Mandaric won't rule out Redknapp return
Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric admitted he would not rule out the return of Harry Redknapp as his short list for the manager’s job at Fratton Park gets shorter.
With Rangers refusing permission for Pompey to talk to Alex McLeish and with Iain Dowie ruling himself out of the running, Mandaric is running out of candidates although Neil Warnock remains his first choice.
Sheffield United are considering an official approach for Warnock but Mandaric also admitted Redknapp, who left Portsmouth a year ago and joined their south coast rivals Southampton, was also a possibility.
The former West Ham manager did not depart on good terms but, asked if he was still in touch with him, Mandaric told talkSPORT: “I’ll always speak to Harry Redknapp. We had some great times together.
“There was an incident a year ago but that’s no reason not to talk to him.
“You never say never in this situation. Strange things happen in football and I think Harry is a great guy.”
Mandaric added: “There is a short list – Neil Warnock, McLeish is now out - at least for the time being – Iain Dowie, I guess he’s out.
“There is a possibility of putting a young up-and-coming manager in there and giving him a senior guy to work with, someone like Sir Bobby Robson or David Pleat.
“I haven’t spoken to Southampton about Harry Redknapp but I wouldn’t rule that out.”
The views of McLeish, who is expected to be removed as manager of Rangers after their final Champions League game against Inter Milan, on the Portsmouth job are not known.
But he has been saved the trouble of trying out-do Warnock by the Glasgow club, whose chief executive Martin Bain issued a blunt rebuttal to Portsmouth’s advances via the club’s website.
Bain said: “We can confirm we have received an approach by Portsmouth, asking for permission to hold talks with our manager Alex McLeish. Permission was not granted.”
Sheffield United board are yet to give their response to Mandaric’s advances but he remains favourite to take up a contract reputed to be worth £1m (€1.5m) a year.
The Blades have so far refused to discuss a new deal with Warnock, who is 57 on Thursday, in a bid to convince him to stay at Bramall Lane, believing he will not walk out on his hometown club and his dream of leading them into the Barclays Premiership.
“We are currently considering an approach that Portsmouth have made for our manager,” Blades vice-chairman Terry Robinson said.
“Discussions are ongoing today on how we will respond to that approach and at this stage there is no more I can say.”
Warnock has refused to comment on his future, but insisted after his side’s defeat at Leicester last weekend he would be in charge of the team for Saturday’s derby with Sheffield Wednesday – the first since January 2003.
Dowie, meanwhile, is determined to manage in the Premiership again, but only with Palace.
He said: “I have a contract here. You can’t sign contracts and not honour them, and it’s important not to get distracted by side issues.”
