Perrin and Pleat in plans to save Portsmouth

FRENCH coach Alain Perrin has been called in to rescue Portsmouth from relegation after their alarming recent slump down the Barclays Premiership table.

The former Marseille boss is expected to arrive at Fratton Park today to sign a two-year deal as new team manager - with Pompey also trying to land David Pleat as a consultant.

Perrin has no experience of English football, although he was linked to a move to Southampton last season before Paul Sturrock was briefly employed as boss.

After days of intense speculation - with John Gregory, Gordon Strachan, and Brian Little all named as possible Pompey candidates - chairman Milan Mandaric yesterday said: “We have our number one candidate and that is Alain Perrin from France. Also David Pleat would come to help him out on all the issues of English football. Alain is not just coming for seven games. He is coming to sign a contract for seven games plus two years.”

Perrin was understood to have been initially offered a contract to cover the remaining games of the season, with Pompey attempting to turn around a desperate run of just one win in their last 12 League games.

Perrin will not be on his own at the helm for the south-coast club’s Premiership survival campaign, if Mandaric completes the signing of Pleat. The former Tottenham boss, who was axed as director of football at White Hart Lane last June when Frank Arnesen took over as sporting director, is wanted by Mandaric to help Perrin through the last seven games of the season.

The two new men would still be under the charge of Velimir Zajec, the director of football who became a reluctant team manager after his arrival from Greek club Panathinaikos prompted a walk-out by Harry Redknapp. Ironically, Redknapp has since inspired rivals Southampton in their battle against the drop.

First-team coach Joe Jordan’s future remains unclear though Mandaric said this week he would like to extend the Scot’s contract beyond this summer.