Paul Hart Parts Company with Portsmouth

Portsmouth manager Paul Hart has left the club with immediate effect after being sacked, according to Sky Sports News.

Hart took over as caretaker manager following Tony Adams' departure in February 2009, guiding the club to Premier League safety, and was appointed permanently in July 2009 on a two-year deal.

Under Hart's stewardship, the club won just nine of 30 games and in the 2009-10 season suffered the worst start by a Premier League club, losing their first seven games in difficult circumstances.

Pompey is currently bottom of the league, with increasing uncertainty behind the scenes at boardroom level after a succession of takeovers that saw the club fail to pay player wages on time and a transfer embargo handed to them over unpaid transfer fees.

It's worth noting that seven of Tottenham Hotspur's nine goals against Wigan on Sunday came from players employed by Pompey last year, with Hart losing a number of players due to the financial problems that saw the club narrowly avoid administration.

A statement from the club said, "Paul was offered the role of technical director, developing players from the ages of 18-21, but declined the position.

"The club plans to announce a replacement very quickly and until that time the players will be led by first team coaches Paul Groves and Ian Woan."

Chief Executive Peter Storrie said, "The board feels that the team should have accrued more points to date and that we need a new man in charge to ensure Premier League survival."

While many will think that Avram Grant will take over as the new manager following his recent return to the club as Director of Football, the club have moved to distance themselves from that scenario.

In the short term, Grant would be a safe pair of hands in a manager who has Premier League experience and could guide the club to safety on a very limited budget.

Hart is well respected in the world of football, but it would be surprising to see him back at another Premier League club anytime soon, with a coaching or managerial role at a Championship club more likely when he decides to return.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes is currently offering odds for the new manager of 5/4 Avram Grant, 3/1 Alan Curbishley, 6/1 Gary McAllister, and 7/1 Joe Jordan, 8/1 Steve Coppell.

Heck, if nobody wants it, I'll relocate to the south coast to take it on from next July.

Update: 13:19 November 25, 2009

It now seems that Paul Hart is reconsidering his decision not to take up a role as Technical Director at the club following talks with Storrie.

It has since emerged that Grant is in the running to take full-time control of the first team, and the club's owner will make a rare appearance at Fratton Park at the end of this week.

In other news, it was announced today that the city of Portsmouth will no longer be in the running to host games during the World Cup 2018 after a decision from the local council refusing to provide financial guarantees