Pompey's Wilson backs administrator's knife

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PORTSMOUTH, England, March 1, 2010 (AFP) - Portsmouth defender Marc Wilson said things were looking up at the English Premier League's rock-bottom club now it is in the hands of the administrators.

The 22-year-old backed administrator Andrew Andronikou's plans to slash costs to the bone at the south coast club as the only way to keep Pompey running.

At least with a new man in charge, there's a fair chance he might get his wages on time.

"Obviously the club has been going through a lot of trouble," said Wilson.

"We are in administration but things are starting to look a little better now.

"We are starting to get paid. They are cutting the club to a minimum but I think that is the best way for the club to go forward.

"This is my first year playing a full season in the Premier League. It has been a hard season because it has been very physical, very demanding.

"It has been a tough learning curve this year. I prefer to play in a centre midfield holding role but I have been playing at centre-back.

"If I had been at another club, I would not have played as many games because other players would have come in and you are not as physically drained all time."

Portsmouth were condemned to relegation on Friday after becoming the first Premier League team to enter administration in a move designed to avoid the 112-year-old club going out of business altogether.

The decision means Portsmouth will automatically be docked nine points, a penalty which virtually guarantees they will drop to the second-tier Championship at the end of the season.

Portsmouth put their administration woes on hold on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Burnley in a relegation clash at Turf Moor between the Premier League's bottom two sides.

However, the victory hardly eased Pompey's relegation fears. They are five points from safety - but effectively 14 once the nine-point deduction for entering administration comes in.

Administration was inevitable following the failure of Portsmouth's Hong Kong-based owner Balram Chainrai's bid to find a buyer willing to bail out a business with debts in excess of 60 million pounds (90 million dollars).

Andronikou said there would be severe cuts to an operation which employs 600 people and said he would be seeking exceptional dispensation from FIFA to sell "one or two" of the club's players outside of the transfer windows.