Paul Hart fearless about his job

Paul Hart fearless about his job

Portsmouth boss Paul Hart says he does not fear for his job, despite his side's woeful start to their Premier League campaign.

The Fratton Park outfit have lost all of their opening six league matches and are currently pointless at the bottom of the table.

Hart has been made the bookmakers' favourite to be the next Premier League manager relieved of his duties ahead of his side's home clash with Everton ton Saturday lunchtime.

But when asked if he felt under pressure, the former Nottingham Forest manager said: "From what? Pressure to get the results - I want to get a result. That's what I'm about.

"What have I got to fear? I know what I do day in, day out and I have no fears about that.

"It's not me that's going to make decisions like that and it's not something I think about every waking hour.

"I'm not an owner. I'm a manager, a coach and that's what my job is."

He added: "There were a number of names touted around that were going to take the manager's job on, but there's only me here.

"I'm still here, I'm still backing the club and I think we can turn it around. I'm the man for the job."

Following reports Hart walked out of his Everton pre-match press conference on Thursday lunchtime after tough questions were asked about his future, the club released a statement to deny this.

A spokesman told their official website: "Paul did not walk out on the press. He answered all the questions put to him before the conference was halted by the club's director of communications, Gary Double.

"He was then led away to conduct other media interviews as is normal practice.

"Despite the difficult circumstances the club finds itself in, Paul has always carried out his media obligations before and after matches and has never walked out of a press conference or interview."

While Hart admits errors have cost his side dearly this term, he believes there have been positives to take from their six defeats.

He said: "A lot of good things have happened in the games and we have to concentrate on them.

"The lads are equally keen to put this record straight and I think keeping the spirits up is about concentrating on what we're doing right.

"Apart from working with them every day, I'm not sure I know how much else to do.

"We work, we talk, we look at things we do wrong and try to improve on the things we do right.

"We've created chances in all the games we've played this season. We've certainly dominated the last two in terms of possession.

"We've had strikes in excess of the opposition. If anything, we just need one of those to go in.

"I think the players are still getting used to playing with each other and we've shot ourselves in the foot in the last couple of games - it's not the opposition tearing us apart."

Saturday's clash with Everton sees former Portsmouth skipper Sylvain Distin return to Fratton Park following his move to the Toffees at the end of last month's transfer window.

While Hart wishes the Frenchman was still in Pompey colours, he admits he could not fault his contribution to the cause.

Hart said: "Sylvain was a great player and it's well documented how much we valued him.

"Unfortunately, the situation wasn't something I could do very much about and we were disappointed to lose him.

"Along with Sol Campbell, Herman Hreidarsson, Glen Johnson, David James and Peter Crouch, he turned in some magnificent performances last season."