Portsmouth icon O’Neil favourite for top job at rival club
Portsmouth look increasingly likely to be welcoming Gary O’Neil to Fratton Park as the manager of a rival club.
O’Neil made 192 appearances for Portsmouth as a home-grown player before he was sold to Middlesbrough in 2007.
Since retiring, he has fared impressively well in management roles at AFC Bournemouth and Wolves, but he has never returned to Fratton Park in a managerial capacity.
O’Neil red-hot favourite to be the next manager of Sheffield United
It seems inevitable that Sheffield United will be in the market for a new manager soon.
Although they haven’t officially parted ways with Chris Wilder, all signs point to him being sacked imminently.
O’Neil had already been listed as one of the bookies’ favourites to replace Wilder at Bramall Lane.
Now, Alan Nixon has reported via Patreon (15 June) that O’Neil is the number one target for Pompey’s Championship rivals Sheffield United.
Nixon writes that the Sheffield United board are “big admirers” and that he’s likely to get an “SOS call” from them in the near future.
Sheffield United were 45 minutes away from avoiding a fixture at Fratton Park next season, as they led the Championship playoff against Sunderland at half-time. However, the Mackems turned the game around, and that result looks set to cost Wilder his job.
Portsmouth must keep hold of Mousinho to continue Championship progress
Pompey fans won’t care too much who the opposing manager is when Sheffield United visit Fratton Park.
As long as it’s not John Mousinho.
Mousinho has been linked with a host of high-profile Championship jobs in the summer, including Bristol City, Watford and West Bromwich Albion.
The news makes uncomfortable reading for Blues fans who are forced to collectively hold their breath until the day that their rival clubs appoint someone else.
| Portsmouth under John Mousinho | |
| 2022-23 | 8th in League One |
| 2023-24 | 1st in League One |
| 2024-25 | 16th in Championship |
Unfortunately, that’s the price of success for the Fratton faithful.
As long as the Blues keep exceeding expectations, the bookies and the media will continue to suggest that their manager is leaving for bigger and better things.
The good news is: no clubs have been an official approach for Mousinho, and it would appear that Sheffield United won’t be doing so either.
The Pompey boss isn’t listed among the bookies’ favourites for the job, as The Blades prepare to swoop for O’Neil instead.