QPR mentioned as Don Goodman names perfect club for Portsmouth boss Mousinho
John Mousinho has been linked with a host of vacant jobs since leading Portsmouth to safety in the Championship this past season.
The 39-year-old defied the odds to steer Pompey away from the relegation zone and ultimately to a 16th-place finish.
This feat was achieved with a limited budget and a significant injury crisis halfway through the season, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
In fact, it seems every time another Championship club sacks their manager, Mousinho is linked with the job.
Goodman delivers his verdict on Mousinho’s future
Mousinho’s future is seemingly up for discussion again after he was named as one of the favourites for the Bristol City job.
He was previously among the favourites to take over at Norwich and West Bromwich Albion before they hired other candidates.
Now, in an interview with Football League World (5 June), EFL pundit Don Goodman has revealed what he thinks is the best destination for Mousinho next season.
He said: “I think clubs should always take it as a compliment if players or their manager are linked with other teams, especially if those teams are higher up the food chain. Having said that, though, I think John is in the perfect place for him at this stage of his career.
“There’s possibly a Queens Park Rangers, but, again, I think Mousinho is already in the best place and would like to develop himself as a head coach/manager at Portsmouth. It’s a big club and I think they will back him.”
Goodman also dismissed the idea that Mousinho would be interested in moving to Bristol City, suggesting that it wouldn’t represent much of a step up.
“There’s possibly a Bristol City [move] out there, but would you leave Portsmouth for them?” he said.
QPR manager Marti Cifuentes is officially still at the club after being put on gardening leave, although it’s widely speculated that he will be replaced before the start of next season.
Portsmouth must do all they can to keep Mousinho as manager
Pompey fans are still on cloud nine after securing their place in the Championship for another year.
For long periods of this campaign, it seemed like The Blues were destined for the drop. However, the team found a remarkable run of form toward the end of the season to guarantee safety with two games remaining.
| John Mousinho’s Portsmouth record | |
| 2022-23 | 8th in League One |
| 2023-24 | 1st in League One |
| 2024-25 | 16th in Championship |
Mousinho deserves all the credit thrown his way for that achievement. He has built a talented squad that is ready to run themselves into the ground for him. That’s despite having a smaller transfer budget than his immediate Championship rivals.
Michael Eisner and the Portsmouth hierarchy must do everything they can to keep hold of their manager. Hopefully, they can prove that they have the ambition to compete with these so-called ‘bigger clubs’ that have shown interest in him.
A productive transfer window will help. Indeed, Portsmouth have been linked with big-money signings like Gambian forward Abdoulie Manneh.
If the owners can back him properly, there’s no reason why Mousinho can’t continue to lift Portsmouth further up the league.