Horror show: Hart had kept the team going despite endless financial problems off the pitch
Paul Hart became the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season amid yet more astonishing scenes at Portsmouth.
Avram Grant is favourite to switch from the role of director of football to manager, but odds were tumbling last night on Darren Ferguson, the former Peterborough boss who was fired earlier this month.
If Ferguson steps into the role he could face his father, Sir Alex, in his first game in charge when Portsmouth entertain Manchester United on Saturday.
Alan Curbishley has also emerged as a possible replacement amid concerns that Grant does not yet have a relevant work permit. But all candidates might yet think twice about accepting such an offer when they discover how disgracefully Hart was treated by a club that has already been badly damaged by poor leadership. And Portsmouth’s woeful start to the season will make the job even less appealing.
Hart gave his usual press conference to the local media at Pompey’s training ground
oblivious to the fact that he was about to be summoned to Fratton Park for a meeting that would conclude with his dismissal.
Peter Storrie, the chief executive whose own future, Sportsmail understands, is in serious doubt, informed Hart that he was being relieved of his duties as manager before then offering him a position as technical director.
Look who's back: Avram Grant has taken the Pompey hotseat
In a statement issued last night, Portsmouth said Hart turned down that opportunity. But Hart, Sportsmail can reveal, did not believe he had turned the job down, and instead thought he had been given time to consider the offer.
Before he could reply with an answer, a statement was issued informing the media that Hart had left Fratton Park.
‘Portsmouth Football Club can confirm that Paul Hart has been relieved of his duties as first-team manager,’ read a statement.
Odds tumbling: Could Darren Ferguson replace Paul Hart as Portsmouth manager?
‘The decision has been made reluctantly by the board and is based on results that leave the club at the bottom of the Premier League.
‘Paul was offered the role of technical director, developing players from the ages of 18-21, but declined the position.’ But a source close to Hart contacted Sportsmail to challenge the statement.
‘Paul has been offered the role of technical director. It is something that he is considering and he has not turned it down. Today’s turn of events have certainly been surprising.’
For keeping them in the Premier League last season and managing the side in extraordinary circumstances, the former Nottingham Forest boss will receive just six months’ money.
He had to watch, powerless, while the majority of his best players were sold, and tried to maintain some stability when the club was the subject of takeovers and, at one stage, was late paying the players’ wages.
He also had to deal with the fact that Portsmouth are the subject of a Premier League transfer ban and, to this day, he never met new club owner Ali Al Faraj.
Hardly surprising, then, that the team have lost 10 of their 13 league games this season.
Striker Danny Webber, who was signed by Hart at the beginning of the season, last night admitted that Hart’s exit came as a shock, saying: ‘Paul was at training
today and everything was as normal.
‘I don’t think any of the players saw this coming at all. I am sad to hear Paul has gone as I and all the lads have been impressed with the work he was doing and how he conducted himself.
‘I don’t think anyone would have any bad words to say about him.’
Storrie added: ‘Paul has worked under very difficult circumstances with the financial restrictions the club has faced since he took over.
All over: Paul Hart was unable to boost Pompey's results
‘However, the board feels that the team should have accrued more points to date and that we need a new man in charge to ensure Premier League survival.
‘The board would like to thank Paul for his work not only in keeping the club in the Premier League last season but also for his time in charge of youth development.
‘Paul is a man of great dignity and we hoped he would stay and help us develop younger players on the fringes of the first team. We are genuinely sad to see him leave. Everyone at the club wishes him well.’
i dont think avram will do as well as his times' at chelsea
pls appoint a proper and good manager/coach. dun anyhow appoint tony adams and then paul hart and when results dun go your way, sack them. clearly it shows that adams and hart are not equipped to manage an EPL team.
Erm skeali They appoints Paul Ince or Southgate ....
Saturday, February 6 2010
Hull City - Manchester City 11.00
Bolton Wanderers - Fulham 11.00
Burnley - West Ham United 11.00
Manchester United - Portsmouth 11.00
Stoke City - Blackburn Rovers 11.00
Sunderland - Wigan Athletic 11.00
Tottenham Hotspur - Aston Villa 1.30
Sunday, February 7 2010
Birmingham City - Wolverhampton Wanderers 9.30
Tuesday, February 9 2010
Manchester City - Bolton Wanderers 3.45
Portsmouth - Sunderland 3.45
Wigan Athletic - Stoke City 3.45
Wednesday, February 10 2010
West Ham United - Birmingham City 3.45
Wolverhampton Wanderers - Tottenham Hotspur 3.45
Aston Villa - Manchester United 3.45
Blackburn Rovers - Hull City 4.00
Originally posted by Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1):Erm skeali They appoints Paul Ince or Southgate ....
then cfm relegated
Sulaiman al-Fahim has criticised Portsmouth's decision-makers over the sacking of Paul Hart yesterday.
Al Fahim remains chairman and a minority shareholder at Pompey.
"I was not consulted over Paul's removal and feel unhappy that he is no longer with us," the Emirates-based businessman said. "I'm also disappointed at the way this has been handled as it is surely misguided not to have a new manager in place."
I think Grant will come
Originally posted by Poignant:i dont think avram will do as well as his times' at chelsea
damn it man.. i hope he go to liverpool
Portsmouth have today confirmed that former Chelsea manager Avram Grant is to be appointed as the club's new manager, following the dismissal earlier this week of Paul Hart.
A statement on the club's official website reads:
"Portsmouth Football Club can confirm that Avram Grant is to become manager.
"He
will take charge of the team for the home game against Manchester
United at Fratton Park on Saturday in his capacity as director of
football, having been granted his work permit.
"The club will
then go through the process of making the technical change that will
allow Avram to become manager. This involves acquiring a new
sponsorship number from the Football Association to change his permit
status."
Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie was delighted with the appointment.
"Avram
is a very experienced and respected manager who has managed at the
highest level. The board believes he is the man to help steer the club
out of the relegation zone," he said.
"He knows the club, the
players and the set-up at Fratton Park, so it was the logical move to
make him the next manager, once the board had decided to relieve Paul
Hart of the role.
"He will take charge of training on Friday alongside first-team coaches Paul Groves and Ian Woan."
Grant,
54, was Pompey's technical director for the 2006/07 season. He then
occupied the role of director of football at Chelsea before becoming
temporary manager and taking the club to the 2008 Champions League
final.
He was appointed director of football at Fratton Park in October subject to an appeal for a work permit.