"I believe" - Exciting prediction made about Portsmouth and owner Michael Eisner | OneFootball

The American businessman has been in charge at Fratton Park since the summer of 2017

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…

Ever since Michael Eisner took over Portsmouth FC back in the summer of 2017, the south coast side have been on firm footing in terms of their finances.

That is something that seemed like a pipe dream in the years before the American took over at Fratton Park, with years of financial uncertainty seeing the 2008 FA Cup winners plummet from the Premier League to League Two within four seasons, before having to rebuild in the fourth tier.

The former Disney chief executive has continued to invest in the football club during his seven-and-a-half years in charge of the club, with that backing rewarded with the League One title last season, under the management of John Mousinho.

But how would a Fratton Park regular sum up the 82-year-old in one word? We asked Football League World’s resident Pompey fan Miltos Ioannidis to give it his best shot.

Michael Eisner impact has brought success to Portsmouth FC

Eisner took over Portsmouth in the summer after the club had been promoted from League One, with his wealthy background bringing predictions of back-to-back promotions for the upwardly mobile football team.

That proved to be far from the truth, with seven infuriating seasons in the third tier to follow, as Pompey regularly finished in the top half of the division but missed out on promotion, with two failed play-off attempts in the meantime.

That all changed last season though, as Mousinho got the team firing and won the Leagie One title, before trying to establish themselves back in the Championship during the current campaign, with a battle on their hands at the bottom of the second-tier between now and the end of the season.

After years of instability at the club, Eisner’s stewardship has been a blessing for Pompey, and Ioannidis recognised that when trying to sum up the club’s owner with a single word.

He said: “They are pragmatic. And what I mostly imply with this word, is I believe they have done what they said they would do in the beginning.

“If you look at what they said when they took over the club from the fans, they made it extremely clear from the beginning, that they were not entering the footballing scene with the intention of spending silly amounts of money.

“But instead, they are here with a plan of running things in a slower but more sustainable way.

“They are not here to sell, they are here for the long run, and this whole approach perhaps isn’t as appealing to the modern-day fan, who is used to hearing stories of clubs being taken over by billionaires, or ridiculously rich people that go into a club and spend silly amounts of money overnight, and completely turn around a club’s fortune.

“They are not coming in with this sort of plan, they have made mistakes along the way; we have had issues during their tenure where they should have sacked managers earlier, I think that was the case with Kenny Jackett and Danny Cowley.

“Overall, they have run things and done things in the proper way, and in a way that as a club we weren’t used to prior to them coming in. We were a club in turmoil before the fans took over from previous ownership and got the club promoted to the third division.

“Yes it took perhaps longer than it should have done and what they expected to get promoted to the Championship, but I think they have realised throughout their time with the football club how tough and competitive it is to climb up through the divisions.”

Michael Eisner learns from mistakes in charge of Portsmouth

As Ioannidis eluded, Eisner has shown faith in the managers he has appointed during his time in charge at Fratton Park, with Jackett finally biting the bullet after three-and-a-half years in the role, while Cowley failed to reach his two-year anniversary in charge.

But in Mousinho, they have a character who has brought a togetherness to the team and a fighting spirit, with that being shown both in League One and the Championship in very different scenarios.

It took ten league games for the club to get their first league win of the season, but the faith put in Mousinho [pictured] after a tough start is one rarely seen in the modern day, and Eisner has been rewarded with that trust as things turned around as the campaign progressed.

Call it pragmatism, call it common sense, the American’s approach has been refreshing for the Hampshire side, and has left Ioannidis optimistic about the future of his football club.

He continued: “Sometimes you live with a thought that because an owner is coming in, they know everything about the sport and everything about your team, but the reality is that they don’t know everything.

“I am sure they have learned things along the way, and I feel confident about how they are running things right now, and I feel that with the Eisners we can push for even bigger things.

“They have been pragmatic, they have come in and done what they promised they would, and that is to make sure the football club is run in a sustainable way, and that it is not at risk of going back to old habits with going bankrupt and falling into extinction, and I think the future is looking bright with them at the helm.”