"I can recall times in the past" - Claim made on Eisner era so far at Portsmouth FC | OneFootball

FLW's Portsmouth fan pundit feels that communication is key, which the owners provide in spades

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Portsmouth currently have a lot to rave about when it comes to their ownership, as it looks increasingly likely that Pompey will be safe from suffering immediate relegation in their first Championship season since 2010/11.

Since Michael Eisner's company, The Tornante Company LCC, took over in 2017, it's been mostly heartache on the pitch, with two play-off semi-final defeats and two eighth-placed finishes in five of their seven seasons in League One.

Ultimately, it was seventh-time lucky for Portsmouth in League One last season, as the club won their first trophy since the 2019 EFL Trophy. It was a case of 'trust the process' not just on the pitch but in the boardroom too, and now Pompey are reaping the rewards.

Portsmouth owners are more communicative than before

We asked our FLW Portsmouth fan pundit, Miltos Ioannidis, whether he felt that the Eisners were transparent enough with the fanbase. He agreed that they are now, but felt it took some time to get there.

"European fan culture is different to that in America where owners are almost always irrelevant and faceless," he explained. "Owners [here] are expected to have a relationship with the club and the fans and I think that the Eisners have bought into that culture over time.

"They've become more communicative, especially Eric Eisner, who communicates the most through his X account - he posts quite regularly on there.

"They've got better over time. I can recall times in the past when they sometimes went into the shadows, but they've become more transparent as their tenure has gone on."

Portsmouth's owners understand the club, which can only be good going forward

Indeed, Miltos was full of praise when talking about the Eisner family and their ownership of Portsmouth.

He believes that the owners fully know what the club means to the city, saying: "They know Portsmouth is a big club with a massive fanbase who always wants its best for the team.

"They've understood the culture here where the owner is expected to have some relationship with the club and not just use it as a way to generate money."

The relationship is highlighted through the way John Mousinho has been backed, despite a rotten run of form at the start of the season, picking up just one win in their opening 14 games.

In a business where many owners would have sacked the manager at that point, Mousinho was supported by the Eisners, and the club are looking better for it.

With solid home form and a loyal fanbase, Portsmouth have the foundations set to become a solid mid-table outfit in the second tier, something Pompey fans would have only dreamed of a decade ago.