Manchester United boss believes that strugglers are in a false position

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed that Premiership strugglers Portsmouth are in a false position, and that they have deserved to take more points than they have earned this season.

The club’s owners this week decided to part company with manager Paul Hart, who has been replaced by former Chelsea boss Avram Grant, but Ferguson believes that Hart was possibly unlucky to be fired.

The Scot said:

"Portsmouth have some very good players,

"I have looked at their videos and they may be in a false position.

"But being bottom of the league does create a reaction from owners and management of a club.

"It doesn't matter which club it is, when you have a change of ownership there will be a certain amount of disruption,

"You get new policies coming in, or there might be a new financial outlook. You can see how it can have an effect on the pitch.

"And owners of a club don't like to see their team at the bottom of the league. That is the danger position.

"If you are third or fourth bottom you think everything will be OK. But when you see your team going bottom it creates a dread about where they are going to be next season."

Portsmouth are 9/1 (Bet365) to beat Manchester United on Saturday