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John Mousinho is a Portsmouth overachiever - now he has finances to truly achieve: Neil Allen's season preview The News’ chief sports writer Neil Allen looks ahead to a new Championship season... According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of the word ‘overachieve’ is to do more than expected or be more successful than others. Certainly any rational and balanced Pompey fan, when honestly assessing John Mousinho’s three-and-a-half years at Fratton Park, will recognise he comfortably meets such credentials. Once a rookie boss and oft-belittled ‘cheap option’, he is the very epitome of defying expectations. Undoubtedly it has been inspired judgment from sporting director Rich Hughes and, subsequently, the Eisner family which backed a widely left-field decision. To date, Mousinho has overachieved in his every season as Blues boss, a continuous accomplishment which attracted admiring glances from fellow Championship sides Bristol City and Stoke only this summer. Even in League One days, he has never boasted enviable war chests or been bankrolled by extravagant spending plans threatening the club’s very existence. Rightly or wrongly, sustainability remains ingrained in the Eisner mantra. Pompey’s biggest-spending summer since Premier League years Except this season is different. Pompey haven’t spent as much during a summer transfer window since Premier League days. What’s more, according to Mousinho, the playing budget has also increased by 16 per cent. Abu Kamara, Marko Milovanovic and Rocco Shein have arrived and, with such costlier acquisitions in place, naturally come greater expectations. No longer will Pompey be pigeonholed into the plucky club battling against the odds due to being burdened with one of the lowest Championship budgets. The likelihood is they are now fifth or sixth smallest, such as small margins in a crackpot league. While Mousinho has significantly over-accomplished in the past, the challenge this time around will be to progress from last season’s 18th-placed finish, while putting a favourable distance between the relegation zone. Nonetheless, the former Oxford United player/set-piece coach is surely behind only Harry Redknapp as Pompey’s best boss since they were champions of England. Although Alan Ball’s many admirers will disagree - and have a valid point too. Overachieving since January 2023 Still, Mousinho’s contribution to ongoing Pompey success since his shock January 2023 appointment has been remarkable. Initially, he revitalised a 15th-placed Danny Cowley side plummeting towards League Two, armed with Paddy Lane and Di’Shon Bernard as the sole transfer additions following his arrival. The Blues went on to finish a respectable eighth in League One - two places adrift of the play-offs - having ended the 2022-23 campaign undefeated in their final 11 fixtures. An overachievement. For Mousinho’s first full season at the helm, Pompey recruited seven free transfers, including Exeter, Forest Green, Lincoln and Burton departees, while brought in three loanees. The four permanent signings that summer - Kusini Yengi, Terry Devlin, Christian Saydee and Anthony Scully - totalled an outlay of around £300,000. Although there was further spending in that January window. From September 2023 until being crowned League One champions on that iconic Barnsley night, Mousinho’s men had spent one week outside top spot, such was their impressive dominance. An overachievement. Handed a return to the Championship following a 12-year absence, Pompey subsequently often found themselves anchored to the bottom of the table over the first half of the season. Few foresaw their survival. According to Mousinho this week, Pompey spent just £1.2m on signing six players for transfer fees ahead of that 2024-25 campaign, including Nicolas Schmid, Harvey Blair, Abdoulaye Kamara, Elias Sorensen and Jacob Farrell. Remarkably, they stayed up with two matches remaining, finishing an injury-ravaged season in 16th position and unbeaten in five fixtures. An overachievement. Focussing on last season, attempts to progress were severely impacted by the long-term absences of pivotal pair Conor Shaughnessy (13 starts) and Josh Murphy (12 starts). Mousinho was hardly helped in the transfer market either, with the summer 2025 window easily ranking as one of the poorest of recent times, with only Adrian Segecic and back-up keeper Josef Bursik anywhere near up to scratch. With the normally reliable Colby Bishop’s goal-scoring form deserting him, most felt Pompey were destined for the drop following an abject 6-1 defeat at QPR in March, yet, remarkably, they rallied to stay up with two matches to spare. An overachievement. Which brings us to the here and now - and looking ahead to Saturday’s Championship kick-off against QPR at Fratton Park. There is undoubtedly renewed optimism this term, a positive consequence of ramping up Pompey spending compared to the previous 16 years, while much is anticipated from Kamara and Milovanovic, in particular. Back in April, Mousinho launched a very public appeal for more financial resources from the Eisners to drive Pompey progress, a call to be armed which supporters unsurprisingly rallied behind. He now has his wish. Forget overachieving. For John Mousinho, the 2026-27 season is now all about achieving.