Portsmouth

"It started fairly encouragingly but the run from October to December - you really thought: this isn't looking good.

"You thought Pompey look in real trouble after QPR - but you have to give them a lot of credit for how they fought back and got over the line.

"Staying up, fairly comfortably, is a good achievement but one difference to last season. This season felt like there were good spells and really bad spells, and when they were bad they were really bad.

"I thought Pompey were going down after QPR. You think: what's it going to do to the players' confidence? It was so impressive how they turned it around after that."

Fratton Park legend Guy Whittingham joins BBC Radio Solent's Chris Wise and Andy Moon to look back at Pompey's season. What were the key moments and who were the key players?

Also, your questions are answered in Moon's Musings.

Image source, Getty Images

Portsmouth forward Adrian Segecic has been named the Championship's player of the month for April.

The 21-year-old scored four goals last month, including a hat-trick at Stoke City which helped to cement his place as Pompey's top scorer with 11 goals across the season.

Segecic joined Portsmouth from Sydney FC in June 2025 and made 38 Championship appearances as they finished in 18th place, eight points clear of the relegation zone.

"This award is thoroughly deserved and I'm delighted for Segs, who has really impressed in what is his first season in English football," said Pompey boss John Mousinho.

"He managed to find top form at such an important time, with an assist in each of those three successive wins that secured our Championship status.

"He's still a young player, and there is plenty of room for improvement, so I'm excited to see how he can continue his development at Pompey next season."

The Australia-born winger switched international allegiance earlier this year and made his debut for Croatia Under-21s in a 3-0 European Championship qualifying win over Turkey in March, with the chance he could now make the step-up to the senior squad for this summer's World Cup.

Wrexham forward Josh Windass, Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton and Norwich forward Mohamed Toure were also nominated for the award.

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton's Tonda Eckert has been named the Championship's manager of the month for April, his third successive award.

Saints went unbeaten in the Championship last month, taking 14 points from a six-game unbeaten run as well as reaching an FA Cup semi-final where they just lost out to Manchester City.

Southampton finished fourth in the table to secure a play-off place and will meet Middlesbrough in the semi-finals with the first leg on Teesside on Saturday, 9 May (12:30 BST).

"It's a real honour to receive this award again, but it's one that belongs to everyone at the football club," Eckert said.

"The players and staff have been outstanding, and our supporters continue to give us incredible backing every week.

"To win it three times in a row is something we can be proud of, but our focus remains fully on the games ahead.

"We've built a strong mentality as a group, and we have to keep pushing to finish the season as strongly as possible."

Coventry City's Frank Lampard, John Mousinho of Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers boss Michael O'Neill were also nominated for April's award.

"Eight goal contributions in the last six games. The fact Adrian Segecic has put it together at the end... he's gone from someone you think 'he could be a good player next season' to someone you think 'is someone going to be looking at buying him this summer' - has he made a late push for the Croatia World Cup squad? You never know.

"We know Wrexham came in for Terry Devlin late in January. It tells you they are bracing themselves for bids. I think it would be a lot easier to replace a right-back than someone like Josh Murphy.

"While the Bristol City vacancy is vacant, we're going to be continually talking about (John Mousinho's future). If that is filled, I think Watford or Sheffield Wednesday look a lot less likely as options for him to go to."

BBC Radio Solent's Chris Wise and Andy Moon go through the Pompey squad and look at their futures, there's also a review of the season-closing 1-1 draw with Birmingham, a look at John Mousinho's future and your questions are answered in Moon's Musings.

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton's Tonda Eckert, Frank Lampard of Coventry, Portsmouth boss John Mousinho and Blackburn's Michael O'Neill have been nominated for April's Championship manager of the month award.

Eckert is hoping to make it a hat-trick of wins after taking the award for both February and March.

He led Saints to an unbeaten run of six games last month as they finished in fourth place to secure a play-off place.

Lampard took Coventry to the Championship title and a return to the Premier League after 25 years away. The Sky Blues were also unbeaten in April, taking 12 points from their six matches.

John Moushino has kept Portsmouth in the Championship for a second successive season with impressive wins over Middlesbrough and Ipswich part of a haul of 14 points from seven outings.

Pompey forward Adrian Segecic is up for the player of month award after scoring four goals as part of the club's successful battle against relegation.

Also nominated for the manager's award is Michael O'Neill of Blackburn Rovers after the Northern Ireland boss oversaw nine points from six games in April to guide the club to safety.

The winners will be announced on Friday, 8 May.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Shutterstock

Saturday's 1-1 draw with Birmingham at Fratton Park was an end of season game with an end of season feel to it.

Adrian Segecic's fine form continued but otherwise that wasn't a match that will live long in the memory.

John Mousinho's post-match comments perhaps felt more significant following his talks with the owners in the past couple of days.

Clearly no one at the club is happy to be Championship relegation battlers year-after-year.

How you rise up the table to the point where you can dream of the Premier League is difficult. It's also very expensive.

Until the Bristol City vacancy is filled there will be nerves amongst Pompey fans about Mousinho's future.

It's another season where he's done an excellent job. However the squad will need a fair amount of surgery for the club to improve next season.

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Portsmouth manager John Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent: "I thought we played pretty well in patches. Really good start, got the goal I think we deserved. After that, it became a strange game.

"When we showed our quality, I thought we caused a lot of problems. My issue was that lack of quality when the ball broke down. Overall, I was very pleased with the performance.

"Birmingham came full strength, we were far from that. We could have lost it, we could have won it, but a point was about right."

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Getty Images

I've been to managerial press conferences that have been tense. Awkward topics get raised and things can get frosty or hostile quite quickly.

This was not the case with John Mousinho on Wednesday. For the best part of an hour he took questions on his future in a composed, relaxed and thoughtful way.

What did we learn? Mousinho was adamant that at this stage there has been no contact between himself and Bristol City. He'll be meeting Pompey's owners ahead of the final match of the season.

Not for the first time he was clear that he wants to hear the club can move forward on and off the pitch. He praised the owners for their significant investment so far and for sticking with him when times were tough in the past two seasons.

Being a manager is always stressful but being in a relegation battle is all encompassing. The physical, mental and emotional toll of living it for two years cannot be underestimated. It's completely understandable to not want a third year of it.

Three-and-a-half years at the same club is a lifetime in modern football. How much further can Mousinho take Portsmouth? Well that realistically depends on the budget. Mousinho was clear that his requests to the owners will not just be about more resources for his squad. However, all improvements require money. The Eisners' current investment stands at around £60m in nine years.

Mousinho did not imply he was making an ultimatum. At no point did he suggest he was about to simply walk away, quite the contrary.

However, if an offer appears on the table, you would understand Mousinho wanting to hear it. I know, in theory, interested clubs would have to request permission to speak to him, but that isn't actually how football works.

Mousinho has twice turned down the chance to leave Portsmouth for another club in the past. It surprises me there haven't been more offers. Speaking to contacts, it feels outside of Portsmouth his achievements at the club aren't recognised to the level they should be.

Will there be an offer on the table? Mousinho is far from the only name linked to Bristol City. Will it be better than his current position at Portsmouth? Will he get the answers he hopes for from the Pompey owners?

There is a lot of uncertainty. The next few weeks will be interesting.

John Mousinho has done an incredible job at Pompey. Fans will be desperate for his spell to head into a fifth season.

Image source, Opta

With safety already assured, Portsmouth welcome Birmingham City to Fratton Park for the Championship season finale on Saturday (12:30 BST).

Pompey have taken seven points from their past three home games, keeping two clean sheets, and bounced back from a heavy defeat at Coventry to win 3-1 at Stoke on Saturday which made it four wins in five games.

Blues could finish as high as ninth in the table in their first season following promotion from League One and have taken 10 points from their past four games, however they have earned just a point from their past five away games, scoring only twice.

• Portsmouth last hosted Birmingham in the league in March 2012, winning 4-1; Pompey last won back-to-back home league games versus the Blues in September 1992 (3 in a row).

• Birmingham have won four of their past five league games against Portsmouth (L1), more than their previous 14 beforehand (W3 D8 L3).

• Portsmouth haven't won their final match of a league season in any of their past nine seasons in the top two tiers of English football (D3 L6) since a 5-1 win over Middlesbrough in the Premier League in 2003-04 under Harry Redknapp.

• Birmingham have won their final league game in both of the past two seasons, last doing so three times running from 1992-93 to 1994-95.

• Portsmouth have won four of their past five league games (L1) – as many as they'd won in their previous 17 games combined (W4 D5 L8).

Portsmouth hat-trick hero Adrian Segecic said the weekend win at Stoke City was a "massive step in the right direction" for the south coast club.

The 3-1 victory was Pompey's fourth in five matches in a run that has taken them up to 18th and secured a third season in the Championship.

"It was a massive step in the right direction, and a positive way to end the season," he told BBC Radio Solent. "It was the performance we knew we had in us.

"It was a massive win for us. People will say there was no pressure, but no matter what football match you play, it's impossible to say you don't go out there and give 100%.

"Maybe at times this season it was in and out, and it's just about finding the consistency with those performances now. The boys have felt really confident about the way we are now playing".

Pompey's second season back in the second tier has once again been a battle with relegation before finally securing their safety with two games to spare.

Segecic's weekend hat-trick was just the second of his career, and he thanked the fans for their role in the club's survival.

"They've been massive for us the whole season," he said. "When we were down in the dumps and needed someone, they always stepped up and were always there for us.

"They've loved me from the first game I came here, and they've been behind me all season. They deserved the Stoke performance, and look how they sung all game for us".

Portsmouth's campaign has been hampered by injuries to key players, including winger Josh Murphy.

The fit-again 31-year-old supplied the delivery for Segecic's second goal at Stoke, in only his 15th appearance of the season.

"We missed Murph [for] a lot of the season," Segecic said. "We know how vital he was last season for us. It's certainly good to have him back. He boosts the boys a lot, he's such a good character to have around."

Tom Chappell
Portsmouth fan writer from Fournilwrittenalloverit

Image source, Shutterstock

Blazing sunshine, members of the cast and company from both Grease and The Wizard of Oz in fancy dress, an Adrian Segecic hat-trick, three points on our final away trip of the season and John Mousinho fist bumps.

Saturday afternoon in Staffordshire really had it all. Particularly in the second half, there was a real swagger and confidence about Pompey - perhaps expected, given the freedom of expression permitted by our lack of peril in terms of points tally, but a reminder nonetheless of the strength this squad has to deliver a performance like Saturday's.

In spite of John Mousinho's side doubling their away wins this time round compared to last season, Pompey's travelling faithful have been subject to a number of complete no-shows throughout the campaign. Rewarding 3,000-plus fans with a performance of real class to round off nine months up and down the land in such a way was fantastic to see.

There was absolutely no coincidence whatsoever that within minutes of Josh Murphy entering the field, Pompey went back ahead. It was Segecic's day, no-one will doubt that for a second, but Murphy's stardust and exceptional crossing technique went a long way towards winning that game for Pompey.

At 21 years of age, in your debut season in English football, registering double figures for goals in a relegation-battling side for almost the entirety of the campaign is absurdly good.

Segecic's left foot is massively his preference, granted - but the boy is a born goalscorer, unbelievably hard-working and has really gone from strength to strength this season.

All that remains for Pompey is an opportunity to better last season's points total by either one or three points on the final day at Bristol City.

Find more from Tom at the Fournilwrittenalloverit, external YouTube channel

Image source, Getty Images

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho spoke to BBC Radio Solent after Saturday's 3-1 win at Stoke City.

"It was a really impressive performance and a really impressive result, considering the circumstances. I know neither side had anything to play for, but that can always be tricky," he said.

"On the performance as a whole, I was very pleased with [Adrian Segecic] and that's the thing I like to focus on with players.

"He was a constant threat on the right-hand side, and ran in behind very well and looked after the ball brilliantly, which is something we have been really working on and focusing on with him.

"The first finish, with all that time, I was glad to see it go into the back of the net. It was a poacher's finish for the second, and it was a brilliant, typical Adrian Segecic for the third. I'm absolutely delighted for him because he has had an excellent season."

Image source, Opta

Stoke will seek to halt their slide down the Championship table when Portsmouth visit on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Potters occupied the second automatic promotion place in late November but have slipped down to 17th, picking up just three wins in their past 18 games.

The four sides immediately above them remain within three points, however.

Portsmouth's survival was ensured on Tuesday night, despite a 5-1 defeat at Coventry, as Oxford's defeat to Wrexham left the Blues safe with two games remaining.

• Stoke City have won four of their past five league meetings with Portsmouth (L1), just one fewer than their previous 20 prior (W5 D8 L7).

• Portsmouth are winless in seven league visits to Stoke (D2 L5) since a 2-0 triumph in February 1995 under Terry Fenwick.

• Stoke have only won their final home league game in two of the past nine seasons (D2 L5), beating Brentford 1-0 in 2019-20 and Bristol City 4-0 in 2023-24.

• Portsmouth have only won their final away game in one of their past eight second tier seasons (D2 L5), beating Bradford City 5-0 in 2002-03.

• Stoke have lost their past two Championship matches; only once this season have they lost three on the spin, doing so from November to December.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Shutterstock

There will be a time to analyse how Portsmouth can move forward as a football club on and off the pitch. How can they aim higher than battling relegation in the Championship?

John Mousinho was clear that investments are required on and off the pitch when chatting live on BBC Radio Solent this week.

However, for a few days at least it is worth pausing and celebrating Championship survival.

It is a stunning achievement given the circumstances. Huge credit needs to go to Mousinho, Richard Hughes and the playing squad.

Why is it such an achievement? It is down to a combination of factors.

Firstly numerous sources have suggested to me that Portsmouth's budget is the 23rd "biggest" in the division, above only Sheffield Wednesday.

It is hard to know exact numbers but that estimate seems reasonable. Wage bill is the biggest predictor of finishing position in the league. Any time you finish higher than your budget placing in a table should be considered good.

That is before you consider all the injury issues Portsmouth have had this season.

If you had asked me to name the squad's five best players last summer the list would have included Josh Murphy, Conor Shaughnessy, Callum Lang and Colby Bishop.

Murphy, Shaughnessy and Lang have spent much of the season injured with Lang sold to Preston North End in January.

Bishop has not performed anywhere near the levels of last season. If you had told me about these issues last summer, I would have predicted relegation for Pompey.

"Second season syndrome" is a bit of a cliche but teams have been much smarter facing Pompey at Fratton Park this season.

The Blues stayed up because of their incredible home record last campaign. Teams would turn up, assume they could outplay a struggling side and invariably get beaten.

This time sides have realised they need to be more cautious and counter attack at speed. Pompey were never going to match last season's home record but they are going to stay up with a modest points haul at Fratton Park.

Surviving for a second season in a row is not particularly exciting. Climbing the league without increasing the budget will be difficult. Fans want to look ahead to next season with hope.

But it is worth pausing and acknowledging what a fine achievement it is that Pompey will be a Championship club again next season.

Tom Chappell
Portsmouth fan writer from Fournilwrittenalloverit

Image source, Getty Images

The duality of football manifested itself perfectly in Portsmouth's loss at Coventry City.

A jubilant away end watched on as Pompey suffered a 5-1 defeat on a Tuesday night, three hours from home, yet still confirmed their mathematical safety, on the same pitch as a team that in turn won the Championship title with a handful of games to spare.

It was always going to be about what happened elsewhere for Pompey last night, namely the result of Oxford United's game against Wrexham.

When news began to spread of the full-time result at the Kassam, despite having witnessed yet another hammering on our travels, it set off scenes in the away end. None of us had ever been happier with a 5-1 loss away from home.

It points to the bigger picture that Pompey have had so many of these results in them this season, and while confirmation of divisional status is a welcome relief -and, somewhat, an achievement in itself - there is absolutely nowhere to hide for conceding goals against the title winners in the way we did.

The reason it is only 'somewhat' of an achievement is down mainly to two things, although some might not even consider it an achievement at all - more a failure of a season, which would, in turn, have been labelled a catastrophic failure had we gone down.

The first is that this is probably the easiest season you could have wished for to stay up in the Championship for a very long time.

Points deductions for two, and maybe even three teams this campaign, have meant points have been easier to come by against some of the sides down there, albeit also meaning the tally to stay up is slightly and unusually higher.

The second is that Pompey's season this year could have been about so much more than just surviving.

For a number of intrinsic reasons, what this campaign appeared to be after the first international break in September last year, and what it has turned out to be, are remarkably contrasting.

John Mousinho is a miracle worker. He has time and again been sent into battle on the good ship Pompey rudderless and with little to no ammunition, and has somehow emerged from the other side victorious.

There are only so many seasons in which you get away with this, and only so many times you can ride your luck as we have done this year.

Over the summer, the football club must, and I'm sure it will, have a number of sensible, rational conversations about where and what it wants to be.

Could you just imagine what a manager as talented as Mousinho could achieve with the appropriate tools at his disposal?

There is no endless war chest required and that is not what anyone is reasonably asking for.

For the time being, enough investment to prevent yearly scuffles with the bottom end of the Championship, and more regular opportunities to look up more than we look down, would suffice.

Find more from Tom at the Fournilwrittenalloverit, external YouTube channel