Lee Sharpe makes exciting Championship prediction for Portsmouth FC | OneFootball

Former Portsmouth, and Manchester United, player Lee Sharpe has made a bold prediction about how well Pompey will do in the Championship next season.

John Mousinho has won the league with Portsmouth in his first full season as a manager. It was certainly a bold call by the higher-ups to bring him in, but there's no doubt that it has paid off.

The final automatic promotion place, taking whoever finished second straight up to the Championship, is yet to be decided, but Derby County could join Portsmouth on that direct line up to the second tier if results go their way.

Next season will be the first campaign that Pompey have spent in the Championship, since being relegated to League One at the end of the 2011/12 season.

Even though it's been so long since they were playing in the second tier of English football, Sharpe believes that Portsmouth can make a big splash next season, and somewhat replicate what one newly promoted side has been able to do in the 23/24 campaign.

Lee Sharpe's bold Portsmouth Championship prediction

The TV pundit has said that he could see Portsmouth finishing inside the top six in the Championship next season, if they have a good summer transfer window.

This theory of clubs coming up from League One and being successful at the level above is not out of the blue. Most notably, Ipswich Town, who finished second in the third division last season, are currently leading the Championship with three games to go in their season.

The 52-year-old believes that Portsmouth doing something similar is a possibility.

Sharpe said via BetVictor: "With a bit of cash injected into the club and a couple of decent players coming in this summer, then maybe they'll find themselves contesting a play-off place. I think they'll really surprise a few people next year.

"When teams come up and get promotion automatically, it does tend to give them a little bit of momentum and impetus. If they can start off next season really well then who knows how high up the table they could find themselves after 46 games."

Sharpe spent a loan spell at Fratton Park, but the atmosphere left a lasting impact on him as he explained how the fans: "act as an extra player," and could help to push the team on in the Championship next season.

"I spent a little bit of time at Fratton Park and the fans certainly act as an extra player on the pitch," said Sharpe.

"The fans make so much noise and I really hope they do well in the Championship next season – I think they will. I think it'll be absolutely electric down there at the end of this season with promotion, the fans are just unbelievable."

Portsmouth, as a club, have all the tools to take the next step

This season is proof that when Pompey are good, they are really good; and a big factor behind that being the case is that they have the support from those inside Fratton Park, and the people that travel all around the country to follow them.

They also have a very wealthy owner. Michael Eisner was valued, in October 2023, as being worth $3.5 billion (£2.8 million) by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

You add to that the momentum that is currently behind them, and the extra additions of quality that they are likely to get in the summer, and they are on to a winning recipe.