History of Portsmouth F.C. place, thanks to academy director Paul Hart stepping in as caretaker boss, seven points clear of the relegated clubs, despite the disruption brought by the departure of Harry Redknapp and the subsequent sacking of his successor, former assistant manager Tony Adams. At the start of the 2008–09 season rumours began to fly around that Portsmouth were facing crippling debts due to their recent heavy spending and owner Alexandre Gaydamak was looking to sell the club. After Redknapp's departure many key players began to depart with Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe leaving in January. In May 2009, Sulaiman Al-Fahim had a
Joe Hart After a successful spell at Birmingham, Hart earned a place in the England squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini was unsure over the future of Hart and dispatched his goalkeeping coach, Massimo Battara to watch over him during his loan spell at Birmingham City. Battara reported that Hart was a "very good goalkeeper, with very high physical and technical abilities" and advised that he kept Hart in his plans for the years ahead. One of the major pre-season debates was whether Hart would start ahead of the experienced Shay Given after