ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Portsmouth 1 Manchester Utd 4: ONLY ONCE before in a managerial career spanning 23 years has Avram Grant been in charge of a team in the relegation zone. That was Maccabi Tel Aviv more than a decade ago and he ultimately steered them to a sixth-place finish.

“This time I would be happy to finish in the top 17,” said the Israeli after his first match in charge of Portsmouth concluded in the side’s heaviest home defeat of the season and results elsewhere conspired to leave them seven points from safety.

As if their present position is not ominous enough, Portsmouth’s opponents over the next month include Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, and the following month they will lose six important players to the Africa Cup of Nations and possibly also their key midfielder Jamie O’Hara, whose loan from Tottenham Hotspur must be renegotiated in January.

Grant’s predecessor, Paul Hart, may have been unfortunate to be sacked last week, but the Israeli cannot be said to be lucky in terms of the situation he has inherited. The talks he will have this week with the chief executive, Peter Storrie, about reinforcements will go a long way to determining whether there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Grant is optimistic. “We are to have discussions and in the next couple of days and I will know what we can do in January,” said Grant. “We have a good squad but there are positions where we could make it stronger and I think we will do it.”

The visit of Manchester United will have helped highlight the positions where Portsmouth could do with strengthening. A striker who does not panic at the briefest sight of goal would surely be welcome – Aruna Dindane may have hit a hat-trick against Wigan last month but that is the only time this season he has worn the guise of a deadly predator and against United, though his speed and movement constituted a constant menace, his shooting was a danger only to spectators.

Once he was thwarted by goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak but on three other occasions he spared United with rash and wonky finishes.

The Ivorian was the most persistent offender, but by no means the only one: Frederic Piquionne and Kevin-Prince Boateng also missed clear opportunities.

“I don’t think even the big teams have created as many chances against United as we did,” said Grant.

“Even Sir Alex said to me afterwards that we played well and he was very happy with his goalkeeper.”

If hastiness in front of goal was a problem for Portsmouth, sluggishness sunk them at the other end.

Wayne Rooney converted two penalties after lazy, needless fouls, and his only goal from open play came after he was teed up by Ryan Giggs.

“We always play well but silly mistakes cost us,” said Boateng. “Man United weren’t better than us but every week we’re coming off the pitch having lost.”

That should not be interpreted as defeatism. Indeed, no individual performance encapsulated better than Boateng’s the reasons why hope is not dead at Fratton Park.

The 22-year-old could easily have settled for an inconspicuous role after his misadventure at Stoke last week, when his penalty miss was a major factor in Portsmouth’s loss and, therefore, in the decision to sack Hart. But here he was at the hub of everything that Portsmouth did well, his inventive probing and determined running frequently forcing United on to the back foot, particularly in the first half, when Rooney was often left isolated up front because United’s trio of supposed offensive midfielders, Giggs, Paul Scholes and Antonio Valencia, were all helping out at the back.

“The spirit of the team was very good,” said Grant. “We believe we can survive. It will not be easy, it will be a long, long battle. But it is possible.”

United, of course, remain full of hope. Alex Ferguson insisted the title race is very much open, regardless of yesterday’s result between Arsenal and Chelsea. “It’s not as simple as people think Chelsea are steaming away with the league and they have got a healthy lead,” said Ferguson ahead of that game. “Yes, you hope Arsenal take something from the game, if it’s a draw both drop two points and if Chelsea win they continue and we continue to chase them.”

Guardian Service