NEXT PORTSMOUTH MANAGER ODDS SHOW DAVID JAMES AS HEAVY FAVOURITE

With Avram Grant's emotional open letter to Pompey fans officially prompting his resignation from the club, the attention now turns to who will marshall the south coast club's Championship campaign. 

In a move that may come as a surprise to some and no surprise to others, David James has put his name forward in an attempt to take over the management role of the club. He's a no-nonsense player and I think this really demonstrates his commitment to the club. David James brings a wealth of experience on the pitch but none in the technical area. 
Popular Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has listed David James odds to be the next Portsmouth Manager at a slim price of 2/1. He is a clear favourite and, though the response from the clubs management sounds a bit lukewarm, I think the fans will be able to push this one through. From my angle, it looks like David James is their clear choice to take over as manager and it appears to me like the fans will be the ones calling the shots for the next while. 
Phil Groves is trading at 5/1 and looks like the second best option on the board. However, I think it would be an uninspiring selection for the fans and I think that they will try to go with somebody higher-profile or opt for David James. 
Former Hull City manager Phil Brown is trading at 11/1 and looks like the third favourite, though he is some distance back. Glen HOddle, Alan Pardew, Graeme Souness and Gary Megson trade alongside Steve Cotterill at a 12/1 price and I think a few of these are underpriced. 
Alan Curbishley would actually be a really good choice for Portsmouth and he's listed at 14/1. That's the same price as Gareth Southgate, Peter Reid and George Burley. Paul Jewell knows a thing or two about Championship promotion and he's trading at 16/1. The longest shots on the board are Harry Redknapp and Mark Hughes- who are both listed at 100/1.