Source: Daily_Mail
Avram: I'll ruin relegation dogfight by fielding weakened Portsmouth teams
'No duty to other teams': Grant[LNB]Avram Grant has hinted he will make a farce of the Barclays Premier League survival race by fielding weakened teams for the rest of the season.[LNB]The Portsmouth manager is furious his team have been condemned to play Championship football next term after being deducted nine points for going into administration.[LNB]He will hold a crisis meeting with his players today in an attempt to discover how they want to approach their remaining nine league games, when they have nothing left to play for.[LNB]And in a threat to the integrity of the Premier League he has refused to rule out two stark possibilities.[LNB]He may field weakened teams, preferring to keep his best players fit for their April 10 FA Cup semi-final date against Fulham or Tottenham at Wembley. [LNB]And he may listen sympathetically to players like David James, Nadir Belhadj and Hassan Yebda if they say they do not want to risk getting injured before the World Cup.[LNB]Grant is in no mood to bow to any league dictat that he should field his strongest team in every game.[LNB] Sympathetic ear: Grant may rest South Africa-bound players such as Nadir Belhadj[LNB]Grant said: 'We don't have a duty to the other Premier League teams. The Premier League has a duty to the other teams.[LNB]'We have a duty to Portsmouth, and I have a duty to football.[LNB]'We've tried everything in the last months to keep the spirit of football and what I think football is about and I don't see any reason to do it when we haven't got a target. Of course our target now is the semi-final.'[LNB] If roles had been reversed I would have got a ban! Brown claims Gerrard 'got away' with elbowing himAvram Grant laments 'sad day for football' as Portsmouth rule out appeal against points deductionCrisis club Portsmouth face certain relegation after nine-point deductionPORTSMOUTH FC
