Andy Cullen admits John Mousinho ‘issue’ amid Fratton Park exit speculation
Portsmouth manager John Mousinho is attracting a lot of attention.
The 39-year-old led the Fratton Park outfit to a 16th-place finish in the Championship, five points above the relegation zone.
It was a fantastic achievement from the former Burton Albion man and he has been linked with vacancies at West Brom, Hull City and Norwich City as a result.
Cullen admits Mousinho problem at Portsmouth
Pompey may face a battle to retain Mousinho’s services in the future but it seems like he will stay on the South Coast for now.
Blues chief executive Andy Cullen revealed that there has been no approaches for the boss but believes that it is only natural that he is attracting interest after his remarkable exploits with the 2008 FA Cup winners.
In quotes reported by The News (23 May), he said: “We’re very lucky to have John and it’s always an issue when you have a successful head coach, players or members of staff. They are always going to attract attention in football in terms in what they achieve and how successful they are.
“But we’re really lucky because John is totally committed to the club and we rewarded that success with a new contract last September.”
Portsmouth set to keep Mousinho at the helm
Mousinho’s future is pretty certain right now, Cullen’s update seems to be resolute in the fact that he is happy in PO4.
Pompey can now focus on bringing in players for the new season, one in which they must aim higher than simply surviving in the division.
| Stats | Mousinho |
| Matches | 124 |
| Won | 56 |
| Drawn | 34 |
| Lost | 34 |
Blues fan and commentator Ian Darke believes that if Mousinho is to stick around for the long-term, the Eisner family need to show their ambition and back him in the transfer market.
Their business will be absolutely vital as it could define their ceiling for the new campaign, whether they are in a survival battle or a promotion chase but it could also affect the boss’ future.
For now though, it appears that they have held off the interest from their Championship rivals, and can build on their success so far.
The ultimate dream is a return to the Premier League, whether the young manager is the right man for the job remains to be seen but he has exceeded expectations so far since taking over with the club in 15th place in League One.
He is a proven winner and could eventually lead them back to the promised land if they can keep hold of his services.