| The race for the vacant Portsmouth manager's | | | | crunch meeting with Saints chairman Rupert Lowe that |
| market has provided fascinating reading over the past | | | | he had always felt more comfortable at Portsmouth |
| week or so and over £13 million has been | | | | after he was refused permission to speak to his |
| traded on Betfair. Frenchman Alain Perrin was sacked | | | | former employers about a possible return. Redknapp's |
| on 24 November after steering the club into the | | | | position became untenable and he walked away from |
| Premiership relegation zone without a home win all | | | | the club he joined just 12 months ago. |
| season. | | | | Over £11 million was traded on Redknapp, with |
| Perrin had only been manager since April 2005 but had | | | | punters eager to "buy money" backed him at odds as |
| won just four matches out of 21. He replaced an | | | | low as 1.01 (1/100) although some shrewd players |
| equally unimpressive boss in Velimir Zajec, who | | | | managed to get a few pounds on him at odds as |
| mustered five wins in 21 matches and was himself | | | | large as 59/1 previously, creating a no-lose betting |
| only in charge at Fratton Park for five months. | | | | situation. |
| Neil Warnock was the first manager in the frame and | | | | However, there was yet another twist in this tale. |
| eager punters backed him into 1.20 (1/5). The former | | | | Mandaric refused to pay Southampton the |
| Notts County, Huddersfield and Bury manager had | | | | £220,000 compensation they demanded - the |
| been in charge at Sheffield United since December | | | | remainder of Redknapp's contract, since the former |
| 1999 but had made no secret his desire to manage in | | | | West Ham boss was still technically under contract, |
| the Premiership. Warnock was set to hold talks with | | | | leaving him in limbo. |
| Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric until he decided to | | | | Mandaric has now expressed interest in other |
| remain at Brammall Lane on 1 December. His | | | | managers, with Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez, |
| Premiership dream may yet come true as The Blades | | | | under-pressure Rangers manager Alex McLeish and |
| are sitting pretty in one of the automatic promotion | | | | former Hearts manager George Burley all in the frame. |
| positions in the Championship. | | | | Despite this and numerous claims in the press that |
| The best was yet to come. Harry Redknapp, who left | | | | Redknapp has no chance of a surprising return to |
| Portsmouth for bitter rivals Southampton, revealed in a | | | | Fratton Park, he is still trading as low as 1.30 (3/10). |