Not one to crave a low-key presence, John Mousinho accepts daily Southsea walks with Wendy, his Toy Poodle, may attract a little attention.
Yet these days his regular route is often greeted with playful chants of “Who needs Mourinho?” from buoyant supporters as the feel-good factor sweeps across the waterfront city.
It’s the price the 37-year-old must pay for leading Pompey to the Championship and insisting on remaining in the city where he has spent the last 15 months as head coach.
Mousinho and his family relocated from their Berkshire home to Southsea after accepting the Pompey position in January 2023, ready to become part of the community he serves.
They have since embraced life on the south coast, with their two young children attending local schools, while the Blues’ manager continues to work Fratton Park miracles.
Mousinho enjoys living on Portsea Island, despite being’serenaded’ while walking his dog.
He told The News: ‘I’d like to think I talk to supporters whenever possible. They approach people on the street for discussions, which happened a lot last week in the lead-up to Bolton.
‘They were serenading me with the “Who needs Mourinho” song in Southsea, which was intriguing!
‘I was walking the dog, as I usually do, along Palmerston Road and the seafront. It’s not a problem; there’s no secret where I go. I drink a coffee in the morning and go shopping, and folks stop by for a talk.
‘When I originally interviewed for the position, I was asked what I would do regionally. I knew right away that I wanted to live down here.
It’s for several reasons. First and foremost, sitting in my car for 3-4 hours every day is far too much, especially given the nature of my job.
‘I don’t spend a lot of time on the phone, and I don’t speak with agents or football clubs. I spend a lot of time on my laptop looking over the opposition and preparing for coaching sessions that require me to leave my automobile.
‘The second point was that it is critical that someone who claims to represent everyone in the city actually lives here and understands what it is like to be a Pompey supporter.
‘As soon as you come down, you feel how large the football club is how big the university and the Navy are. Living here has helped massively with that.
It was critical to bring my family down here and relocate, to go all in and ensure we had the best chance of success.
‘I want to interact with the fans and let them know it means important to me as well. I’m not a Pompey supporter, but I am a football fan, so I understand. I get it.
‘Besides, I truly like where I live; Portsmouth is a great place. We consider ourselves really fortunate to have settled down here; we adore it.
Following Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Bolton, Pompey’s coach selected Knutsford Services on the M6 as an early stop on the route southbound.
They arrived at the same time as other Blues supporter coaches, including one from the Isle of Wight, and players and management enthusiastically posed for photos and chatted.
And Mousinho believes that fan engagement is critical.
He added: ‘At the start of the Shrewsbury game, I had to skip a few folks for signatures and pictures because we were running late.
‘I didn’t like doing that; I want to communicate with as many supporters as possible, and maybe we’ll have time to do so during the next few games.
‘For the most part, the boys will interact with fans who want to sign items or take photographs. I’ve never had a negative complaint from a player, and I’ve never seen them decline a photo or anything like.
‘The link is crucial for the football team.’
