Source: Daily_Mail
Cautious Grant in no hurry to take the reins at struggling Portsmouth
Next in line: Grant (left) may not replace Hart[LNB]Avram Grant was keepingPortsmouth sweatinglast night after being asked to replace Paul Hart as the manager at Fratton Park. [LNB]Grant, in Munich last night to watch Bayern's Champions League encounter with Maccabi Haifa, is understood to be in no rush to switch his role from director of football to manager when the club remains in so much turmoil. [LNB]Formal talks will begin when Grant returns from Munich today owner Ali Al Faraj is due to fly in tomorrow but the former Chelseaboss has a great deal to consider. [LNB]He would be taking charge of a club who are bottom of the BarclaysPremier League and the subject of a transfer ban that could prevent himfrom adding much-needed strength to the squad in the January transferwindow. [LNB]Portsmouth are in a mess, as the treatment of Hart in the last 48 hours has demonstrated. [LNB]Havingrelieved him of his responsibilities as manager, the club then issued astatement saying he would be leaving Fratton Park after also rejectingan offer to becomethe technical director withresponsibility for players aged between 18 and 21. [LNB]Hart'srepresentatives challengedthat yesterday, saying he had done no such thing and sources thensuggested the former Nottingham Forest manager might take up the newpost after all. [LNB]Sportsmailunderstands, however,that Hart is so disappointed by the way he has been treated that he hasno desire to remain at the club and will walk away with the severancepayment six months' money he is due. [LNB]Theclub's desperate financial situation also forced Portsmouth citycouncil to withdraw their bid to become a host city for the 2018 WorldCup yesterday. [LNB] Darren Ferguson and AlanCurbishley have also been linked with the manager's job but the Portsmouth players want Grant to take over once he receives a new work permit from the Home Office, hopefully in time for Saturday's clash with Manchester United. [LNB]Down but not out: Portsmouth are in the midst of a relegation battle[LNB]The squad has warmed to Grant since he returned to the club as director of football last month.Portsmouth could be further destabilised amid concerns that Peter Storrie's future as the club's highly paid chief executive is also uncertain.[LNB]The fixture list is also daunting. As well as United, Portsmouth will meet Chelsea and Arsenal in the next few weeks. And 54-year-old Grant would do well to check the terms of a new contract very carefully. [LNB]Earlier this season, GaryMcAllister went very close to becoming Hart's No 2. A deal was agreed and McAllister even took delivery of a club tracksuit. [LNB]But when the contract landed on the desk of his representatives, the terms bore little resemblance to those that had been agreed. [LNB]It all left Hart embarrassed as McAllister decided a move toPortsmouth was not for him.[LNB] Explore more:People:Gary McAllister, Peter Storrie, Darren FergusonPlaces:Munich, Fratton Park
