Perrin is eager to get started

Former Marseille manager Alain Perrin took charge of Portsmouth today - with some help from Tottenham's former boss David Pleat.

Despite their perilous position just outside the relegation zone, the 48-year-old Frenchman says he has been impressed with the club and their chairman Milan Mandaric.

"From what I gathered, Portsmouth are a serious club which is very well organised," said Perrin, who has a two-year deal.

"For personal reasons I did not think I would commit myself to a new club before the start of the next campaign. But [Portsmouth] decided to accelerate things and asked me to take the reins of the team now."

Pleat, the former director of football at Tottenham, will assist Perrin in a consultancy role until the end of the season. Mandaric said: "Alain will have to learn about British football quickly so I couldn't find a better man to help him than David."

Velimir Zajec, who has been in charge of the team since Harry Redknapp quit last November, will revert to his original role as executive director.