Redknapp on the brink

Mandaric was in Brussels yesterday, fuelling speculation that Belgian coach George Leekens was in line to take over from Smith, who works alongside first-team coach Kevin Bond, another man whose future at Fratton Park is uncertain.

Leekens, 54, who has managed Belgium and Algeria, is on a three-year contract with Mouscron, who are fourth in the Belgian League.

'It would be a great job to manage Portsmouth,' said Leekens. 'I have heard a lot about the club's ambitions and its fantastic supporters.

I would like to be part of it.'

Redknapp strenuously denied reports that he had used abusive language when referring to Mandaric on a separate occasion, but added: 'Two years ago this club was going nowhere. We walked in and pulled it up by its boot strings. We have done a fantastic job and everyone in football knows we have.

'The chairman has said he wants a young super coach but what is a young super coach? I haven't seen one. When you look around at some of the teams in the division who have so-called super coaches they are below us in the table having spent five times as much as we have.'

Wages at Fratton Park have risen from £10m to £19m, but Redknapp has also used all his persuasiveness and eye for talent to beg, borrow and occasionally buy on the cheap players who have played so well for him.

But that, is seems, is not recognised by Mandaric, who said yesterday: 'I never at any time said that Jim and Kevin would not have a part to play in the future.

'But I want to bring in a senior coach, an experienced coach, to work under Harry. I'm not saying Jim and Kevin couldn't do that, but I want someone bigger and better.

'I am trying to do what is best for this club, and have been for the past five years. If Harry wants to stay then he should be working with me.

'I want to go a different way in running the club. Rather than bring in players left right and centre - 25 last season and 19 this one - we need to stabilise. We need more coaching and to build up our youth system so I am looking at the whole coaching structure.'

'It seems we have no time for coaching because we are always trying to bring in new players. Perhaps we need someone to roll up his sleeves and work with players all day long to make them better.

'Harry has already said it will be a struggle to keep us in the Premiership next season and we cannot go forward unless we have a better stadium.

'Manchester City have spent over £30m and look what they have done. Charlton have hardly spent anything and see what they have achieved.

'So why keep throwing money in? Apart from the top five clubs in the Premiership I would say our wage bill is not far off the rest.

'We now have the base of a good team and we need to do a better coaching job on them while bringing in another four or five players for specialist positions.'

Where the money will come from to acquire those players he does not explain, though his own personal fortune has been seriously hit by the slump in e-business, especially in the United States. In reality there is little money to buy new players. Indeed, Redknapp has been concerned about where he can get the funds to buy Lomano LuaLua, who is on loan from Newcastle, and he is sure that Chelsea will not allow the driving Russia midfielder Alexei Smertin to stay for another season on loan.

Redknapp, who signed a two- year contract in March, is keen to stay at Fratton Park but he insists that Smith and Bond have been a big part of the success.

Any dismissal of Smith or Redknapp is likely to provoke a huge reaction against Mandaric from the fans, though he claims he has been undermined by his manager by disclosing details of their private chat last weekend.

Redknapp could attract the attentions of Tottenham should he leave Portsmouth.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, desperate to appoint an experienced manager after a frustrating and disappointing season under caretaker David Pleat and the shambles of being linked unsuccessfully with a host of big names, would offer Redknapp the job at White Hart Lane if he gets the slightest sign that the former West Ham boss is leaving the south coast.