Paul Hart is no longer in charge of first team affairs at Portsmouth after leaving the club with immediate effect on Tuesday. It’s unclear at the is stage whether he left of his own accord or the more likely chance is that he has been sacked by the board. Hart has endured a tough start to the season at Fratton Park after losing the first seven league games of the season, results and performances have picked up slightly in recent weeks which is why this move may come as a slight surprise for some Pompey fans.

A Portsmouth club spokesman said in a statement that the decision “has been made reluctantly and is based on results that leave the club at the bottom of the Premier League”.

Portsmouth as a club has been in turmoil for some time now with several takeovers happening in recent months, most fans now unsure of exactly who owns their club, and with the team still in the relegation zone Hart has left the Fratton Park. Pompey went down 1-0 at Stoke on Sunday despite being the better team and that may have been the straw that broke the camels back for the former Notts Forest Manager who has been fighting to improve the team for several months now. Hart has conducted himself well throughout the troubles at Pompey and has remained defiant in recent weeks as he has sought to turn the clubs on-pitch fortunes around, but in the end it appears to have all been to no avail.

As for possible replacements at this early stage, some reports are saying  that Avram Grant is not in the frame to take the job as he is happy with his role as Director of  Football at the club, however he remains the favourite with the bookies at this stage to take the hot seat. Early names in the Next Portsmouth Manager Odds include Alan Curbishley who is looking to get back to the Premier League after an absence, former Reading Manager Steve Coppell and Darren Ferguson who only left Peterborough recently.

Next Permanent Portsmouth Manager Odds with VC Bet as of 26/11/2009 – Click to Bet

Avram Grant 1/6
Alan Curbishley 7/1
Darren Ferguson 8/1
Steve Coppell 12/1
Gary McCallister 14/1
Slaven Bilic 14/1
Paul Jewell 16/1
Gareth Southgate 16/1
Luciano Spalletti 16/1
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This Odds are subject to change

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