FORMER Chelsea manager Avram Grant is being backed to lift Portsmouth up the table after it was yesterday confirmed he will succeed Paul Hart at Fratton Park.

MANCHESTER UNITED still require a point to finish top of their Champions League qualifying group after Alex Ferguson fielded a Carling Cup side against Besiktas at Old Trafford and was punished with a 1-0 defeat.

ROY KEANE has apologised to Ipswich Town fans for last Friday’s tirade at the Irish team and the FAI in the wake of the Republic’s World Cup exit.

PORTSMOUTH could have their next manager in place for Saturday’s home clash with Manchester United after Paul Hart was dismissed by the south coast club.

PAUL NICHOLLS’ gut instinct is that Denman will do no better than finish fourth or fifth under top weight in Saturday’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury – a race in which fellow pacesetter Carruthers has been declared a non-runner.

ALEX FERGUSON believes the strife so many of Europe’s big clubs have endured in the Champions League this season proves Manchester United’s achievement in reaching consecutive finals has been badly underestimated.

OUR football correspondent LIAM MACKEY is back in top form and full of energy.

MANCHESTER UNITED defender Jonny Evans intends to remain grounded – as he wants to stay on the right side of Alex Ferguson.

IPSWICH TOWN have denied reports that manager Roy Keane is set to lose his job at Portman Road.

CESC FABREGAS maintains he will not be distracted by his name being used in Barcelona’s presidential election campaign – and hinted he could even stay at Arsenal for life.

FOOTBALL, as we are so frequently reminded, is a game of opinions and in the Premier League, there is no better example than in the debate surrounding Michael Owen.

SO, Alex Ferguson is right after all. The Manchester United manager confidently predicted during the international break that the title race will be a two-horse affair and after a weekend of contrasting fortunes for the runners and riders, his forecast appears spot on.

THINK of Chelsea in the Roman Abramovich era, and the image that springs to mind is less conveyor belt and more revolving door.

IF Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was sceptical about the merits of alternative medicine beforehand, Saturday’s defeat to Sunderland could lead the Frenchman into a rethink.

JOHN DELANEY believes FIFA would have sanctioned a replay of Ireland’s World Cup play-off against France had the French Football Federation (FFF) joined the widespread calls for the match to take place.

PAUL NICHOLLS admits Denman faces a tough test in trying to defy top-weight for a second time in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on Saturday.

LIVERPOOL captain Steven Gerrard believes he and his team-mates have answered their critics after they were written off earlier this season.

IT IS no longer about wanting to win for Manchester United. Wes Brown knows they have reached the stage where victory is now a must.

MICHAEL BALLACK believes Chelsea have once again demonstrated they possess the perfect mix needed to be champions.

MANCHESTER UNITED goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is delighted to be back in action and is looking forward to facing Aston Villa tomorrow night.