Pompey step up chase for Warnock

Sheffield United have a week to secure the future of Portsmouth target Neil Warnock following the Blades’ chief’s admission that he will take charge of this weekend’s derby against Sheffield Wednesday.

Mounting speculation linking Warnock with the vacant Portsmouth manager’s job forced United plc chairman Kevin McCabe to schedule a meeting with Warnock before Saturday’s 4-2 defeat at Leicester.

Pompey chief Milan Mandaric revealed he had asked three clubs for permission to approach their managers to replace sacked Alain Perrin.

Although both men have refused to discuss the outcome, Warnock has declared he will still be in the dug-out when Paul Sturrock’s Wednesday side make the trip to Bramall Lane on Saturday.

Portsmouth want a new man in place as soon as possible, with Warnock the favourite, but his revelation suggests the battle for his heart and mind is far from over.

McCabe, a persuasive negotiator, still believes that by offering Warnock an olive branch he can foil the Premiership club’s challenge.

“I’ll be managing against Sheffield Wednesday so you can presume what you like,” Warnock told reporters over the weekend.

“I read stories daily. Some journalists never let the facts get in the way of a good story. But there’s no smoke without fire is there – sometimes.

“All I’m interested in is getting these lads out on the training ground for what is a massive game. I’ve said all along that if we could be in touch with the top two at Christmas then we’d be in with a great chance of promotion from the Championship.”

McCabe is one of Warnock’s most loyal allies on the United board, and with Portsmouth reportedly ready to pay £3.5million over three and a half years for Warnock’s services, it is that close personal bond, combined with United’s encouraging start to the campaign, which represents the Blades best chance of persuading him to remain in south Yorkshire.

Joe Jordan was still in temporary charge of Portsmouth’s training at Eastleigh today – with Perrin’s two French assistants Christophe Galtier and Gilles Bourge.

Laurent Robert, the club’s on-loan French winger who was dropped from Saturday’s defeat by Chelsea, is facing another fine for speaking out in a newspaper column.

The 30-year-old, who is a Pompey player for at least the rest of the season - Newcastle will not even consider having him back because of past clashes with managers Sir Bobby Robson and Graeme Souness – insists: “There are still people at this club who want me out.

“Every time we lose and play badly it seems it is my fault. Joe Jordan came to me on Friday and told me I was not playing and said I had to train with three kids. I am very upset about it.”