Avram Grant is pleased to be back in English football and insists Portsmouth are capable of avoiding relegation.
The Israeli, who will take charge of Pompey for the first time against Manchester United on Saturday, is set to be officially confirmed as the club’s new manager once his work permit has been sorted out.
Grant replaced Paul Hart who was fired after failing to lift the club off the foot of the Premier League table.
Although the club was handed a transfer ban earlier this season, Grant believes there is enough quality already on Pompey’s books to avoid the drop.
Grant said: “I had a lot of offers from other places but I waited for English football. I think the Premier League is the best league in the world. I am delighted to be back.
“I need to do a good job. I came here because the team is not in a good position.
“I love this club. I was here three years ago and I enjoyed it very much. It’s a big club and I think they deserve to be in the Premier League and I will do everything I can to make sure they stay there.
“I came as a director of football, which is a very important position now for teams, and I did that job when I came in 2006. It was good for me, good for the manager and good for the club, and I wanted to do it again. Unfortunately the board took a decision that I will now take this job.
“In football the results are important and what has happened has happened. I came to help this club and I am happy to do it now.
“I think that the spirit of the team is good, they have tried to play good football. They have been unlucky with results, even before I came here. But I think what is here is good enough to stay up.”
Grant replaced Jose Mourinho at Chelsea in 2007, leading the London side to runners-up spots in the Premier and Champions League, and he insists he is capable of replicating the success he enjoyed at Stamford Bridge.
“I think what is exciting in football is that no team is the same and has different situations,” he added.
“At Chelsea it was different, but when I went in there they were in a crisis and on the way down, but it turned out well in the end. Here we are bottom of the league, and it is a big challenge, but I think we deserve to stay in the Premier League.”
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