Hart not backing down

22 September 2009 18:54
Paul Hart insists he will not stand down as Pompey boss despite the club's dismal start to the season. Pompey became the first team in Premier League history to lose all six of their opening games, heaping overwhelming pressure on their under-fire manager. And some supporters have made no secret of their disapproval over Hart's continued reign at Fratton Park despite the club's woeful start. The Pompey boss, though, says he has no intention of surrendering his post as his side prepare for a crucial Carling Cup tie against Carlisle. Hart will be hoping his side can notch their first win since beating Hereford in August to form as a timely boost in an otherwise forgettable campaign so far. "There is a pain of losing - especially when, overall, you see your team not doing too much wrong," he told the Portsmouth News. "It has been hard from the minute I took the job to be honest, but I did have a choice. "I will get my head down and we've got to get through it." Lengthy takeover bids as well as a number of big-name departures over the summer have hardly helped Hart in his quest to turn things around at Fratton Park. He added: "When you think back to where we were in May, you realise that it's not quite as bad as it could be. "The new players who have come in have brought an extra dimension, but in terms of finance, there is not a lot of difference to how it was in May." The Pompey boss will be forced into a number of changes for Tuesday's trip to Brunton Park but admits he is looking forward to the break in the league calendar. "It's another chance to win a football match and we've got a number of football players who are cup-tied - but we will certainly be going to Carlisle looking for that win. "There will have to be changes because of players being cup-tied. "But I think the influence I'm making on the players is taking some shape."

Source: SKY_Sports