'No failure': John Mousinho defends Portsmouth youth set-up

John Mousinho is adamant Pompey’s Academy is not ‘failing’

Although he believes the Blues’ long-awaited return to the Championship inevitably means it’s even tougher to bring through youngsters at present.

All 11 of the Blues’ second-year scholars are to be released at the end of under-18’s current season.

Coupled with the exits of Josh Dockerill, Haji Mnoga and Harry Jewitt-White, it leaves Toby Steward as the only home-grown talent from the last decade in the first-team squad.

With Pompey running a Category 3 Academy and lacking a development group, the pathway for promising players is worrying.

But an unconcerned Mousinho remains positive over the Academy’s direction.

The head coach told The News: ‘From my perspective, I’m not concerned about the number of Academy players coming through because it’s a really difficult leap to make.

‘The difference between where we were last year and this year as a football club at first-team level is chalk and cheese. We have moved on a huge amount.

‘We are now looking at our recruitment strategy for next season. The strategy is the same, but the sort of players we are bringing in and the calibre of players we are talking to is completely different.

‘It’s obviously a different league and that makes it really hard for a Category 3 Academy working within the confines of competing with all of the other Academies around the area.

‘We’re working really hard to produce players, but it isn’t something we expect from the Academy.

‘It’s certainly not something we see as a failure by any means. It’s just one of those things in football at the moment.

‘Until we develop as a football club and get to the stage in a few years time where maybe we change the way we operate, it’s something which is difficult to bridge that gap.

‘My message to the Academy is I know you are desperate to produce players, but don’t worry about it. Obviously do everything we can to produce players that can come in and affect the first-team, but if they haven’t been able to do it this year it’s no slight on what the Academy have done because it is a massive gap.

‘If we are releasing Sean Raggett and Joe Rafferty going into the next level, that should tell you how difficult it’s going to be for an 18-year-old coming through.’

This season saw Academy products Kobby Mottoh, Mitch Aston and Sam Folarin all feature for the first-team, albeit in cup action.

However, they are among those who are to be released upon graduation.

Mousinho added: ‘It’s not just about looking at players who we think are good or not good enough right now, because that's really difficult for a 17-year-old or 18-year-old.

‘It’s about how we think they are going to develop and what the best pathway for them to develop is. It’s a fine balance of many, many things.

‘We’re looking forward to next season and hoping the picture’s different, but, at the same time, it’s not something which is panicking us. As a football club, we are not reliant on Academy products at the minute.’