Portsmouth fans thrilled as Pompey hero return confirmed – ‘Winning the league’
Portsmouth fans are growing optimistic about their second successive season in the Championship.
The seaside club have had near-perfect results in pre-season, running out winners in every fixture apart from their tie against Havant and Waterloo, which ended in a goalless draw (29 July).
Pompey also added two new players, Luke Le Roux and Márk Kosznovszky, to John Mousinho’s midfield last week before signing French forward Florian Bianchini on a season-long loan on Thursday (31 July).
Portsmouth are determined to continue the positive momentum they are building, and have made another key move this summer that is proving popular with the fanbase.
Michael Doyle has returned as first-team coach
Portsmouth officially announced on Saturday (2 August) that Michael Doyle had rejoined the club to work alongside John Mousinho as a first-team coach.
It will be the 43-year-old’s second stint as part of the coaching staff at Pompey, having spent just over five months in 2023 as a Professional Developmental Phase coach with the youth academy.
Doyle is better known for his time as a player, when he was named captain within weeks of arriving at Fratton Park after joining from Sheffield United in July 2015.
The former Republic of Ireland international failed to guide his side to promotion in his first season, but was successful the following year, taking Portsmouth back up to League One after a four-year wait.
He has maintained a hero status ever since, and his return to Fratton Park was met with a wave of joy from fans, one of whom stated that Pompey were “winning the league” after the announcement.
Addition to coaching staff shows Michael Eisner’s faith in Mousinho
Mousinho admitted last season that he was lucky to still be in a job after a patchy spell left Portsmouth looking over their shoulders at the prospect of relegation.
The young manager succeeded in turning the club’s fortunes around in the second half of the season, but there were still questions being raised over whether he retained Michael Eisner‘s trust.
The recent transfer business, and more so, the addition of another coach to his backroom staff, proves that the owners have complete faith in Mousinho and are willing to back him this summer to give the 39-year-old the best conditions to succeed.
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