John Mousinho to West Brom: Portsmouth exit claim made amid Hawthorns link
Portsmouth manager John Mousinho has been linked with the vacant role at West Brom ahead of the summer.
The Englishman did a superb job with Pompey, as Championship survival was achieved with time to spare after promotion from League One.
As celebrations of another year in the second-tier kick started at Fratton Park, frustrations surrounded The Hawthorns after failure to finish in a play-off spot.
This ultimately saw Tony Mowbray face the sack, with Mousinho emerging as a potential target to replace the 61-year-old in B71.
Mousinho to West Brom claim made at Portsmouth
There have been a number of names already linked with the job of becoming head coach in the Black Country, ready for the new season.
The likes of Eric Ramsay and former Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders have been discussed so far despite no deal yet going through.
As a result, links to a number of other potential candidates have spiralled around The Hawthorns as the Portsmouth boss could remain a target.
This saw Mousinho be named as favourite to take over at odds of 2/1 with Bet Victor (9 May), but now it appears that any deal could be off the table.
| Matches | 124 |
| Wins | 56 |
| Draws | 34 |
| Losses | 34 |
Former Pompey midfielder Martin Allen has now told Pompey News (18 May) that he believes the Englishman will remain on the south coast beyond this summer.
He said: “I don’t think he’ll leave Portsmouth, I think he should stay and have one more year and see if he can take them to the playoffs.
“They had a really poor start with a lot of big injuries, so they will be looking for a good start this time, improve the team with some decent players and then I could see it being a really good season for Portsmouth.
“No [a move to West Brom], it’s not [a step up] for me. Mousinho has work to do at Portsmouth.
“They stuck by him after such a poor start, so I think he needs to take the club, add some decent players, and I would say they’ve got every chance at aiming for the playoffs.”
West Brom dealt Mousinho blow ahead of summer
As the transfer window looms, there is an even bigger need to find a new head coach ready to set the Baggies in motion.
With star players like Josh Maja and Tom Fellows linked with a move away, it will be the decision of the fresh face in the dugout to decide what happens next.
Whether that be someone like Ryan Mason or a more experienced head, there is frustration building among fans who just want a new manager to be picked.
It doesn’t appear that it is going to be Mousinho who may be set to remain at Fratton Park after managing a successful campaign in the Championship.