Home > Football > Portsmouth survival anything but Grant-ed in new Fratton climate
by Curtis Arms-Williams on 26 November 2009
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So Portsmouth have removed Paul Hart from the manager's seat - news that was as predictable as Barack Obama winning the 2008 US Presidential election.
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His replacement? Former Pompey director of football and ex-Chelsea manager Avram Grant - another very predictable move. But this is where the predictability ends for Portsmouth FC.
There is no doubting the fact that Portsmouth have now given themselves a better chance of survival. But for any fans now dreaming of instantly climbing the table, they should not allow themselves to get carried away.
Paul Hart was good in his role as youth developer at Fratton Park, but promoting him to the main role in the wake of Harry Redknapp and Tony Adams, proved too much.
I'm sure the fans will bear no grudges to Hart: he was not to blame for the misfortunes of the 2008 FA Cup winners. Poor handling at the very top was responsible.
The board saw that Portsmouth were going nowhere fast and decided to take action against the unfortunate Hart. But is Grant the messiah?
The Israeli is a man who is well respected in football. He has been around the block and has won over a lot of doubters.
However, doubts about his ability to win the major games are still going to raise a few questions. And it seems certain that the remainder of Pompey's fixtures this season will fall into the 'major games' bracket.
Who can forget Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup Final of 2008? This match highlighted Grant's weakness in tactics and team selection.
It cost Chelsea a trophy, but admittedly, Grant learned from that. They kicked on for the remainder of the season and came within two points and the width of a post of a Premier League and Champions League double.
That Chelsea squad had quality. If only we could say the same for this Portsmouth team.
Gone are Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson; now the Fratton Park faithful must cheer on Frederic Piquionne, Aruna Dindane and Tal Ben-Haim. With the squad they currently have, you do not envy the job Grant faces.
But Portsmouth are known for achieving the impossible. Think back to 2006 - they looked down and out and the Championship beckoned. But they rescued Harry Redknapp from Southampton, he totally transformed the squad's attitude and they survived by the skin of their teeth.
In 2008, they won the FA Cup against the odds. Nobody gave them a hope of beating Manchester United away in the quarter final, and they nicked it. Their goal was bombarded with shot after shot after shot, but Pompey came through when the chips were down.
The chips are well and truly down this season, so perhaps in the latter stages of the season we will see the true Pompey spirit and they can stay in the Premier League.
Grant has always mixed it with the big boys in his career, now he has to slum it at the bottom of the league. There is no doubting he is a good manager, but can he get the best out of a below-average squad?
Avram Grant may come across as having a personality as interesting as a frying pan, but following Portsmouth this season is bound to be a lot more exciting. Take my word for it.
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