'We had to take sentiment out of it': Portsmouth boss' admission over shock departures

John Mousinho has spoken of removing ‘sentiment’ to reach heartbreaking decisions over the future of the League One champions’ squad.

Of the 14 players out of contract this summer, just Marlon Pack and Connor Ogilvie have been offered fresh deals.

First-team fixtures Joe Rafferty and Sean Raggett head the big departures, along with Josh Martin and Lee Evans.

Meanwhile, the Blues have decided against taking up club options for Joe Morrell and Zak Swanson, but are seeking to negotiate new contracts with the duo.

Also released are Matt Macey, Ryan Schofield, Harry Jewitt-White, Haji Mnoga, Liam Vincent and Josh Dockerill.

And as Pompey eye the Championship next season, Mousinho admits tough decisions were required.

He told The News: ‘We’ve taken every case individually and obviously there are a large number of players that haven’t been offered contracts, but we want to make sure every decision is for the best interests of the football club moving forward.

‘The club is extremely ambitious in terms of what we want to achieve in the coming years and it starts every summer with making sure we have the squad we want going into next season.

‘We have a bit of work to do over the summer, we’re fully aware of that, it’s never easy and, the more good decisions you make on these things, the better off you are.

‘Money for any football club is obviously the bottom line and what we don’t want is to hamstring ourselves by offering contracts to players who, in our eyes, may not play, despite deserving a new one.

‘We have to take the sentiment out of it, if we didn’t it would also be unfair on them. You could have players tied down here, not doing anything, not involved in training, not involved in games, not developing - and that’s also for the young lads.

‘If we have 24 pros training, like we did the other day, and two senior pros are missing out on an 11-v-11, it becomes really difficult if we start taking players on for the sake of it.

‘We want all players in the building to compete for a shirt in the Championship - and these are the decisions we have to make.’

The exits of Raggett and Rafferty will inevitably provide the biggest talking points, having been key figures in the League One title success.

Likewise, there’s the possibility Morrell and Swanson will follow them out the door if new agreements cannot be reached.

Should that happen, Mousinho would have kept just two of the 14 out-of-contract players, despite promotion to the Championship.

The Blues head coach added: ‘I have been very proud of what the lads have achieved, I feel really close to all of them and it’s tough, really difficult for me to sit there and thank them for giving their heart and soul to the football club and sacrificing a huge amount.

‘I know they are paid for it, and I get that, they are professional footballers, but whenever you achieve something like we did this year when you win League One by five points and 10 points clear of third, it takes a lot extra from the players.

‘They have dug in and given themselves to me as a head coach and to us as a staff. It’s the demands we have on the football pitch, the demands we have day in, day out, it takes a bit extra.

‘So for me to ask that of them and then, at the back end of the season, tell them there’s no contract, it’s not particularly nice.’