Michael Eisner promise emerges after ‘tetchy’ behind-scenes Portsmouth moment
Michael Eisner has kept his promise at Portsmouth despite ‘tetchy’ scenes behind the scenes.
Portsmouth feared the worst after they managed to win only one of their first 14 Championship games of the season and found themselves sitting bottom of the table.
However, John Mousinho went on to steer Pompey away from the relegation zone in the following months, eventually managing a 16th-place finish.
The Fratton Park outfit have, therefore, avoided relegation in their first season back in the Championship and will now be determined to build on their progress next season.
Neil Allen shares Eisner promise as ‘phenomenal’ Colby Bishop claim emerges
Looking back at an eventful season, Neil Allen picked out Portsmouth‘s 1-0 defeat against Plymouth in November as one of the most ‘pivotal’ moments in their season.
The News journalist recalled how things got ‘tetchy’ at the supporters’ trust AGM the following day, despite Eisner insisting that Pompey will avoid relegation at all costs.
He also pointed out Colby Bishop’s role in helping the Hampshire-based club move away from the drop zone after returning to the fold in the 3-1 win against Preston after the AGM.
| Matches | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Minutes |
| 32 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 2637′ |
Allen went on to describe Bishop’s contributions on and off the pitch as ‘phenomenal’.
“The pivotal moment, really, for me, was Plymouth away, where Pompey lost 1-0, really unfortunate to lose 1-0, weren’t they?”, Allen said on the Who Needs Mourinho podcast (7 May).
“And the next day was the Pompey supporters’ trust AGM, and Pompey were bottom of the league, and I attended that event.
“Michael Eisner did this whole thing about, ‘We are not getting relegated, period.’ It got a bit tetchy at times among some of the supporters and the panel, and you felt this could turn a bit unpleasant here, I mean, in terms of the season, not that evening.
“Suddenly, a few days later, Preston at home, who should come off the bench? Colby Bishop! You know, from that point, the season changed.
“Suddenly, it wasn’t [Elias] Sorensen up front struggling, it was Colby Bishop, and what he brings to the team on and off the pitch is phenomenal.”
Eisner keeps Portsmouth promise
While owners continue to divide opinion across different fan bases, Eisner can take pride in the fact that Portsmouth avoided relegation in their first season back in the second division.
It is no secret that Pompey have one of the smallest budgets in the Championship, if not the smallest, and the fact that they managed to finish six places above the danger zone deserves due credit.
However, Eisner and Co. cannot afford to rest on their laurels, as they now need to build on their progress next season.
The Portsmouth owners have to back Mousinho in the upcoming summer transfer window to allow him to lead the team further up the table.