Suddenly Mancini is the 'front runner!'

If enough names are mentioned sooner or later the will be next Pompey manager will be found from one of those mentioned!

Sven Goran Eriksson has been the 'hot favourite', although the weekend saw him 'threatened' by Slaven Bilic...

Jamie's Dad emerged as a 'shock contender' on Sunday, with it said that he does have backing on the board and did, despite the manor of his departure, leave on 'good terms' with the clubs hierarchy, if not the fans! It is also 'said' that he is missing the club, and some feel that he again feels he 'made a mistake', not in terms of joining a club like Spurs - who are of course 'the biggest club in the world' outside of the top 4! - but in turning his back on what he had. It is also said that he does not actually see much of his family now, and we all know how important that is to him!

All in all it does appear that bringing him back 'could' be a genuine option, but the majority - not all, but the majority - of fans would not accept this and although the fans' thoughts and considerations do not really count anymore, this is something that could prove a rare exception to the rules...

Of course, and reports claim this is the case, Paul Hart is 'technically' still the manager - some claim that he was offered, and indeed signed, a 2-year contract before he left for his holiday.

For me, in my understanding anyway, any contract that 'might' have been signed was done so as a 'good will' gesture and an extension to the one, with the youth academy, already in place. Surely we would not have been committing to giving him the managers job knowing that we had 'possible' buyers in the pipeline?

Well, today, the latest name and according to The News, the new 'front runner' for the job is Italian Roberto Mancini.

The former Inter manager is no stranger to success as he guided them to the Serie A title on more than one occasion - some reports suggest that he could link up with the Swede as he did during a time together at Lazio, but I think with the Italian now a fully fledged manager in his own right such a suggestion is highly unlikely.

He is unknown to the English game though - that is putting aside the thoughts that he was 'expected' to have been announced as the new Sunderland manager, something that now appears dead in the water with Steve Bruce set for that job...

Rumours, speculation, links and so on will continue until an appointment is finally made, Mancini 'might' be said to be Dr SAF's 'preferred target', then again so was the Swede the other day according to reports, but until a deal is 100% complete no one can be put in place, so getting the takeover fully rubberstamped is something we need first!

Stopping the growing reports is not something that is possible however...

PLAY UP POMPEY!

For the very latest Premier League odds

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.