What league Portsmouth and Southampton truly belong in based on all-time average position
Portsmouth fans have been treated to a rollercoaster ride since the club returned to the Championship.
It looked for a while that Portsmouth would be heading straight back down, as they struggled to get to grips with the higher level at the start of last season.
However, John Mousinho’s side pulled themselves together and ultimately registered a 16th-place finish after a late run of form.
Portsmouth have bought well in the summer and have been playing like an established Championship team this season.
While no one is taking anything for granted, many would argue that Pompey deserve to be playing at this level.
New data reveals that Portsmouth and Southampton both ‘belong’ in the Championship
Portsmouth and Southampton fans are often spotted arguing online about which team is the ‘biggest’ club.
Pompey fans often point to the fact that they’ve won more trophies, while Saints supporters like to point to their more modern stadium and higher league positions in recent times.
However, is it actually true that Southampton tend to finish higher than Portsmouth in the league standings?
Yes, but it’s closer than you might think.
EFL website Lower Tiers recently calculated the data to create an ‘average position’ for each of the 92 English league teams based on all of their league finishes.
Portsmouth and Southampton both ranked between 21st and 44th, suggesting they both ‘belong’ in the Championship based on their history.
Pompey have an ‘average finish’ ranking of 33.3 (13th in Championship), while Southampton’s was slightly better at 25.1 (5th in Championship).
- Read more: Will Still ‘didn’t understand’ one thing John Mousinho did after Southampton vs Portsmouth
Portsmouth fans aren’t getting too carried away with their progress
It has been a bright start to the new season for Portsmouth, but it seems that most fans are keeping their feet on the ground.
Many supporters remain aware that Portsmouth still have one of the smallest budgets in the division and are ‘punching out of their league’, at least financially.
For that reason, you’ll witness most fans keeping patience with Mousinho and the team even through disappointing results like Portsmouth’s 2-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday.
Most Pompey supporters will be happy this season if they can:
- give 100% effort in every game
- beat Southampton at Fratton Park
- avoid relegation.
From there, the club can hopefully continue to progress both on and off the field.
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