Jim White

Madness on the south coast

Wed Nov 25 11:50AM

Rafael Benitez will keep his job at Liverpool. It has been made clear that despite his failure to steer the club through the group stage of the Champions League, there is absolutely no thought of his departure at Anfield. Indeed it would be an act of folly to fire him given the circumstances in which he finds himself, with his most potent playing assets compromised by injury and his ability to work the transfer market compromised by an unsteady flow of funds.

Mind, it is not common sense that is keeping Benitez in his office. It is not the realisation that he is the best man for the job, or that to sack him now would achieve nothing. Rather it is the inertia that is the result of the endless power struggle between the owners. Never mind agreeing on something as substantial as a change of management, Tom Hicks and George Gillett would seek recourse in their lawyers to decide whether to serve tea or coffee at a board meeting. As a result Benitez is probably the safest manager in England.

You would imagine under other circumstances, with Liverpool's ambitions now reduced to the FA Cup and the Thursday League, a single chairman in control of the destiny of the club would have called Benitez to account by now. He would be wrong to do so, but it would have happened. Common sense is not something that often prevails in boardrooms at a time of crisis. And if you want evidence of that, just look to goings on at Portsmouth the very day Liverpool were departing from Europe's most lucrative competition.

Paul Hart was sacked by Pompey in what can only be described as a public declaration of lunacy. Never mind working with his hands tied behind his back, Hart has been operating with the equivalent of both his legs trussed, his feet bound, his mouth sellotaped shut and a local authority banning order slapped on him precluding any movement of more than three yards from his front door.

Here's what Hart has put up with over the nine months of his occupation of the Fratton Park dugout. Of the team that started his first game in charge in February only one player - Herman Hreidarsson - was available to play Stoke on Sunday. David James - absent through injury - is the only other man still there after a player drain the like of which has not been seen since Leeds United went into meltdown eight seasons ago. Hart lost 13 first-teamers in the summer, as well as seeing David Nugent go to Burnley on loan.

Subsequent to that, after trying to mould together a bunch of loanees and rejects, he was obliged to maintain dressing room morale for a month while the players were not paid. Given the circumstances, the fact his team are only four points adrift from the bottom of the Premier League constitutes something of a triumph of crisis management. Since they won the FA Cup in 2008, Pompey have been a club in abject disarray. The only point of continuity has been Hart. And what happens the moment a bit of financial stability arrives in the boardroom? That's right, they sack him.

Never mind that the bloke deserves better, how do the Portsmouth board envisage that firing him will assist their endeavours this season? In which particular areas do they think someone else will do better? If the ship is leaking so badly, why do they believe that removing the one man who has kept it afloat will resolve matters? Particularly if, as is rumoured, at the head of the queue to be his replacement is Avram Grant.

Grant's CV suggests he is adept at undermining a manager from a position as director of football, but less accomplished when he takes over as manager himself. Sure he led Chelsea to a Champions League final, but with the team he inherited from Jose Mourinho, frankly I could have done that.

The better option appears to be Darren Ferguson, a man recently deemed to be insufficiently accomplished to steer Peterborough beyond their natural level of achievement. Ferguson is a bright young man. His appointment would be another step in the career direction I have long imagined: as his father's choice eventually to take over at Manchester United. But could he make a better fist of circumstance than Paul Hart? Would he be better at maintaining morale and focus?

But this is the gamble the Portsmouth board have embarked upon: the choice between a maybe and a never-was. Pompey fans - already in pole position to take the title from Newcastle followers as the most scandalously let down supporters in the land - deserve something a lot more concrete than that.

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@#$%
From imayger on Wed Nov 25 12:09PM
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HEY U KNOW NOTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL. GO GET UR @#$% SOMEWHERE.. U RACIST....
From seyedanny1 on Wed Nov 25 12:27PM
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White cant you just find somewhere to hide yourself...
From seyedanny1 on Wed Nov 25 12:29PM
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no reference to my country today??? stupid fool
From oluwafemiodusanya on Wed Nov 25 12:43PM
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Good article. I am feeling for Pompey at the moment. Not sure about your Rafa stance though. The fans are still behind him. IRWT. YNWA.
From azy1975 on Wed Nov 25 12:51PM
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the @#$% @#$% benitez
From markwright700 on Wed Nov 25 12:53PM
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Grant's CV suggests he is adept at undermining a manager from a position as director of football, but less accomplished when he takes over as manager himself. Sure he led Chelsea to a Champions League final, but with the team he inherited from Jose Mourinho, frankly I could have done that.
really?? I suggest not......i think if you can do that you should please come and join a big 4 team and do it.....please Jim...either talk sense or STFU
From rush_bach on Wed Nov 25 01:00PM
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ha ha dirty skates
From afcuk007 on Wed Nov 25 01:05PM
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I wonder what you would have said if a NIGERIAN was the owner of Portsmouth....... Still awaiting your apology for what you said against NIGERIA. Hope it comes.....Bury your pride!
From amechiakabogu on Wed Nov 25 01:11PM
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yeah and your a football expert arnt you seyedanny1 I
From liamhorne007 on Wed Nov 25 01:12PM
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eah and your the football axpert arnt you seyedanny1 and oluwafemiodusanya it was a tounge in cheek comment jokingly describing how Henry would be feeling why would he mention it again in this article go take that chip of your shoulder and beat yourself round the head with it you numpty
From liamhorne007 on Wed Nov 25 01:14PM
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comment 5...INRT...YNWA..... what about B&Q ... MFI...scouse scum eh. eh.eh
From gs_weddings on Wed Nov 25 01:15PM
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amechiakabogu i hope you holding your breath while waiting get over yourself
From liamhorne007 on Wed Nov 25 01:16PM
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'Sure he led Chelsea to a Champions League final, but with the team he inherited from Jose Mourinho, frankly I could have done that.'
Scolari inherited the same squad Avram Grant had and got nowhere near so I doubt Jim White would have done better.
From wistysboy on Wed Nov 25 01:17PM
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For once (worryingly) I find myself in agreement with a lot of what JW says (apart from his vaunted opinion of his own management ability). Sacking Hart to replace him with Grant certasinly sounds like lunacy to me. Hart has had a raw deal, and when (rather than if) Pompey are relegated, it will serve the hapless directors right, although as usual, the fans will be the ones to suffer most.
From alan_paperboy on Wed Nov 25 01:33PM
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For once (worryingly) I find myself in agreement with a lot of what JW says (apart from his vaunted opinion of his own management ability). Sacking Hart to replace him with Grant certasinly sounds like lunacy to me. Hart has had a raw deal, and when (rather than if) Pompey are relegated, it will serve the hapless directors right, although as usual, the fans will be the ones to suffer most.
From alan_paperboy on Wed Nov 25 01:33PM
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These comments are hilarious - I think part of the problem is that Jim White usually writes in one of the broadsheets. Most of us commenting here really aren't the Telegraph's target audience (in terms of reading age, and probably not in terms of whatever demographic you care to mention either) so there's a bit of a culture clash. Hence contributions such as #2 and others! It's a shame because I usually find the blogs on eurosports much more interesting than those on the bbc website and this could be a good football forum if they could afford a couple of moderators!
From gethinpritchard on Wed Nov 25 01:38PM
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These comments are hilarious - I think part of the problem is that Jim White usually writes in one of the broadsheets. Most of us commenting here really aren't the Telegraph's target audience (in terms of reading age, and probably not in terms of whatever demographic you care to mention either) so there's a bit of a culture clash. Hence contributions such as #2 and others! It's a shame because I usually find the blogs on eurosports much more interesting than those on the bbc website and this could be a good football forum if they could afford a couple of moderators!
From gethinpritchard on Wed Nov 25 01:38PM
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Talking about Portsmouth, Kanu Nwankwo was the match winner at Wembley 18 months ago when Portsmouth lifted the FA cup. I am sure for JIMMY the WHITE man Kanu would be nothing more than a fraudulent Nigerian whose contributions have also not favoured Portsmouth as a team in the past!!!! Bury your pride and be a man. Apologise for insulting Nigeria and Nigerians and maybe we can start believing that you deserve the awards you won as a sports writer.
From spiritdotcom on Wed Nov 25 01:47PM
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Haha see you in League 1 pompey. COYS!
From tasker75 on Wed Nov 25 01:50PM
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Jim White i'l think you will find it was Jose Mourinho who led Chelsea to the Champions League final in 2008. Why dont u try and get ur facts right for once. Dumb people annoy me!!
From jay8my on Wed Nov 25 01:51PM
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What actually qualifies this man to write such drivel? I mean what examples does he put up about Avram Grant apart from a comment from his own Mighty depth of reckoning rather than his shallow pool of knowledge? He gives no clear example and expects people to take him seriously. I doubt that this guy knows anything at all. True, what he says about Paul hart was true, but then totally ruins the article by little sniping comments about Avram grant that he cannot back up.
By the way Jim, the team that Avram Grant led to the champions League final would only follow you out of morbid curiosity over what foolish garbage will come out of your mouth next.
From richard_millwall on Wed Nov 25 01:53PM
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How is he racist? Wow some of you talk utter rubbish.
From stevo1_l on Wed Nov 25 01:59PM
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Rafa's contract is keeping him in a job, a price tag of £20m to sack him is just to much for the disinterested american owners. RB's turnover of players at the club has been nothing short of phenominal, after all that he still only has two world class players (and a very good goalkeeper). The rest of the first team, perhaps Johnson aside is mediocre in premiership terms, his transfer dealings at a huge cost defecit must have cost LFC an absolute fortune, should be sacked for negligence
From pfy1101 on Wed Nov 25 02:03PM
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Hey, I'm an open minded girl from UK, I'm interested in exotic things, photography, dating and sports...I have my photos on --- T a l l h u b Co m ---, I love tall guys!
Do you love traveling and have some experience? Just find me out.
From karenieg10 on Wed Nov 25 02:12PM
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Hey, I'm an open minded girl from UK, I'm interested in exotic things, photography, dating and sports...I have my photos on --- T a l l h u b Co m ---, I love tall guys!
Do you love traveling and have some experience? Just find me out.
From karenieg10 on Wed Nov 25 02:13PM
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Jimmy, Jimmy. Another article so soon. How smart, trying to sweep mess form the last one under the carpet. Memories are not so short, you know. Well, maybe you are too proud to apologise. But Nigerians know you now and will always take you for what you have proved to.
From austeen148 on Wed Nov 25 02:25PM
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shame bout lfc, they played some good footy in champs league, BUT POMPEY ARE JUST A LEAGUE 1 OUTFIT THAT HARRY REDKNAPP DID WELL WITH AND ARE ON THEIR WAY BACK THERE.LOL
From gary.young26 on Wed Nov 25 02:29PM
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Be fair to Avram. He inherited a good team from Jose, but he did something with that team that Jose never managed himself - take them to the Champions League Final. It wasn't easy.
But I agree that Pompey made a bad decision. Hart did a supreme job with the resources he was given, and sacking him was the wrong decision.
I'm sure Liverpool will benefit by keeping Rafa. I'm sure that once Torres and Aquilani get fully fit, he will deliver at least one of the FA Cup or Europa League. Europa League isn't exactly the greatest trophy a club can win, but I'm sure Liverpool fans would welcome anything to end a 4-year trophy drought.
From akilesh_radhakrishnan on Wed Nov 25 02:33PM
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... he led Chelsea to a Champions League final, but with the team he inherited from Jose Mourinho, frankly I could have done that.
Really? Somehow I doubt it!
From i_love_spring83 on Wed Nov 25 02:35PM
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