Source: Team_Talk
Pompey chief wants quick decision
The South Coast strugglers suffered another blow in their uphill struggle for survival as they went down 2-1 at home to Birmingham at Fratton Park on Tuesday night.[LNB]Despite a stoppage-time header from substitute Kanu, a first-half brace from Blues striker Cameron Jerome was enough to give his side revenge for their FA Cup loss on this ground last Saturday.[LNB]This result leaves Pompey five points from safety, and they stand to drop another nine behind should the Premier League impose a nine-point penalty following the club's plunge into administration.[LNB]Administrator Andrew Andronikou has pledged to fight the rule, which has never been tested as no top flight club has ever suffered this fate.[LNB]But Grant admits his team would like to know for definite how many points they will have to claw back if they are to avoid relegation.[LNB]He said: "I still believe that this needs to be decided on the pitch and we'll see how we get on.[LNB]"We can still do it, but we need to know for sure what will happen. We can't just keep reading in the papers every day that we are nine points down.[LNB]"Of course it affects the players, but when they come to the pitch, they are trying everything they can do to win the games."[LNB]While Pompey have been at the bottom of the table and favourites for the drop virtually all season, Grant hopes his side's fall into the Championship will not be settled by a decision in the Premier League boardroom.[LNB]He added: "For me, there is only one decision.[LNB]"I always respect the rules and we need to respect the rules. But I've said it a hundred times and I'll say it again, football decisions should be settled on the pitch.[LNB]"It's not good for the Premier League that a team could be relegated because of a decision that was made off the pitch.[LNB]"This is especially because the victims will be the people who didn't do anything wrong here like the fans and the players."[LNB]Meanwhile, Birmingham boss Alex McLeish believes his side lacks the firepower needed to secure European football for next season.[LNB]Blues' victory over Pompey lifts them up to eighth in the standings, with sixth or seventh spot likely to earn them a Europa League berth.[LNB]Despite an impressive display up front from Jerome and Christian Benitez, who made both his partner's goals, McLeish is not convinced his men will find the goals needed to secure seventh.[LNB]Asked whether it was a realistic target, the Scot said: "I don't think so - I don't think it's realistic. To get places in Europe, you need a striker scoring 15, 16 goals.[LNB]"We'll always be under pressure to get that spot because our strikers won't, unless they go on an unbelievable scoring burst.[LNB]"You'll perennially see that the teams who get there have a striker who is up 16 or 17 goals and another one not too far behind."[LNB]McLeish's men are comfortably the lowest scorers in the top half of the Premier League, having netted 28 times this term.[LNB]Jerome has scored seven while Benitez has just three, but the Birmingham boss admits his strikers may have been distracted by their defensive duties.[LNB]He said: "We've been a team which has defended well from the front this season.[LNB]"Perhaps we have asked more from our strikers from a defensive point of view than other clubs.[LNB]"That's possibly why our strikers have not scored more goals."[LNB][LNB] Liverpool 1/4, Draw 4/1, Portsmouth 14/1
