Glen Johnson makes bold Portsmouth FC, Championship play-offs prediction | OneFootball

After winning the League One title, Portsmouth are preparing to return to the Championship after a 12-year absence.

The club have endured some truly torrid days since being relegated from the Championship in 2012, being relegated to League Two a year later, and having to suffer years of lower league football.

However, the good times seem to be back at Fratton Park under John Mousinho, and supporters will hope that the club's promotion to the Championship won't be the end of the story.

Portsmouth were a Premier League side as recently as 2010, and won the FA Cup in 2008, just five years before being relegated to League Two, showing just how quickly they fell down the leagues.

A number of big names played for Portsmouth towards the end of their Premier League days, one of which was Glen Johnson, and he's tipped his former side to make a big impact following their promotion to the Championship.

Glenn Johnson believes Pompey will kick on this season

Former England international Glen Johnson joined Pompey on loan from Chelsea for the 2006/07 season, before joining permanently the following summer. He spent three years in total at Fratton Park, making 100 appearances, before departing for Liverpool in 2009.

Johnson was part of the Pompey side that won the 2008 FA Cup, and he is confident that his former side can have a good season in the second tier.

"I think when you come up like that, the players are going to be on cloud nine and as long as you’re organised, you’re going to be better than half of the teams already.”

The former England right-back believes that Pompey can use the momentum they gathered this season to kick on this year, and wouldn't be surprised if they managed to finish in the play-off places.

He said: "Yes, it definitely wouldn’t surprise me (if they got play-offs). It’s a big club and as long as the players believe in what the manager is trying to do, and they’re able to kick on and raise the bar a bit, then absolutely.

"I think anything is possible, they just need a few more better players in the squad and to be organised.”

Portsmouth can use Ipswich Town as the blueprint for Championship success

Ipswich Town became the first Championship side to make it back-to-back promotions since Pompey's bitter rivals Southampton in 2012, and John Mousinho's side should use that as inspiration ahead of their Championship campaign.

Both Pompey and Ipswich are similar-sized clubs, and are led by young, impressive managers who are set to have a big future in the game.

Kieran McKenna used the momentum Ipswich had gathered during their League One promotion-winning campaign to take the Championship by storm, and Mousinho should certainly be looking to speak to the Tractor Boys boss this summer for some advice.

Ipswich showed that it can be done, and Mousinho should be using this as an example to his players as to why they can continue to build and progress through the leagues.