Pompey Boss John Mousinho Opens Up On Decision To Let Sammy Silvera Leave

Pompey boss John Mousinho admits Sammy Silvera’s departure was the ‘best thing’ after fans had turned on him.

The Australian winger’s scheduled season-long loan from Middlesbrough was cancelled on Monday and he has now linked up with League One Blackpool.

The 24-year-old struggled to make an impact at Fratton Park, prompting some of the 3,333 travelling fans at Bristol City last month to chant ‘Send him back’ and other comments in his direction.

Mousinho believes that uncomfortable reaction made Silvera’s stay untenable – and convinced both clubs to cancel his loan.

Pompey’s head coach told The News: ‘We had a sensible conversation with Middlesbrough about what was best for Sammy and, after the Bristol City game, both parties thought it was the best thing for Sammy to go back.

‘It’s very difficult off the back of that (supporter reaction) as a player and then as a coach. If I’m looking at that as a coach, I worry about the negative implications of involving Sammy again for his own sake – and we have to look after him as a player.

‘I don’t think he deserved any of that, but I don’t necessarily think that would stop it from happening again.

‘You certainly have to look at a player’s confidence and a player’s well-being when you’re taking into account all of the questions which you need to answer.

‘I thought Sammy dealt with it unbelievably well considering. I spoke to him the next day, he’d had a tough time, he had taken it on board.

‘Any opinion that anybody wants to have on a player is absolutely fine, but our form this year isn’t Sammy’s fault, the Bristol City game wasn’t Sammy’s fault.

‘I am sure Sammy would have wanted to be involved a lot more, but he hadn’t stopped trying, he hadn’t stopped working, he certainly hadn’t downed tools. He was still working for the football club regardless of what you think of his performances.’

Silvera made 12 appearances for the Blues, who had previously attempted to sign him in the summer of 2023 when with Central Coast Mariners.

Despite four successive starts at the beginning of the season, he swiftly found himself on the bench and, on occasions, failed to even make Pompey’s 20-man match-day squad.

Bristol City turned out to be his final outing, although he was an unused substitute in the 4-0 hammering of Swansea on New Year’s Day.

Mousinho added: ‘We hadn’t used him a huge amount in recent weeks and sometimes loans and permanents don’t quite work out.

‘Sammy certainly showed glimpses of what he was capable of and I know he’s going to go on and do well elsewhere. But I just think at the moment, in terms of where we are, it was the sensible decision for both clubs.

‘I know that he’ll go on to have a successful career.’