If Portsmouth FC and John Mousinho can change this one thing the play-offs could beckon in 2025/26 | OneFootball

Pompey enjoyed a great second half to the 20224/25 campaign, but one issue remained

The second half of the 2024/25 season was the reason why Portsmouth were able to secure their Championship status for the upcoming term with minimal fuss.

Pompey looked nailed on for an immediate return to League One, with only one win in their opening 14 league games, and despite a small upturn in form over the Christmas break, still went into 2025 inside the bottom three.

However, a transformative second half of the season saw Portsmouth pick up the seventh-most points in the division, and if the campaign was just decided on 2025's form, John Mousinho's side would have finished a point outside the play-offs.

Now, obviously, that's not how a whole season works, but it gives Pompey fans something to look forward to as they embark on a second consecutive season in the second tier for the first time in 14 years.

What is interesting, though, is that Portsmouth were still able to pick up a playoff-challenging number of points in the second half of the season, despite boasting less than desirable away form. Perhaps then, Pompey are just one fix away from being outside contenders for a place in the top six next season.

Portsmouth's away form could be what stops them from really kicking on next season

Last season, Fratton Park grew into a fortress and, by the end of the season, became a ground that no team wanted to go to.

Portsmouth ended the 2024/25 campaign with the eighth-best home record in the division, which is made even more impressive given the fact that they failed to win any of their first six games at Fratton Park.

This meant that they won 11 of their final 17 games at home, and even took points off Leeds United, Burnley and Sheffield United in front of their home fans. Their away record, however, made for less pretty viewing.

John Mousinho's side picked up just 14 points on their travels in 2024/25, with only Plymouth Argyle picking up fewer. This ultimately saw their points tally even out at 54, placing them in 16th, a more than admirable first season back, made even better when taking into account the awful start they made.

So, if Portsmouth can keep their home form solid, which you'd expect they would, all that's stopping them from making an outside run at the play-offs is an away record which doesn't even need to be perfect, but needs to see them pick up at least eight to ten more points next season.

Only the top four sides in the Championship last season ended with a winning record on their travels, and even then, Sunderland still lost eight times on the road last term, so turning a few of the 15 defeats into draws and the odd win could really boost Portsmouth up the table next season.

Portsmouth were let down by a shaky start in 2024/25

Portsmouth's first three months back in the Championship were dire to say the least, with John Mousinho's side picking up nine points in their first 14 games.

Mousinho was able to steady the ship, however, and Pompey in the latter 32 games were able to pick up points at the rate of a play-off challenging side.

From their second league win on November 9 against Preston North End until the final day of the season, Portsmouth picked up a ninth-placed 45 points, just one point behind play-off winners Sunderland and two off Blackburn Rovers, who sit in sixth across the same timeframe.

Therefore, taking away their awful start, John Mousinho had Portsmouth playing like outside play-off contenders for three-quarters of the season. Keep that momentum for the entire campaign, and mop up on the away form, and Pompey could find themselves finishing in the top ten with ease in 2025/26.

And who knows, perhaps they could even challenge for a place in the top six.