Championship boss reacts to 'absolutely massive' Leeds United spend and the division's levels
A Championship manager who took four points from six against Leeds United this season says this week's release of fees paid to agents highlights the 'levels' in the division.
John Mousinho and his newly-promoted Portsmouth side began the season at Elland Road where they played out a madcap 3-3 draw and then more recently celebrated a 1-0 victory over the Whites at Fratton Park. That win felt significant at the time, for both teams, but since then Pompey have won one and drawn one of their following six fixtures and still cannot call themselves safe from the drop. Leeds meanwhile sit top of the division, level on points with Burnley but with a superior goal difference, with four games remaining.
Championship spend contrast
The contrast in the resources available to both managers might not have shown in the results between their teams this season but it does in the league table and in the Football Association's publication of the totals spent by clubs on agents fees in the past year. Where Leeds had to shell out close to £19m for a significant number of outgoing and incoming transfer deals, Portsmouth paid £696,189 to agents over the same period. Leeds' total was far higher than anyone else's in the league, while Pompey's spend placed them second bottom of the table.
Mousinho believes the spending gap when it comes to buying and paying players is something his club's fanbase appreciate. He told the Portsmouth News: "I don’t think anyone’s under any illusions over where we are with playing budgets.
"It’s reflected when we’ve won, lost or drawn games - the support has been there. That’s whether big losses or narrow losses, the fans are fully with us in terms of what we’re trying to achieve and what we’re trying to get out of this year. It [agent fee publication] is probably another reminder of some of the levels in the Championship, and some of the money you have to spend to secure the services of these players. The one that everyone is probably more interested in is actual wage structure, which no one knows for certain but you can have a good guess at them when figures come out from the EFL. We’ve seen last year and this year that spending huge amounts doesn’t guarantee you anything and vice-versa. That’s the beauty of football and that’s the beauty of this season, that by and large within certain margins sides with certain budgets will end in certain league positions - but there’s scope within that to change your own outcome and own destiny."
Leeds United expenditure
Addressing the agents fee expenditure, the Portsmouth boss described Leeds' spend as 'absolutely massive' but admits it is a necessary evil for clubs to get the players they want in each transfer window.
"The Leeds figure was absolutely massive and there’s some other big figures in there as well," he said. "We try to recognise that as a football club. It’s one of those things which is necessary and whenever we do pay agent fees, we’d like to think we structure things really wisely and protect the football club as much as possible. But if we want to get players through the door we have to speak to agents and we have to pay fees. That’s one of the necessities of the game."