On this day: Redknapp insists his Pompey job is safe

The Blues boss hit out at accusations the Russian wanted to boot him out of Fratton Park.

He struck back by defiantly insisting to The News he was the best man to get Pompey out of trouble.

Redknapp, who was on a break in Dubai, got a call from co-owner Gaydamak telling him reports he faced the axe were wrong.

The Fratton manager had similar backing from chairman Milan Mandaric – who was also in Dubai – but not with Redknapp.

Mandaric and Gaydamak were unhappy at a return of just one point from the past 18 games despite £12m being spent in the transfer window.

But their unease did not extend to making a managerial switch.

Mandaric revealed his support for Redknapp in The News 24 hours earlier – despite texts to his mobile demanding the Londoner should go.

Redknapp hoped to return from Dubai recharged for Pompey’s final 12 games of the season when they needed to bridge an eight-point gap to safety.

Speaking to The News, he said: ‘I believe I’m the best person to turn it around. I have total faith in myself.

'I think Milan Mandaric and everyone else at the club believes that.

'They have not told me anything other than that they are behind me 100 per cent.

‘I have spoken to Sacha Gaydamak and he said the stories about him wanting me out are absolute rubbish.

'He said he was 100 per cent behind me.

‘And I spoke to Milan Mandaric and he said the same. So I don’t believe there’s a problem.

‘We’ve just all got to stick together and produce a run of results.

'It was hard work getting to the Premier League, and we want to stay there.

‘No-one said it was going to be easy, that’s for sure.

'Whoever took over knew it was going to be a hard job. I knew what I took on. I knew I had a hard job on my hands trying to keep Pompey up.

‘I could have stayed at Southampton and got them in the play-offs, but I wanted to come here.

‘And I will give everything I’ve got to keep Pompey up.

‘I’m fighting to make sure we stay up, and I’ll fight to the end to do it.

'I still believe we can do it. It’s not impossible. It’s not all over yet.’