Hull City-Portsmouth Preview

Mar 19, 2010 - 4:00 AM Adam Carroll-Smith STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Portsmouth manager Avram Grant is ready to protest against the Premier League by fielding a deliberately weakened team at home to Hull on Saturday.

Pompey became the first team in Premier League history to be deducted nine points as punishment for going into administration earlier this week.

Angry Grant claims all focus at Fratton Park is on next month's FA Cup semi-final and he will hold a meeting with his players to discuss how to approach their remaining nine league fixtures.

Grant fumed: "It will be a democratic meeting but we will go with my decision in the end \2013 I cannot say what my team will be.

"What we do next I will tell you after I have spoken to the players. I want to know what their opinions are for what we do from now on.

"We do not have a duty to the other clubs in the Premier League, the Premier League has a duty to those clubs but we only have a duty to ourselves.

"I think the Premier League are embarrassed by Portsmouth.

"The writing was on the wall a long time ago and for me it is a sad day. It is a sad day for Portsmouth Football Club and for the Premier League.

"The Premier League is the best league in the world but for the first time in its history a football decision has been made not on the pitch but in some office.

"This is wrong, this is not good. I said we would fight against everything as long as we had a chance, now I do not know.

"All the time that we believed we could stay up we had something to fight for, and it is always easier when you have a target to aim for.

"Our target now is the semi-final and I am trying to win that."

Ironically Grant could have been swapping dugouts for this weekend's game after turning down an approach from Hull to become their new manager.

Grant admits he does not know if he will stay at Pompey beyond the end of the season.

The former Chelsea boss added: "I have a contract until 2012 but I have a clause, even with the contract, I can leave.

"I do not want to speak about whether I was or was not approached. Hull have a new manager and I wish him every success."

Hull new manager Iain Dowie insists he is the man to keep the Tigers in the Premier League.

Dowie has been placed in charge until the end of the season following Phil Brown's departure from the KC Stadium on Monday.

The former Crystal Palace and Charlton manager said: "I am not a gamble.

"Look at my record, it stands up. Would I like to stay beyond this season and shape a club? Of course I would, but let's deal with Premier League survival first.

"I cannot wait to get started. I want the pressure cooker atmosphere again."