And the Blues’ head coach lauded Fratton Park’s new football operation structure and his players for adopting his approach and giving him a flying start at PO4.
Mousinho confessed he could never have imagined himself taking his first steps in management at a club like Pompey, despite the fact that the 37-year-old has now been in charge for nine months.
His team enters this weekend’s match against Port Vale with a 22-game unbeaten league run and a commanding lead in the EFL League One table. However, the idea of his effort attracting admiring eyes from others is foreign to Mousinho, who is focused on achieving success for the Blues.
‘It’s a question I’ve honestly never considered,’ Mousinho stated.
‘A lot of that is because I’d always assumed that if and when there was any interest in me, it would come from clubs like Portsmouth – since I was managing at a different (sized) club. I say that because if you had told me before I got this position that I would be the head coach of Portsmouth in my career, I would have felt it was the peak.At the moment, I haven’t really had the chance to comprehend that kind of discussion. When things like this happen, it’s probably best to just laugh about it because it’s so far off my radar.
‘I’m loving every minute of being in Portsmouth and am extremely grateful for the opportunity. To be honest, I feel a million miles away from all of it (discussion of interest from other clubs); all I need to do is stay grounded and concentrate on the next game.’
Mousinho said that his start at Pompey has exceeded his own expectations since taking over as Danny Cowley’s replacement in January.
For that early success, the former Oxford man believes he has the likes of sporting director Rich Hughes and his players buying into his method of operation.
‘It’s probably gone better than even I could’ve imagined,’ he added.
‘I put that down to a lot of factors, not the least the structure behind the scenes here and how that is allowing me just be able to focus on coaching the side. Then there’s the matter of how good the players have been. I consider myself quite fortunate to have been thrown in at this time.
‘The second portion is as excellent as we’ve been, and I naturally want to restart and go again (on the following game), but we’ve accomplished nothing. So that none of us – including myself – get carried away with anything.
‘I’m always critical of the team, how we do things, the staff, and myself. It’s a crucial point to note that it’s been a great start – but there’s more to come.
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