The stark financial reality of Portsmouth’s Championship challenge as boss faces up to ‘different ball game’ against Sunderland, QPR, Cardiff City & Co

John Mousinho admitted Pompey are entering uncharted financial territory as they aim to compete with the financial muscle of Championship sides.

And the Blues boss knows that means his team are going to be making a huge step up in quality, as they return to the second tier next term after a 12-year absence.

Pompey chief executive, Andy Cullen, has spoken about the ‘insane’ world the League One champions are entering when it comes to finances.

Their existing budget was pushed in January to give Mousinho’s squad the depth to get over the line at the seventh time of asking, sitting around the top six in the third tier. That would be firmly at the back of the pack at the next level, where some clubs easily spend 10 times that and there’s a wage-to-revenue ratio of 108 per cent from the latest available figures.

In addition, huge amounts are being paid on transfer fees to put teams together with teams in receipt of parachute payments, while others have encountered dire financial issues as a result of mismanagement in bids for success.

Pompey, know, however, they are going to receive a shot in the arm as a result of the new Sky Sports TV deal next term and increases in other revenue streams.

Mousinho has spoken of taking confidence from his club having a strategy in place to compete as they step up - but the Pompey boss is going in with his eyes firmly open.

He said: ‘I’ve watched a fair bit of Championship football this year, but not as much as League One. It’s something we will be focussed on over the summer.

‘We’re going into a very different league tactically, physically and in terms of the quality of players. There will be a three massive clubs coming down from the Premier League and big clubs coming up from League One.

‘So it’s going to be very competitive league and one of those things we have to adjust to very quickly. We talk about every fixture being tough at this level - and they are - but it’s a completely different ball game in the Championship and we have to be fully prepared for that.’