NEW coach Avram Grant insists he has not taken on an impossible task to save Portsmouth from relegation.
Portsmouth are bottom of the Barclays Premier League with just seven points from 13 games and have lurched from one crisis to another off the field as well.
It is a far cry from Grant's last managerial role in England, when he steered Chelsea to the Champions League final and second in the league.
But the 54-year-old is excited about the challenge, despite a baptism of fire as Pompey face Manchester United tomorrow.
He said: "I'm not a man who looks back at the past. All challenges in football are different. It is the nature of the game.
"This is a difficult one, although not impossible, but when I was manager of Chelsea it was difficult as well.
"At the time I was appointed there were signs that the team was on the way down. They had gone to sixth in the table and that was not good enough.
"But in the end we were only beaten to the title by Manchester United on the last day of the season and, in my opinion, were the better team against them in the European final only to lose on penalties.
"Of course I am not happy at how things ended there. To be dismissed a few days after losing a European Cup final on penalties is not good but I am happy with the job I did at Stamford Bridge."
Some observers outside the club felt that Chelsea's star players virtually managed themselves after Jose Mourinho's shock departure and that Grant was not much more than the puppet of an autocratic ownership.
A dismal FA Cup defeat to Barnsley and failure against Tottenham in the Carling Cup final were big blemishes on Grant's eight-month reign, but he added: "When I took Chelsea to the Champions League final it was their first time.
"So why didn't they do it before I came in?"
Grant is currently director of football but will become manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal once his work permit is amended.
He will be in the dugout tomorrow although he has pledged to keep coaches Ian Woan and Paul Groves on his staff.
Grant added: "This is a big challenge for me but one that I'm excited about.
"Everything has happened very quickly and until this week I was just looking forward to doing my job as director of football, which I believe is a very important position.
"I have been asked to take this new job and will do my very best to succeed in it as always. I think I have the experience and the skill to do it and there is a good squad which I want to add to in the fullness of time."
As for predecessor Paul Hart, Grant added: "Paul Hart has been very unlucky. I feel sorry for him because he was a good manager who worked hard and impressed a lot of people.
"The team has not been playing badly either and we are not that far below many others in the Premier League, but in our position it is points you need and I will make that my priority even though I won't play ugly football.
"I will try to gather points by playing well."
Asked if he was a lucky manager, Grant said: "I don't think so, if I was John Terry would have scored the penalty which cost us the defeat in the European final but that is football and that is life.
"I am starting here against Manchester United and it is the same as when I started at Chelsea.
"We lost 2-0 at Old Trafford when we had a player (John Obi Mikel) sent off very early on but we beat United at Stamford Bridge and I thought there was nothing between us at the finish in the championship.
"If I can I will strengthen the team here in January but all the players here will get their chance and I'm looking for a big response."
Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie is hopeful Grant's amended work permit will come through within a couple of weeks but would not comment on the fact that Portsmouth are still awaiting a transfer embargo to be lifted.
Storrie said: "As far as we are concerned the owners are confident that will be the case and that's all we can go on.
"But Avram is certainly the right man for the job here.
"I enjoyed working with him before and I'm sure that's going to be the same again because he is the man who can lift us to a higher place in the table.
"After that we will just have to wait and see what happens."
Related Articles

Postecoglou looking to A-League to 'develop young talent'
.jpeg&h=172&w=306&c=1&s=1)
Big change set to give Socceroos star new lease on life in the EPL
