Portsmouth boss John Mousinho is thriving under the pressure that comes with being a football manager, despite the increased criticism he faces.
Mousinho saw his team take a 4-0 beating at the hands of Birmingham City on Saturday, a 3rd straight loss.
From Hero To (Almost) Zero
A fortnight ago, Pompey had just taken a point from their clash with Leicester City. That followed handing Middlesbrough their first defeat of the season, and all looked rosy.
Now, just 3 games later, Pompey are preparing for a vital clash with Wrexham on the back of 3 straight defeats. Portsmouth are currently 20th in the Championship, just 4 points above the drop zone.
Mousinho’s very presence in the dugout is now being called into question as the pressure piles on, but the 39-year-old is adamant he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Carrying The Weight Of The World
Mousinho admits that, aside from 4 games of his tenure when promotion and safety were confirmed, the pressure of trying to get positive results for his club is always high.
“Genuinely, the pressure is always the same and that’s always immense.”
“Every single time I set foot on the football pitch or I stand in the technical area or I prepare for the game, I find there’s a huge amount of pressure.”
“That’s mainly from myself and, quite rightly, from everybody connected to the football club, such as the fans and the city, wanting us to win.”
“That’s great, it’s the only way it should be. I never, ever, ever want to approach a football match and not feel the pressure to win; that would be a boring place to be.”
Despite the recent downturn in form and some voices of discontent, Mousinho insists the weight of expectation is what he enjoys about the job.
“Every match I have ever had as a Pompey manager, take four of those out because I don’t want to completely lie to the fans, but every game I feel the world’s pressure on my shoulders – and that’s what I like about my job.”
“And I think that’s what people like about football.”
No Time For Panic, Level Heads Required
Having guided Pompey back into the Championship at the end of his first full season in charge, Mousinho guided his side to 2nd tier safety last term.
The former Oxford United player is experiencing first hand how fickle and fast-changing football can be.
“I remember the question after that Leicester draw was along the lines of how far can this team go?”
“The questions now are very different; it’s about we can dig ourselves out of this rut. That’s no issue.”
The manager is keen to put an end to the mini-slump and has called for a balanced approach and a lack of panic.
“It’s only three games, it’s a small sample size of the season, and it’s getting that balance between being realistic about it, let’s not be naive – but also let’s not panic.”
“Let’s make sure we do the right things at the right time and hopefully get a result off the back of that.”
