather than hide from it. And, thirdly, if you they hide away, be prepared to be found out - fast!

Mousinho’s blunt call to arms was delivered to the Blues’ players as they were welcomed back to pre-season on Monday. What’s more, it was made while the Pompey media team were filming for their new digital platform.

The presence of the cameras, though, didn’t stop Pompey’s League One title-winning boss laying it on the line as he purposely set his out his goals for the season ahead. And while certain parts of his address had to be bleeped out for broadcast purposes, the message was loud and clear.

What full John Mousinho video HERE

Here’s exactly what the boss said as he called on the players to ensure they’re fit to wear the shirt as the Blues return to the second tier of English football for the first time in 12 years.

Speaking in front the players in their impressive new surroundings at the refurbished Pompey Health and Fitness Club in Hilsea, Mousinho said: ‘The one non-negotiable we have as a staff is that when you walk off the pitch at 5pm on a Saturday or 10pm on a Tuesday, you’ve done everything in your power, every single thing in your power to have won that game.

‘And I’m not (just) talking about what you do during the 90 minutes in the game. I am talking about that, but I’m (also) talking about everything as well - so how you live, how you sleep, how you train. Everything you do has to be geared towards winning games, has to be geared towards top performance.

‘We can control here and we can give you as much help as possible, we’ll do that. So we’ll try to create an environment here to perform, to win, to maximise everything you can do whilst you’re here.

‘What you do away from here is up to you - how you live your lives, whether you go onto Huddle to watch the set-pieces, whether you bother going to the gym in the evenings. All of those sorts of things, that’s down to you.  We can’t control that and we’re not going to control that.

‘But it always comes out, so you can’t hide from anything and you can’t in hide this league. You cannot hide from this league.

‘And there’s two ways you can approach it. You can look at that (pointing to team badges of this season’s Championship opponents), and think “look at all those clubs, what a tough league that is”. Or, which I think is the way we’re definitely going to approach it, is “what an opportunity that is to go to attack and to go and get on the front foot”. You can only do that of you by doing what I spoke to you about at the start - by doing everything you possibly can so that by the time we go to Elland Road for the first game of the season, you’re primed and ready and you’ll come off the pitch knowing you’ve done everything you possible could.

‘The result will take care of itself, I’ve done everything I possibly can to maximise that performance.’

Pompey’s first game of the season is against Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday, August 10 (kick-off - 12.30pm).

Commenting on X, formerly Twitter, after viewing the recently uploaded footage, @NotMiltos wrote: ‘Tears in my eyes, we're actually moving so forward as a football club. Fratton Park redevelopment, new training ground, gym, transfers, player contracts, Rich Hughes, John Mousinho, everything is aligned as one and the future could not be looking brighter for us.’

@jkanalysis7 commented: ‘Love listening to managers speak in pre-season, discussing the objectives & mind set that the club will look to maintain. Last season was just a taster of what to expect from John Mousinho, this season I feel he’ll express himself even more. Top, young coach!’