Pompey manager hunt: the lowdown

In the previous Burton's Banter I suggested Tony Adams' heartfelt interview to The News had bought him more time with fans.

The former Gunners captain admitted the abuse he received after the defeat to Fulham had hurt. He was a wounded animal.

But while fans condemned their own and got behind their leader, the episode brought little sympathy from Pompey owner Sacha Gaydamak.

On Sunday night, The News broke the story of Adams' sacking. The timing was a surprise, the decision was not.

Now, of course, attention turns to his replacement.

The club have refused to speak (apart from approved in-house interviews) and insist they haven't much to say until a new man is appointed.

Let's hope a plan was put in place before they made the decision to axe Adams, because apart from Harry Redknapp the success rate of recent appointments has been dire.

The next one is the most important for decades. Either Pompey cement their place as a Premier League club and enjoy the riches this brings or they slip into the relative obscurity that is the Championship dogfight.

With that in mind here's my take on the management names which have been linked so far by media and the fans.

Sven-Goran Eriksson
Clearly now the preferred choice. However, the former manager has a big - and well-paid - job as Mexico boss to deal with. Has pledged his future to them Mexico but, in the same breath, said 'anything is possible'.
Wouldn't have the same budget that he did at Man City and would have to wheel and deal. Is that his forte?
One thing is for sure, he would command instant respect from the senior players as someone who has been there and done it with England, Lazio, Benfica and Sampdoria.
Is Brian Kidd's arrival - he worked with him at England - a sign of Sven's influence.
A good, but expensive, choice.

Avram Grant
No-one really knows what he did at Pompey as technical director. One suspects not a lot. Harry Redknapp tolerated him before Grant got his chance at Chelsea.
Took a team Jose Mourinho built to the Champions League final and came within a whisker of winning it. Mourinho has more charisma in his little toe than Grant, but the Israeli's achievement now compares favourably to his successor Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Is organised and clearly knows his football, but could he inspire Pompey? Senior players at Fratton Park, like me, have reservations. Not the answer.

Alan Curbishley
Compensation battle with West Ham would stop him being instantly available, which makes him slightly irrelevant in an immediate relegation battle.
Longer term he could be someone worth hanging on for. Proven record of establishing Premier League teams, albeit not beyond midtable, at Charlton and the Hammers.
Knows the market, could work within a tight budget and is someone who would communicate well with the fans. A solid choice.

Slaven Bilic
Represents an exciting option. An up-and-coming boss with international experience and with the personality to deal with Premier League prima-donnas.
Plays in a rock band and has a law degree, he definitely bring some colour to Fratton Park. Insists he will not leave Croatia until the end of the World Cup qualifying campaign so it would have to be some offer to tempt him. On the flip side he is relatively poorly paid as national team boss and a job in England would represent a huge pay rise.
Would be a gamble, but one that could spectacularly pay off.

Glen Hoddle
One word: Southampton. Good pedigree with England and Spurs but would not be welcome at Fratton Park.

Graeme Souness
One word: Southampton. Less impressive pedigree with Newcastle and Liverpool, and would not be welcome at Fratton Park.

Paul Hart
Pure stop-gap. As doomed spells in charge of Barnsley and Rushden proved, his main strength is working with youngsters. Good personality, though, and an ideal man to hold the fort while Pompey sort themselves out.

Roy Keane
Brian Kidd's appointment to assist Paul Hart has raised the prospect of Roy Keane at Fratton Park. The duo know each from their Manchester United days and Kidd was rumoured to be heading to the Stadium of Light as his number two at one point.
Oh... and there have been rumours of Keane being spotted at Fratton Park. Mind you, Sven has also been spotted, despite being in a different continent!

Time to wait and see...

Hurt Adams opens his heart

If one thing's certain after the stories of the past two days, it's that Tony Adams cares deeply about Pompey.

After his initial insistence he wouldn't give phone interviews, a beleaguered Adams - no doubt stung by recent criticism - returned The News' calls this week.

And from the conversations that ensued, two things were clear.

Firstly, that he thought Pompey's financial predicament - ie they have little spare cash - had been explained long ago.

It hadn't and Adams revealed he had been informed his budget had been cut a week before Christmas. There was more than a pang of envy when he said: 'The fact is I have not been given the financial support like Harry Redknapp.'

Secondly, the former Arsenal man is hurting, having endured a torrent of abuse from fans following the Fulham defeat. Adams tried his best to reason with Pompey supporters only to be shouted down and told in uncertain terms he was not welcome at Fratton Park.

He said: 'For me, it's unusual and that's why it hurt. It was only a couple of guys angry at me, but it didn't stop me feeling bad.'

There is no doubt the Pompey boss' tactical decisions have been dicey and his bemused press conferences only add to the impression of a man lost in the job.

But this gushing display of honesty - broke exclusively in The News - could prove a turning point, if not on the field then at least in how people view him as a human being.

Our messageboards have generally been more supportive of Adams since the story broke, with fans criticising their own for the vitriol thrown the manager's way.

Perhaps fans will now see him as someone to trust their club with rather than an undecipherable shield of optimism which he has presented so far.

He needs to be himself and let people know when he's upset or angry.

Say it how it is. Fans can relate to that and will give him time, which he so blatantly need.

Let's hope it's not too late for a man who's finally come out of his shell.

Johnson deal a coup for Pompey

At last, some news to lift the gloom that has engulfed Pompey in recent weeks.

England full-back Glen Johnson has signed a new four-and-a-half year deal to stay at Fratton Park.

Cynics will (with some justification) argue contracts mean little in modern-day football.

But by my reckoning, Johnson's deal is a real coup for Tony Adams.

Even at this early stage in the month, I would suggest it's the best bit of business he's likely to do in the transfer window.

Pompey fans have seen Johnson mature and develop into a true international-class full-back. The errors that littered his Chelsea days have gradually been ironed out at Fratton Park.

If he keeps up his progress, the England right-back spot is his for the taking.

To be honest, I thought his head would be turned by the transfer vultures.

When reports of him being sighted at Liverpool's training ground surfaced it seemed sadly believable.

However, those stories were whole-heartedly rubbished and, perhaps aware of the difficulties he encountered the last time he joined a top-four club, he's decided to stay put.

He knows he'll be a fixture in the team and he knows the spotlight will not be so intense, allowing him to continue his impressive development. He is just 24 after all.

While Jermain Defoe chased the cash, Johnson's decision should be celebrated.

Fans constantly demand loyalty and commitment.

This time, for a change, they've got it.

Farewell Lassana - it was great while it lasted

It was a deal which suited both parties.

Lassana Diarra got the first-team football he craved and Pompey - a club looking to escape years of mediocrity - got the services of a genuine world-class talent.

Both knew it was only a temporary arrangement, but everyone was happy with it.

Harry Redknapp knew he has a player to take his team to unprecedented heights and fans licked their lips at the prospect of seeing a special player at Fratton Park.

It's why, with his departure to Real Madrid imminent, there'll be no recriminations, no bitter parting shots.

Admittedly, there were grumblings of discontent when Diarra openly admitted Pompey were a stepping stone to greater things.

But a degree of perspective prevailed and in the end the player was even praised for his honesty.

The absence of badge-kissing antics and declarations of undying love were understood.

The message was clear. Here was a player on his way to the very top.

Diarra was grateful for a stage to display his talents: Pompey were happy to provide the platform.

The club can look back with justifiable pride at the way they boosted the midfielder's ascent.

In truth, though, the benefits were two-way.
With Diarra at the hub of Redknapp's team, Pompey won the FA Cup and qualified for Europe, their best season for half-a-century.

And then there's the small matter of an expected profit of around £16m in just a year - a remarkable turnaround.

It's enough cash, one hopes, to ease the club's financial worries and assist Tony Adams in the transfer market. We'll see how that materialises.

It will be sad to bid farewell to one of the finest footballers to grace Fratton Park.

But I doubt whether sentiment is at the top of Diarra's priorities.
In his defence, he has always given Pompey his all and leaves us with once-in-a-lifetime memories.

With Real Madrid sniffing, we'll forgive him his suspiciously slow recovery from an ankle injury.

The Frenchman is ruthlessly ambitious and he's got his dream.

Pompey have been used - and haven't we loved it.

Pompey 2 AC Milan 2: Deflation yet celebration

What can be said?
There are no words that can possibly do Fratton Park justice last night.

Thousands of fans around the city - and the country - will have walked into work today bulging with pride.

The superlatives have been flooding in via The News' website and, while the feeling after AC Milan's late equaliser was one of overwhelming deflation, there is also a large element of celebration.

Firstly at the performance of Pompey's patched-up team, which defied all expectations.

And secondly, at the way the fans showed the rest of Europe what they are about.

Here, in no particular order, are my highlights of an extraordinary night from my seat in the Milton end.

- Jumping up and down in delight when Younes Kaboul scored - and then jumping a foot higher in disbelief when Kanu found the roof of the net.

- Hearing Pompey fans shout 'who are ya?' at the travelling Milan brigade without a hint of irony. For 80 minutes, they were justified!

- Watching Ronaldinho counter a volley of abuse from one particular fan by blowing him an exaggerated kiss - the fan soon lost his bottle!

- Being directly behind the great Brazilian's free-kick - you just heard the net ripple as everyone gaped in admiration.

- Watching two players acknowledge the crowd in two very different ways. Despite preparing to defend a corner, Belhadj couldn't resist a couple of cheeky waves to the crowd, who promptly told him to pay attention to the game! Clarence Seedorf, meanwhile, swaggered along the touchline before regally saluting the Milton end - three Champions League wins allows you to do that!

- Seeing Richard Hughes scythe down Flamini - Pompey's resident AC Milan fan will savour that moment for the rest of his life!

- The spine-tingling, awe-inspiring 15-minute chant of 'Tony Adams' blue and white army' which reverberated all around the ground. During the performance there was a break in play and you could see the players looking around in amazement.

- Being 10 yards from Kaka as he stood at the near post.

- Sensing a degree of inevitability, having to watch Inzaghi prod home the equaliser as Pompey's backline lost their men. When Glen Johnson hammered the ball back into the net in frustration, he spoke for all of us.

- Finally, the applause from Ronaldinho directed at all parts of the ground during his warm-down. A classy man from a classy club. AC Milan's comments after the match were humble and appreciative of Pompey's players and atmosphere, capping a wonderful fixture.

There we go, a few titbits from the night, which is one of the best games I've ever had the privilege to be at.

Feel free to share your memories from the game in the comment box below and I'll be sure to pick out the best ones for publication in the Sports Mail and The News.

Make the city proud, Pompey

If there is to be a pinnacle of Pompey's current era, tonight is surely the night.

Don't get me wrong, the trips to Wembley were gloriously spine-tingling.

But earning the right to play AC Milan in a competitive fixture? That's off the scale.

Kaka (one of the best players in the world) will line up at Fratton Park with Ronaldinho (one of the best players in the world) ready to come off the bench.

The Rossoneri are taking this seriously. That's the mark of Pompey's progress in recent years.

These are uncertain times at Pompey following Harry Redknapp's departure but, for all the scale of tonight's occasion, we mustn't cower in the face of the Italians.

Pompey are a quality team in their own right.
The worry is, of course, that the spine of this side is missing.

Jermain Defoe, Lassana Diarra and Sol Campbell are definitely out, seemingly undermining Tony Adams' faith that his charges can still pull off a Uefa Cup shock.

The creative Niko Kranjcar is also missing, although the absence of John Utaka won't break too many Pompey hearts.

Personally, I just hope Pompey do the city proud.

Historic is an overused word, but this really is a game people will remember for generations.

After the struggles of the 90s, to see the boys in blue give it absolutely everything against Milan will be enough for me.

If Adams' team do that they give themselves a chance of getting a result. That's all anyone can ask.

To those people who seized the chance to watch the likes of Seedorf, Kaka, Pato, Shevchenko, Pirlo, Ronaldinho et al train at Fratton Park last night, I applaud you.

This is not something which you can expect to come round that often.

Obviously, the hope is Pompey will build on their recent success and Euro nights like this will be more common in the future.

The reality is this may not happen.

So join me in savouring watching Pompey v AC Milan under the Fratton Park floodlights in a crunch Uefa Cup game.

Play up Pompey.

Deal or no deal

Tony Adams may be enjoying his honeymoon period at the moment - but he has some big decisions around the corner.

As reported in The News, 15 first-teamers' contracts are up at the end of the season.

Among them are Sol Campbell, Sean Davis and Linvoy Primus.

If Adams chooses, he has a great chance to gut the squad and remodel it in his own image.

His success will depend on who he decides to keep and, crucially, who he can get in.

There's also the major issue of Pompey cutting their costs. Adams will no doubt have his hands tied to some degree as the credit crunch continues to bite.

Here's a run-down of the players out of contract - and my take on whether they should stay.

Sol Campbell: Has he got another Premier League season in him? Will he accept being a squad player if Younes Kaboul continues his impressive emergence? His experience is crucial and should be offered a deal to stay for another year.

Sean Davis: Can't do much more to earn a new deal. Harry Redknapp tried to usher him towards the exit door without success (clash of personalities maybe?). Should be offered a new deal based on what he could still offer for the next couple of seasons.

Linvoy Primus: Fans' favourite and all-round top bloke. However, top-flight days are behind him. Should be promised a future role at the club, though.

Jerome Thomas: Has to prove his worth, simple as that. If he can shake off his injuries, then no doubt he has the talent to play in the Premier League. At this point, though - no deal.

Djimi Traore: Not even in the picture. Not even any good. No deal.

Richard Duffy: The elusive defender (trying to get an interview with him is like getting an interview with Fabio Capello) has not done enough. No deal.

Glen Little: Like Thomas, has the game for the Premier League but does he have the body? Too fragile for me - no deal.

Lauren: Knee problems mean he has lost his spark. Spell at Fratton Park has been a major disappointment and he will be happily waved on.

Richard Hughes: Reliable and a good destroyer in the midfield against the big four. Depends whether he wants to be a squad player for the duration of another contract. Should be offered a deal, though.

Hermann Hreidarsson: Effort never in doubt and a solid defender, although will be 35 next summer. Adams seems to prefer Noe Pamarot at the back. Verdict: On his way.

Nadir Belhadj: Made a massive impression with his energy, pace and enthusiasm. Has become a key member of the squad and should be rewarded with a permanent deal which ties him down to the club.

Jean-Francois Christophe: Who? On loan at Southend - and that's about his level. No deal.

Noe Pamarot: The man with the biggest thighs in football. When fit and up-to-speed is an underrated defender. Another contract should be forthcoming.

Kanu: A Pompey hero for his FA Cup goal and still the man with the best first touch at the club. His body is clearly creaking, though, and his impact will only diminish. Gone but never forgotten.

Armand Traore: How Pompey would love to keep him, but Arsene Wenger will surely not let this talented performer go. Expected to get another chance to prove himself at the Emirates. If he fails, Pompey should be ready to rescue him.

Tony Adams will be judged on what he decides will happen to the above players.
Of course, it's him - rather than this pen-wielding journalist - who neck is on the block.
Times are a changing at Pompey.

Adams puts his stamp on Pompey

The Tony Adams era is taking shape - and it's clear he will be doing things his own way.

Whether his way succeeds, of course, only time will tell.

Bringing in Johnny Metgod to be, in effect, his number two is his biggest decision so far.

Metgod is a technically-gifted coach with experience of the English top flight. On the face of it, it looks a decent appointment.

Adams is obviously heavily influenced by his experiences in Holland but he should know - more than most - that the reality of the Premier League requires more than pretty football (unless you're Arsenal).

Nevertheless, prepare for the phrases 'total football and 'Dutch philosophy' to creep their way into Pompey reports from now on.

Be warned, though, that doesn't automatically mean success - there's not a batch of Johan Cruyffs at Fratton Park.

In any case, one look down the road at the struggling Saints' Dutch management team and it's clear that, although the future's orange, it's not bright!

Apart from Adams' coaching appointment, the other thing which has come to the fore is his personality.

I have mentioned before on this blog he is a very different man to the drink-fuelled centre-back who terrified strikers and inspired team-mates.

As we at The News are fast discovering, the new boss is a picture of sobriety and, to be honest, slightly eccentric.

Not sure how Sol Campbell and David James reacted to being called his 'babies'.

And how about this:

'I'm very positive and I'm very happy.
'Today I'm fearless. I'm okay today.
'Yesterday I was a little bit fearful but today I'm okay.'

It's a one-man counselling session on being the new Pompey manager - probably something the likes of Alain Perrin and Graham Rix can empathise with.

For us of the sports desk, it's a taste of things to come.

Let's hope there's still a successful football team involved as well.

Whatever happens, it's going to be a very different world to the one Harry Redknapp inhabited at Fratton Park.

Tearful Redknapp's Pompey goodbye

Harry Redknapp received the freedom of the city after being booed at the Portsmouth Guildhall ceremony.

Thankfully, this ugly minority were soon silenced by audience members (and some incredibly vigorous stewards).

Just two days after his defection to Spurs and the wounds are still very raw, despite Tony Adams' appointment.
Feelings and emotions are running high.

I don't think too many people begrudge Harry his chance at Spurs.
We on the south coast will be eternally grateful for putting our tight-knit football club on the map.

It's Harry's verbal indiscretions we have a problem with.
Fine when he's on your side, but infuriating when he's not.

His claims the move was good for Pompey and his reference to them as a good 'little club' are just patronising.

Likeable and mischievous he may be, but classy he is definitely not.

But then we knew that anyway, of course. His move down the road will always be a stain on the incredible job he did at Pompey.

Like that hasty act, Redknapp continues to shoot himself in the foot because for all the self-proclaiming and self-preserving nonsense Harry spouts, he really did care about Pompey.

At the civic ceremony, a tearful Redknapp was genuinely touch at the outpouring of thanks he received from the city.

And while he repeated it until it lost its meaning, Pompey people really are his type of people.

Take away the exaggerated cockney wide-boy that appears on TV, and his affinity with Pompey will always be there.

It's just a shame one of the greatest figures in Pompey's history taints it with thoughtless media soundbites.

Here's a snippet from his goodbye interview in The News.

I'll leave it to you to decide how genuine it is.
That, for all his greatness, has always been Harry's problem.

'I think walking away from Portsmouth has to be the hardest thing I've ever done.

'It was unbelievably hard to decide to move. I haven't really slept since I did.

'It was a difficult decision. On Saturday night I said I definitely wasn't going to go.

'I didn't want to leave. I love it here and I enjoy the life here.
These are nice people and this is a great city.

Harry scarpers - again

For the second - and final - time, Harry Redknapp has turned his back on Pompey.

It's likely he had taken the Blues as far as he thought he could.

And the chance to finally manage a 'big' club in his beloved London was a chance he has craved for years.

The sad fact is, though, the only loser in all this is Pompey.

That, and the swiftness of Redknapp's departure, explains a lot of the anger from the fans he has left behind.

Where does Sacha Gaydamak go to replace a man with 25 years' managerial experience who is the most charismatic man-manager in the top flight.

He can't - and murmurs that Tony Adams is in line to be his replacement worry me.

While he is hugely respected, can he connect with the players and inspire them. I'm not sure.

Pompey, at this time, need someone with the strength of belief and personality to come in and kick-off another era, not limp along trying to maintain the previous regime.

Sam Alardyce springs to mind, while up-and-coming talent Slaven Bilic would represent a coup.

Former England manager Glenn Hoddle would be an interesting leftfield option.

The interviews from Harry Redknapp over the weekend indicate it was Pompey who couldn't say no to the money.

Rubbish. It was Harry who could not say no to Spurs. Everybody realises that.

It would have done Harry no harm if he, for once, spoke honestly and treated the Pompey fans with the respect they deserve.

Instead, he comes across as patronising the people who have worshipped him for years.

It's why he will never be wholly loved at Fratton Park because, for his hyperbole (I'm thinking quotes like 'I'm Pompey till I die'), he was ultimately in it for number one.

As someone eloquently posted on The News website.

Harry is a great manager. He is not a great man.