'We might as well pack up and go somewhere else': Portsmouth boss recognises the necessity for promotion ambition with stranded Blues

The Blues kick-off their latest bid for a Championship return on Saturday, with Bristol Rovers’ visit marking the 2023-24 season’s curtain-raiser.

Following three successive seasons outside the play-offs, failure which cost predecessors Kenny Jackett and Danny Cowley their jobs, the pressure will be on Mousinho to inspire a change of fortune.

With the arrivals of 12 players this summer, of which four cost transfer fees, there will inevitably be expectations for the head coach to deliver.

And Mousinho is fully aware of the demands on him, his staff and players this term as the Blues enter an infuriating seventh season at League One level.

He told The News: ‘No two ways about it, we want to be competitive and we want to be in the mix for promotion.

‘With this football club, in this league, there’s always going to be real pressure on the group, the staff and everyone at the club to actually get out of the division.

‘Our ambitions are clear in terms of what we want to achieve this year, we know it’s going to be very, very difficult and we know there’s plenty of sides that want to do that as well.

‘Promotion is the reason we brought these players in during the summer. The whole basis of doing that is to have a strengthened squad with two players in pretty much every position.

‘Then, if we do have to make changes, first of all we have the players to come in and do a good job – and secondly to be competitive within those positions to push us up the league.

‘Otherwise there is no point being at Pompey, we might as well pack up and go somewhere else.

‘That’s the real ambition this year, developing a squad that can compete at the top of the league.’

Mousinho faced criticism from some earlier this week following his response to Theo from Fratton’s question during BBC Radio Solent’s Pompey fans’ forum at Fratton Park.

The youngster asked whether it would be classed as a ‘failure’ should Pompey not win promotion this season.

Amid a 262-word response, fan reaction centred on 24 words: ‘If we don’t go up for whatever reason this year, I don’t think we are going to sit here and say it’s a failure’.

Reflecting on that moment, Mousinho added: ‘Again my answer would be exactly the same as the other night – and I would implore anyone that saw the headline to actually listen to the full answer.

‘The only thing we’re going to be able to judge this season on is what it looks like at the back end of the year.

‘I think fans are discerning enough to know that, I don’t need to tell them whether the season has been a success or not.

‘We’ll take stock of everything in May and see where we are. Whether we have developed as a squad, a side and a football club – we can then look and see if we've had success or failure.

‘But certainly one thing that’s going to run through the entire thread of the season is the fact we’re going to try to do our best to go up.

‘Promotion is definitely the goal, there’s no point in us trying to dress it down because the pressure is there, the eternal expectation is there, and the internal pressure we put on ourselves is there as well.

‘That’s what we want to achieve, it’s just a case of making sure we’re realistic about where we are.

‘We’ve had the entire pre-season in a pretty controlled environment and really need to see where the squad’s at over the next couple of months. Part of that is seeing how quickly everything beds in.

‘We’ve had so many new signings that we need to bed them in quickly, see how they adjust to the league, see how they adjust to Pompey and the playing style.

‘Ultimately, sometimes these things take time. Obviously the quicker we get it done the better, we have to take each game as it comes and see where we are.’

Although his coaching career remains in its infancy, Mousinho has playing experience of winning promotion from League One.

He was an ever-present in the Burton side which finished runners-up behind Wigan in 2015-16 to reach the Championship

While in May 2011, the central defender scored Stevenage’s winner in the League Two play-off final at Wembley against Torquay in a 1-0 triumph.

He said: ‘Promotion is not that simple, I’ve played and coached at this level for quite a number of years now and am lucky enough to have got out of League One as a player, knowing that over the 46 games that year it was incredibly difficult because everybody is vying for promotion.

‘I reckon 15-16 sides in the league have their eye on being competitive and are trying for promotion this year.

‘Ultimately, only three will do it and hopefully we are in the mix. It’s much easier said than done, but we’re doing everything we can to make sure we are fully equipped for the first game of the season and beyond.’