Bristol City a 'sideways move'? Portsmouth reaction given to John Mousinho situation | OneFootball

FLW's Portsmouth fan pundit wants the Eisners to back John Mousinho in the transfer market, else risk him moving to Bristol City

John Mousinho once again achieved his primary goal of keeping Portsmouth in the Championship this season, but he hopes that next season won't see his side embroiled in a relegation scrap.

Pompey finished 18th in the Championship, two places below where they ended up in their first year back last term, but having picked up one more point.

With fine margins separating the two years and relegation worries throughout both, Mousinho was rightly doubtful when he was asked whether he felt that his side had improved over the past year.

With the standard of the Championship as a whole improving year-on-year, Portsmouth mustn't continue to stay still and accept lower mid-table finishes. To ensure that doesn't happen and that they remain competitive, the Pompey boss admitted that the club will need to spend "significant figures." Whether that will happen or not remains to be seen.

And, ultimately, if those demands aren't met, would that lead to Mousinho reconsidering his future at Fratton Park? Especially if, per reports from TalkSPORT last month, Bristol City are said to be interested in the Pompey boss.

Portsmouth fan pundit believes Michael Eisner can "win back" some fans by backing John Mousinho

To plenty of Portsmouth fans, there isn't a more loved figure at Fratton Park than their manager due to the promotion to the Championship he achieved in his first full year, and the survival charges he has led in the two seasons that have followed.

Miltos Ioannidis, FLW's Pompey fan pundit, wholeheartedly believes that Mousinho wants to stay at the club for the foreseeable future, especially given that his final pre-match press conference of the season saw him say that he isn't looking to leave.

"The way I comprehend the situation is very clear; I think that John Mousinho has taken every single possible opportunity presented to him to make it abundantly clear that he has no immediate desire to exit the club," he said.

"He loves Pompey, he feels loved at Pompey, and he feels that he is in no rush to try something different. In interviews, he makes it clear that he loves it here, and he certainly feels the love given to him by everyone.

"He's done special things here, from getting us promoted to keeping us in the Championship for two years in a row on a restricted budget."

But the fan pundit feels that will only remain that way if Mousinho is backed financially to a point where he can take the former Premier League side closer to a top-flight return, or at least to one where relegation battles aren't the norm.

The Portsmouth boss is clearly invested in the future of the football club, and Ioannidis thinks that Michael Eisner and the rest of his family can truly "win back" some of the fanbase who have perhaps lost faith in them by giving their manager the money needed to improve on the field.

"There was a 41-minute press conference before Stoke, where Mousinho answered questions on how he sees the club moving in the summer and what his plans and ambitions are. He's taken the ball and thrown it to the owners, the Eisners," he continued.

"They are the ones who are responsible for a lot of things in terms of how the club is run, and I think the next few weeks are going to be very telling whether his ambitions for the football club are on the same page as what the Eisners view as achievable and realistic under their ownership.

"They've got a massive opportunity to win a lot of the fans back, because I think there is a chunk of the fanbase who have lost faith. By backing Mousinho and giving him the tools he needs, maybe even a new contract, that will send a statement to the league and to us as the fans."

Portsmouth fan pundit labels Bristol City switch a "sideways move" for John Mousinho

Regarding the interest that Bristol City have shown in Mousinho, Ioannidis doesn't feel that a move to Ashton Gate would represent a step-up for the 40-year-old boss.

However, if he isn't backed by the Eisners this summer, he can completely see him jumping ship to a club that will be keen on returning to the play-offs next season after a year of regression following Liam Manning's departure last summer.

"I think going to Bristol City would be a sideways move, and I don't think it would be something he would consider if he is given the guarantee that he'll have what he needs at Pompey," the fan pundit said.

"Bristol City are a very well-run club. They've got excellent facilities, a good academy, and they spend more on wages and transfer fees than we do.

"But I do think he would be fine staying at Pompey if he was given the backing to take us to the next level. I'd be shocked if he left, but if the Eisners are not supportive, and we hear some negative news coming out over the next few weeks, then I wouldn't be surprised."

Ultimately, as Ioannidis said, the proverbial ball is now in the court of the owners at Fratton Park, and it's up to them to decide what the future of their club looks like with them in charge.

Mousinho has proven that he's one of the better young managers in the Championship over the past couple of seasons, and he deserves to be managing a forward-thinking club whose remit is more than just avoiding relegation.

If he can't be given that at Portsmouth, perhaps he will find it elsewhere.