When is a job offer not a job offer?

Pompey are set to announce their new Manager by, at the very latest, Friday of this week. So says the Administrator Andrew Andronikou.

Steve Cotterill remains the favourite although Gareth Southgate's name has suddenly started to appear as being linked with the post more and more. But whomever takes the job, what are their prospects? It's true that in normal circumstances the position of Portsmouth Manager would be much sort after - but these are far from normal circumstances, especially if the club don't get the CVA agreed on Thursday. Without an agreement there appear to be two options:

1. We continue in Administration whilst at the same time eventually seeking agreement (hopefully) with the Creditors before the FA impose a points deduction for 2011/12, or

2. We (or more likely Balram Chainrai) buys the club out of Administration and we incur the points deduction for the 2010/11 season.

Neither option would look overly attractive on an advertisement for Manager of a football club. Alternatively, if we gain agreement either on Thursday or very soon after, we will (a) hopefully attract a new owner to the club, (b) exit Administration, (c) have the transfer embargo lifted within a couple of weeks, and (d) avoid a further points deduction.

Consequently, there are plenty of if's and but's to be navigated through before any one taking the Manager's position can actually think about managing the football club properly. Add to that the prospect of starting pre-season with just five squad members and you have to wonder whether the likes of a Cotterill or a Southgate or anybody else for that matter would take the position without maybe having some form of get-out clause written into their contract that could be invoked in the event that one or more of these obstacles remains in place.

So, when is a job offer not a job offer? When it's a Pompey job offer. Until there is some clarity on the way forward for the club, nobody will really know exactly what they will be walking into.

Written by Dave_S139.

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