This is who Portsmouth want as their new manager

In this article, we take a look at who Portsmouth want as their new manager, with a number one target in mind for the club.

The South Coast outfit came to the decision on Monday by pleasing their fans with the sacking of Kenny Jackett after four years in charge.

With Pompey dropping out of the playoffs places in the League One table, then followed by losing Saturday’s Papa John’s Trophy Final to league below Salford City, Jackett was relieved of his duties.

Now chief executive Mark Catlin is on the lookout to find the 59-year-old’s successor and it seems they do have interest in one particular manager.

Those who are to come in at Fratton Park will be tasked with guiding them back into the playoff places and get that all important promotion to the Championship with 13 league games remaining.

Former Barnsley and Hearts chief Daniel Stendel, who came to blows with then-Fleetwood manager Joey Barton a while back, is the early frontrunner and the current favourite with the bookmakers, Sky Bet offering 2/5 at the time of writing (9am, 15/03/2021).

It is understood that Portsmouth are already trying to persuade the former Barnsley boss to come in as caretaker for the remainder of the season.

Stendel is highly regarded following his time at Oakwell after leading them to promotion in 2018-19, before then getting harshly sacked.

The Tykes finished in second place behind Luton Town, but after struggling in the Championship, he was controversially dismissed in October 2019, and anger turned on those at the top of the club.

Having managed at Hearts since then, Stendel is presently a free agent and could step into Fratton Park immediately and interestingly, it’s believed the potential move appeals to the 46-year-old, who would welcome a return to England.

However, there is interest in him from clubs based in France, and is reportedly reluctant to accept a deal until the end of the Blues’ current campaign, wanting a longer deal.

Another man looking for a new club is ex-Cardiff boss Neil Harris, who is also admired at Pompey and remains an option but his odds have drifted with Stendel coming into the frame.

SKY BET ODDS:

Daniel Stendel – 2/5
Chris Coleman – 7/1
Danny Cowley – 8/1
Neil Harris – 10/1
Chris Wilder – 14/1
Ryan Lowe – 16/1

Club owner Michael Eisner took to Twitter to give thanks to Jackett and has told the fans that the club are excited for what is next as they target getting promoted at the end of this season.

“I’d like to thank Kenny Jackett for his loyal/professional partnership with Pompey,” Eisner posted on Twitter.

“I wish him well in the future. His overall record is widely documented and appreciated by us.

“We are totally focused on an exciting end to this season resulting in promotion!”

Meanwhile, the Pompey faithful have issued an open letter to the players of Portsmouth, it reads: “Dear Pompey players, This is a message to the men who represent us, who we speak to in the light of the events of the past two days.

In the aftermath of your manager’s departure, we want to appeal directly to you on the behalf of everyone who cares so much about Portsmouth Football Club.

We want to let you know how we feel about what we are witnessing, as one disheartening and dispiriting display stacks up on top of another and our 2020-21 hopes disintegrate before our royal blue eyes.

The decision makers at our club yesterday felt compelled to take a tough decision to remove a good man from his position as manager. It was a difficult call, but, in the circumstances, the right one.

It’s your manager who has stood squarely in the firing line until this point. It’s he who faced every barb, every brickbat and every personal attack – and ultimately fell on his sword.

But what about you?

Saturday was supposed to be the day we got our season back on track at the home of football.

Yet, what we suffered for long periods of the match at Wembley against a League Two opponent was a complete embarrassment.

If this was a one-off, we could let it slide. We could put it down to a poorly timed and humiliating bad day at the office in front of the eyes of the watching football public. But we know that’s not the case.

No, we’re not fooled by the talk of little, old Salford City being in the ninth tier when we won the FA Cup in 2008. We know they are a financially well-supported club.

But we also know what we’d give to walk out under the arch with the star and crescent on our chest.

And we know damn well what the minimum requirement is for those chosen few who are given an opportunity we could only dream of.

We have long placed total commitment over natural talent around these parts. If you give every last breath, every ounce of energy, every final bead of sweat for our cause you’ll be accepted. Ask Linvoy Primus, Noel, Blake, Hermann Hreidarsson, Alan McLoughlin and Guy Whittingham.

Can you truly say that’s what you have done?

You may not choose to accept our criticism. You may not value our football opinions.

Well if so, listen to our heroes who see what we see and arrive at the same conclusion. Take on board the words of the greats who’ve played the game at the highest level and question your ‘heart’ and ‘desire’.

Has it been too easy for you to forget the consequences of your performances as we remain absent? Is it too simple to remain isolated from our frustrations around the island city in these unprecedented times?

Because what we have been witnessing in recent weeks is as unprecedented as it is unacceptable.

We have seen limp, lifeless and uncommitted performances as poor as lifetime-supporting Pompey fans can remember. Sadly this is no exaggeration.

If you were stifled by the man who led you, if you were riddled by self-doubt and insecurity then you are now free.

So this is the time to step up.

The chance to make history with back-to-back Trophy wins has gone, the mark on the honours board lost amid more disappointment.

Under your manager’s regime, anger had left PO4 and made way for disillusion. Where fury resided lived apathy.

But there are 13 games left, 13 matches in which you can save the season.

With a managerial change comes the hope of invigoration, a new lease of life. Show us that is not misplaced.

You are the people chosen to represent us. You are the personification of our football club and its identity on the field of play.

We desperately want you to make us proud and we want to believe in you, but pride and belief has been in very, very short supply around these parts.

So we today call on you to give us a reason to have some hope once again. If nothing else, please, please show us that you care.

Yours in sport,

The Fratton faithful

Fans reacted after seeing who Portsmouth want as their new manager, check out the social media reaction below…

@andybastable: Will be ecstatic if we get Stendel!

@PauliHale69: I hope he’s more Klopp than flop !

@kevinford8: If it is to be Stendel wonder if he will bring in Conor Chaplin?

@TonyDogTrainer: I feel optimistic about #Pompey this morning. Stendel’s style of football will be genuinely exciting to watch. I think if we’d stuck with Jackett or get someone with a similar approach, like Cowley or Harris, I’d give up.

@harfynn: A Portsmouth manager has to have certain characteristics: big personality, passion& energy that matches the fans and gets them going, joy when we win and visible anger when we lose. Daniel Stendl showed at Barnsley that he was one of them and the town. Jackett was cold. #pompey

@Matthew52758009: I don’t get it. Sacked by barnsley, sacked by Hannover, left Motherwell at relegation. What’s the appeal?

@andybastable: Modern progressive football. Was loved by Barnsley fans and harshly removed there. Hearts had all kinds of issues but was popular there too. He’s exactly the kind of manager we need to build a new identity as a team IMO.

@GavH_: Not impressed with that to be honest, one season in English football all be it got Barnsley promotion and relegated hearts in Scotland, bit risky if you ask me

@breathebarnsley: #pompey should 100% go for stendel and @Tongie85. Daniel knows how to get out of this league and I can’t think of any better manager to take them forward. Him and Tongie are exceedingly passionate and hard working. Get it done!!! @Pompey

@StendelIn: Mate hearts was fucked and the fans loved him up there. They had off field issues that he couldnt deal with.

@SamOfAllFears: Out of all the names mentioned so far, I definitely think @Pompey need to go for Stendel. He’s the kind of manager we need. Younger, plays football the right way and shows a bit of passion. You know it makes sense

@David_G_83: I loved Stendel. Given the chance he would’ve been great for Hearts. He plays an attractive brand of football and I just hope he’s given the time to rebuild Pompey, he deserves it.

@pedromccarter: That’s me watching League 1 a lot now then!

@AdrianParishUK: Imagine the melt down if it’s not Stendel.

@LewisFrow: Apparently we’ve offered Stendel a Schnitzel and a currywurst to see us through to the end of the season #pompey Promotion = Ticket to Ocktobetfest!

@weemac47: I hope he gets the job. This could be the breakthrough he needs. If Hearts had had a decent ‘keeper last season, we might still have Daniel and Toby..

@MacNaBracha: All the best to him. Wish he’d had the chance to assemble his own team at Hearts utilising our youngsters and bringing them on.

@capfc11: Genuinely upbeat regarding the rest of the season regardless of if we make playoffs or not! Hopefully Stendel is appointed and gives the players a lift as they are literally all playing for their futures at #Pompey now! Barnsley fans speak highly of him and his style of play

@steviejambo56: I wish him all the best, right man wrong time

@RoarJustice: Weve gone from zero chance of moving Jackett on to maybe installing Stendel in 24 hours. Football sure does play with your emotions. #pompey

@smithj1978: Good luck to him. He deserves the best, absolute diamond of a guy

@PropPersonnel: When I heard Jackett had been sacked earlier, I was going to suggest to the #Pompey board that they look to recruit any candidates previously shortlisted by Barnsley, and then, li and behold, Daniel Stendel popped up into the frame. Suspect we could do far worse 👍💙⚽️

@TW7Four: Shocking list, Stendel had better players, doesn’t mean he can do the same, his record isn’t exactly inspiring, but, we’re never know who can do the job till they been in it long enough. As fans were take to whoever dies a good job.

@_joshhurst: best ways to learn german ? asking for a friend #pompey #StendelIn

@wayneharrispfc: Just imagining Stendel and Cook on the touchline on Saturday! Prime viewing #Pompey

@Pomppeyy: Stendel gonna turn Marquis and Curtis into the most lethal front 2 in league 1. #pompey

pic.twitter.com/avAF9kMyHE

— Andy Burgess (@Sheffield_Skate) March 15, 2021

Stendel incoming #pompey pic.twitter.com/hXJ6q5X5Kc

— Forgotten Pompey Goals (@pompey_goals) March 15, 2021

#pompey https://t.co/JLnfNEujZN pic.twitter.com/IrjMNfIAvX

— Stendel in 🇩🇪 (@Pomppeyy) March 14, 2021