One of the more intriguing news items to emerge this week was the arrival at Portsmouth of Velimir Zajec as executive director. The appointment came after weeks of speculation that Pompey's owner Milan Mandaric wanted to bring in a foreign 'presence', which all of football assumed would be some kind of coach or someone to take up that often vilified post of director of football.
The newspapers have been full of the disapproval of such a move by Harry Redknapp, who most people could have assumed was soon to vacate the job as manager of Portsmouth Football Club. But Harry has let us all know that he is the manager and will remain so despite the fact he has told anyone who will listen that he doesn't need a foreign coach to help him out and would not work under such circumstances.
You see, this is where the situation gets a little cloudy, for me anyway. Mandaric has assured Harry he will remain the manager and Zajec has stated that he will not interfere with the manager's job. I don't know if I am misinterpreting what has been said but it sounds to me like a stereo version of the old 'vote of confidence'. You know the one, a manager gets the publicly voiced support of the chairman and shortly afterwards is out of a job.
Zajec, who came to England after a spell as director of football at Panathinaikos, has stated: "I don't really have a job description. I'll see what the manager wants and needs from me and then see how best I can help."
Redknapp obviously held discussions with his chairman and has been quoted as saying: "Of course I considered my future. I'd have walked out if I hadn't heard what I wanted from the chairman. I am the manager and I've done a fantastic job. If someone interfered with what I've done I wouldn't stand for that."
I can't help but think back to when Liverpool appointed Gerard Houllier and Roy Evans as joint-managers. Everyone in football knew it wouldn't work and I suspect both Roy and Gerard had their reservations but gave it a go anyway.
It didn't last very long because the players were confused as to who they should go to or listen to. In the end Liverpool dispensed with the services of Roy Evans after more than three decades at Anfield and, in time, Gerard Houllier too left the club, after becoming the first Liverpool manager to be sacked in nearly 50 years.
I know in the past we have had fantastic managerial partnerships, Busby and Murphy, Clough and Taylor to name but two. But in those cases and of course in a different generation, each man's role was defined. Each knew where he stood and in the two partnerships I have quoted EVERYONE knew who was the boss.
I doubt that is the case at Fratton Park and the whispers have already started that the new executive director (although what that means when even he says he has no job description, heaven only knows) will step into the breach when Harry departs.
Harry is a good man and a very good manager. What he has done at Portsmouth should see him rivalling David Copperfield in Las Vegas. He does not deserve what amounts to mistreatment at a club that is a Premiership club because of what Harry and Jim Smith have done.
Two into one very definitely doesn't go.
