Former Portsmouth goalkeeper David James is ‘quietly optimistic’ regarding the future of his former club under manager John Mousinho.
Pompey are preparing to embark on their first season in the Championship for 12 years after winning the League One title last season. They kick off the campaign against pre-season favourites Leeds United on Saturday at Elland Road in a fixture where they will be huge underdogs.
Under the guidance of Mousinho, they dominated the third tier last season. They reached the top of the league in September and never looked back, only briefly relinquishing their grip on the top spot in November.
This has led to an optimism at Fratton Park that has not been seen for some time, heightened only by Ipswich Town’s recent success. The Tractor Boys will compete in the Premier League this season after securing back-to-back promotions under Kieran McKenna.
Whilst that achievement is one that has rarely been replicated, Mousinho is a manager who is held in a similar regard by Portsmouth fans. The 38-year-old has also been linked with moves to other clubs over the past few months, but seems settled in Hampshire.
Ex-Pompey shot stopper James shares that sentiment, revealing that he is excited by what the coming months could bring:
“I’m quietly optimistic,” he told The Real EFL, on behalf of Best Online Poker Sites. “I’m not a momentum believer in the sense that winning loads of games means you’re going to win the next one, but I do believe in confidence. What Portsmouth have got under John (Mousinho) is a lot of confidence.
“I met so many Portsmouth fans out in Germany (at Euro 2024) and there just seems to be such a good vibe around the club at the moment. I think when you’ve got that kind of belief and confidence in the manager and the players, it comes to a wonderful conclusion that Portsmouth could have a wonderful season again.
“I think it’s tricky for John and Portsmouth. Tricky in the sense that if he does so well, and I’m going to reference Ipswich and their double promotions. I’m sure that John has desires to manage at the top at some point in his managerial career.
“It depends on what John’s version of the top is. If it’s managing in the top league, he has an opportunity to do that with Portsmouth. They’ve been there before and it’s not a club that hasn’t got the experience of going up multiple times , but if it’s managing a top club, then using the relationship with Portsmouth to get them up will show his managerial credentials.”