Brown urges Grant stay at Pompey

Brown urges Grant stay at Pompey

Published May. 6, 2010 5:41 a.m. ET

The midfielder has been an assured presence in a season of dramatic highs and lows at Fratton Park this campaign, with Pompey on the verge of their second FA Cup final in three years against Chelsea, despite being relegated from the Premier League and in administration. Grant's impact has not been lost on both his players and supporters, with the Israeli coach held in high regard for his heroics during such adversity after taking over last December. However his talents have not gone unnoticed by those of other clubs who may try to bring the former Chelsea coach out of the turmoil on the south coast to a more stable outfit, with West Ham linked with a move this summer. Grant has previously stated he would remain at Portsmouth if the club can sort out their financial woes, but Brown accepted that the decision may not be his manager's to make. "He's obviously a good manager," Brown told the The Portsmouth News. "He's done a great job under difficult circumstances and I'm sure the administrator is trying to get him to stay. "He's quite reserved and very relaxed in the dressing room. "As players, all we can do is concentrate on what we do and hopefully he is here next season." Grant boosted his popularity with supporters following their final home game of the season on Saturday by addressing the crowd with a microphone and delivering an inspiring speech However Brown admitted he was surprised to hear the 55-year-old deliver the message in such a fashion, initially comparing it to the infamous outburst of Norwich director and celebrity chef Delia Smith on the pitch in 2005. "I first thought there was a bit of Delia Smith going on!" he added. "I was halfway down the tunnel and then I heard a bit of speaking going on so I had to come back up again. "But everyone was cheering him on and the fans have taken to him in a big way here."

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