Portsmouth boss John Mousinho says he has the support of the club’s board despite his team’s recent poor form in the Championship.
The Blues currently sit 21st in the league table, just one point above the relegation zone occupied by Leicester City, Oxford United and Sheffield Wednesday.
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They return to Championship action on Friday, away to Norwich City, looking for their first league win since defeating Millwall in February.
Since that victory, Portsmouth have lost five of their six games and drawn one.
Asked if this was the toughest period Mousinho has faced since becoming Portsmouth manager, he replied “probably”.
“The difficulty of this period though – I’m not going to hide behind the results because they were really poor – is that after the performances away at Charlton and Millwall we really wanted to keep going,” he added.
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“We definitely put in a show, we just couldn’t get the ball into the net enough and conceded some sloppy goals.
“In my opinion, we’ve been playing really well since the beginning of the year, but we need to do more to turn our form around.”
Mousinho’s two major seasons at Portsmouth have been memorable so far, winning promotion in his first full season and defending the title safely by five points last season.
This remains his first head football coaching role since leaving Oxford United, where he served as player and coach until 2023.
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While the likes of Oxford, West Brom and Leicester City have brought in new managers and interim bosses since the turn of the year, Mousinho looks set to have the chance to keep Portsmouth in the second tier.
The 39-year-old added: “Myself and the club have been through a lot in the last three-plus years.”
“I put a lot of pressure on myself and the job brings pressure, but I have the full support of the board from the CEO to the sporting director.
“I know we need to improve results, but [potential of being sacked] I don’t care at all.
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“If changes need to be made then I’m totally fine with that, but there’s nothing at the moment that would influence the decision.”
Current team “capable” of winning
Mousinho hopes the international break will give him and his players a chance to reset after a recent slump in form and pick up some valuable points.
After traveling to Norwich on Friday, they will host Oxford University at Fratton Park and face fellow struggling Leicester City at home as part of a run-in.
“We’re not happy with the results so far, but with a game in hand we’re still one point above the relegation zone,” he said.
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“This team has proven and proven that we are capable of good results, so we can definitely get a couple of wins and ultimately that’s what we have to do between now and the end of the season.
“It’s always going to be a rollercoaster, with the teams at the bottom suddenly starting to win games and a lot of changes happening. We have to be one of those teams and try to stay in the league.”