Source: Telegraph
Portsmouth set to appoint Gary McAllister as Paul Hart's assistant
Hart has been looking for support on the training ground after the summer departure of Brian Kidd and knows McAllister from the time they spent together at Leeds United in the 1990s.[LNB]McAllister was a senior player at Elland Road from 1990 to 1996, a period that overlaps with Hart's highly successful time with the Leeds academy and two victories in the FA Youth Cup.[LNB] Related ArticlesPortsmouth 0 Everton 1Peter Storrie set to leave PortsmouthPaul Hart called to meetingSport on televisionHowever, with Portsmouth becoming the first team in Premier League history to begin with seven straight defeats, the arrival of McAllister, who has managerial experience at both Leeds and Coventry City, is also certain to fuel speculation that Hart could eventually change roles at Fratton Park.[LNB]For now, though, there is no real suggestion that the club intends to make a managerial change. The evidence from Saturday's 1-0 defeat against Everton was that the squad remain fully supportive of Hart, who has been forced to quickly construct a new team after having virtually all his best players leave during the summer.[LNB]McAllister, 44, has been out of football since being sacked by Leeds last December and, after being asked by George Burley to join his staff at Scotland, indicated he would prefer a return to the day-to-day demands of club football.[LNB]"Firstly, it goes without saying that I was flattered to be asked by George during what was an informal chat last week," said McAllister.[LNB]"But to be honest, at this stage of my coaching career, I think it is more important to hold out for a full-time job at club level. I have a couple of irons in the fire down here (England) and the major attraction is that they are full-time posts so I had to bear that in mind."[LNB]Chief executive Peter Storrie said on Sunday that it would be "stupid and daft" to change managers, while new striker Tommy Smith added: "He is a manager who has got the players' respect. He is an honest guy and good to work for. The players are 100 per cent behind him."[LNB]New owner Sulaiman Al-Fahim also outlined his support for Hart at a meeting of supporters on Friday night and is currently in Dubai after watching Saturday's 1-0 defeat against Everton.[LNB]Hart's belief that Portsmouth can still avoid relegation stems from the attitude of his players. "I'm delighted with the way they go about their job," he said.[LNB]
