Portsmouth have to make 'steady progress' - Cullen

Portsmouth CEO Andrew Cullen is hoping to see the club make "steady progress" in the Championship following back-to-back seasons where they have narrowly avoided relegation.

After their promotion from League One in 2024, the Blues have gone on to finish 16th and 18th in the second tier under head coach John Mousinho.

This season, after another summer of investment and building on the foundations of the past two seasons, Cullen is hoping the team is able to kick on.

"It's no secret that we have outperformed over the last few years and we want to continue to do that," he told BBC Radio Solent.

"But the goal is not to be permanently encumbered in a relegation battle, the Championship now offers an eighth-place play-off place, which brings a new dynamic to it all.

"We have to make progress in a steady way and can't absolutely go for broke and then put the football club at risk by not being able to maintain commitments.

"We've looked at how we model things over the next four to five years as well as next season and I think we're in as good of a place as we'd want to be at this stage."

Mousinho will begin his fourth full season in charge at Fratton Park this coming campaign, having been linked with a move away from the club.

Near the end of last season, he said that he was planning talks about the side's playing budget to move the club away from "perennial relegation fights".

But despite plenty of talk about Mousinho's future, Cullen said that Pompey had never had any direct approaches for the 40-year-old.

"John has performed brilliantly during his time at Portsmouth. So naturally when jobs come up, there will be some speculation as to if John will be linked with them, but we have never had any approach for John by any club.

"There was one day where I was told that John was at another club and he was actually in the office with me where we were talking about player recruitment.

"I'm sure that John will continue to be linked with opportunities, but for us we want to maintain continuity and we are committed to investing more in the team over this summer and beyond."