Mandaric sacks Perrin as Portsmouth manager

Frenchman Alain Perrin has been sacked as manager of Portsmouth after a disappointing run of results, the struggling Premier League club said yesterday.

Perrin, a former Olympique Marseille coach who was appointed in April, leaves a club who are 17th in the league with just 10 points from 13 games and only goal difference keeping them above Everton.

The 49-year-old became the first managerial casualty of the Premier League season.

Club chairman Milan Mandaric, who has appointed team coach Joe Jordan as caretaker manager, said he removed Perrin because "recent performances and the general morale amongst the squad needed improvement.

"Following a period of thought and consultation with the board, the players, staff and supporters, I have made this decision for the future of Portsmouth Football Club," he said in a statement.

Mandaric appeared to have second thoughts over the original decision to appoint a Frenchman with no previous experience of the pressures of top-flight English football.

"I really believe that a knowledge of British football is often an underestimated asset in a manager and the demands of Premier League football are intense," Mandaric said.

"I will now turn my attention to attracting a successful manager to Fratton Park. I am confident we will find the right man for the job to help Pompey get the season back on track."

Managerial changes have been a regular feature at the club. Perrin had taken over from caretaker manager Velimir Zajec, whose arrival as an executive director led to the resignation after two years of then manager Harry Redknapp in November of last year. A run of five managers since 1998 had preceded Redknapp.