They must choose Tony Adams' successor and face the dire consequences if they get it wrong as it could well spell the beginning of the end for PFC in the long term. Therefore it is vitally important that they get it right and appoint the right manager who would be a realistic option for the club given its current state.
So who is the right man for the job? Let's take a look at the favourites, shall we?
Avram Grant
Career Record
- Won the Israeli Toto Cup twice with Hapoel Petah Tikva in 1990 and 1991.
- Won the Israeli League title and later an Israeli FA Cup with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
- Won two Israeli League titles and a Toto Cup with Maccabi Haifa in the early 2000's.
- Managed the Israel national team from 2002-2006 but never qualified for a mjaor tournament.
- Joined Pompey shortly after as Technical Director before leaving for Chelsea for a similar role after a year.
- Took over as Chelsea manager after Jose Mourinho's departure, taking the club to both the League Cup final and the Champions League final where both were lost.
- Chelsea also lost the Premier League on the final day of last season after drawing 1-1 with Bolton before being sacked.
Why Grant would be right for Portsmouth
He knows the club and some of the players well having been at the club before and his knowledge of the game is excellent. He has many contacts and favours a wide scouting network whilst his achievements last season at Chelsea shouldn't be overlooked, especially considering the man he had to replace.
I believe Grant would be a good long-term appointment for Pompey as his managerial record is good (albeit mostly in Israel) and he could take the club further than some of the other names mentioned if the initial hurdle of staying in the Premier League was cleared.
Why Grant wouldn't be right for Portsmouth
If you look closely at Chelsea's league record last season, you'll see they had a habit of conceding late goals that ultimately cost them the league. Grant's arrival may not address our biggest problem this season whilst the players are also said to be divided over the prospect of Grant taking over.
Avram's managerial pedigree can also be questioned as a lot of Chelsea's success last season was attributed to assistant manager Steve Clarke. If you want evidence of this then just take a look at how much West Ham have improved since he joined Zola at Upton Park and how sharply Chelsea have declined without him.
Then of course there's the fact that he is probably the only manager in the world more boring than Steve Coppell. Could his lack of personality stop him from getting the best out of the players for a tough relegation dogfight?
Would Grant join Pompey?
I think he would given that he has been here before and is close friends with Alexandre Gaydamak. The only thing that would be stopping him would be Chelsea's apparent interest in re-hiring him but given that they are likely to appoint Guus Hiddink, it leaves Grant the favourite to take over at Pompey.
Alan Curbishley
Career Record
- Managed Charlton Athletic since 1991, guiding them to the Premier League in 1998. They went straight back down but bounced straight back and remained a model of Premiership stability until he left in 2006. The Addicks were relegated the following season.
- Took over at West Ham in December 2007 and oversaw their great escape from relegation the following year before resigning in September 2008 because of claims that players were being sold without his permission.
Why Curbishley would be right for Portsmouth
Look at what he done for Charlton Athletic for starters. He turned them from a nothing club into a well respected Premiership side that occasionally threatened to challenge for Europe. He knows the English game inside out and could get the best out of the Pompey players who aren't performing well.
He also has experience of relegation scraps having been seen West Ham to safety two seasons ago when they looked doomed at one point. That experience could be vital for the battle ahead andi I think he'd make an immediate impact.
Why Curbishley wouldn't be right for Portsmouth
If Pompey survived relegation this season then I'm not sure he could take us too much further. He is criticised for his teams playing boring football whilst at West Ham his big-money signings such as Keiron Dyer and Freddie Ljungberg turned out to be huge flops.
Of course, that shouldn't be worrying us at the moment as we simply need to finish 17th or above but then Curbishley does have a relegation on his CV with Charlton, so his appointment would be no guarantee of safety.
Would Curbishley join Pompey?
I think he would because he has said he is looking to get back into Premier League management and has proven he can find bargains in the transfer market too when on a limited budget.
The only problem is his current legal battle with West Ham's higher powers and there is talk that he isn't allowed to manage a Premier League club until March for some reason although I'm not sure how much truth there is to that statement (probably none).
Sven Goran Eriksson
Career Record
- Won a cup treble with IFK Goteborg in 1982 having started his managerial career with Degerfors IF.
- Moved to Benfica and made an immediate impact, winning the league and cup double in his first season and then the league again the following season before joining AS Roma.
- Won only one Coppa Italia with Roma before moving to Fiorentina where he didn't win anything and so moved went back to Benfica and won the Portuguese league title in 1991 having lost the European Cup final to AC Milan the year before.
- Went back to Italy and managed Sampdoria, winning the Coppa Italia before joining Lazio in 1997 where he is considered the best manager in their history, winning 2 Coppa Italias and the Serie A.
- Became England manager in 2001, leading an over-rated England team to two World Cup finals and Euro 2004 despite constant media scrutiny and a very good record competitively.
- Turned Manchester City into a good team last season before a poor run of form made owner Thaskin Shinawatra undermine him, meaning his first managerial stint in England came to an end with a humiliating 8-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.
- Is currently the manager of the Mexican national side but recent results have been poor and it's rumoured that he could be sacked if Mexico do not beat the USA in their next World Cup Qualifier.
Why Eriksson would be right for Portsmouth
Sven is a manager of great pedigree and has an impressive trophy count to his name. He has been successful almost wherever he has been and has an uncanny ability to remain cool under pressure.
If we are talking long term then a manager of Eriksson's class would be a great asset for the club because of his past achievements that gets respect from players and fans alike. He has also worked with Peter Crouch and David James and it's said that these two players were in favour of appointing the Swede.
Why Eriksson wouldn't be right for Portsmouth
Sven is only a proven success when he has managed a great team such as his early Benfica sides and the great Lazio side that was assembled with huge amounts of money. It would be questionable if he is the right man to get the best out of a squad with not so much talent.
Would Eriksson come to Pompey?
On the face of it he wouldn't because we're not a high profile club, he wouldn't have a huge transfer budget and we supposedly don't have the money to pay his wages.
However, it has been reported that Sacha has made an approach for Eriksson and the bookies have made him favourite for the job so they must know something we don't. Perhaps a takeover really is imminent or maybe Gaydamak is prepared to make one final gamble?
The Outsiders
Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock is always mentioned when Pompey have a managerial vacancy. His fiery temper would ensure that the players would be up for the battle but tactically he can leave a lot to be desired. He would be an interesting appointment but a short-sighted one that may not pay off.
Championship managers Roberto Martinez of Swansea and Gary Johnson of Bristol City have also been mentioned but I doubt they would walk away from what they are trying to build at their respective clubs.
Greame Souness has also been mentioned but I can't imagine he'd be a popular choice with the fans despite a fair record. Slaven Bilic is another name in the rumour mill but if he wouldn't leave the Croatia job for his favoured club in West Ham then why would he come to us?
You can get odds of around 12/1 for Terry Venables to take over but they just as well be 1,000,000/1 given his past with the club and I'm certain the fans would be extremely against him having anything to do with Pompey.
To be honest I can see only one of the three favourites getting the job and I'd be happy with any of them for various reasons, the main one being is that they'd all be an improvement on Adams. If I really had to pick then I'd go for Sven as a manager of his calibre could really do good things for us.
The only certainty here though is that whoever comes in has a big job on their hands.