THE SUCCESSFUL Saints academy, and Pompey's lack of one, played a pivotal role in Steve Wigley's first Premiership win.

While Dexter Blackstock became the club's first academy product to score a league goal, Pompey's preparations were overshadowed by Harry Redknapp and Milan Mandaric's latest tiff - the foundations of which lie in the lack of a successful youth system at Fratton Park.

Redknapp blamed pre-match reports claiming that a director of football is set to arrive at Fratton Park for unsettling his side in the build-up to the first Hampshire derby of the season.

Mandaric is concerned about the lack of young players breaking into the first team at Pompey under Redknapp and reckons a director of football is the answer.

Others will argue that midfielder Gary O'Neil, who was played out of position on the right flank at St Mary's in his first Premiership start of the season, and 18-year-old reserve team striker James Keene are evidence of the young talent available at Fratton Park.

But Saints' academy is now beginning to bear real fruit and, as if to emphasies the point, 18-year-old Blackstock chose the occasion to open his Premiership account by cancelling out Pompey's bizarre opening goal.

Signed from Oxford United in September 2003, Blackstock is one of the most highly-rated teenage strikers in the country right now.

And Redknapp knows it.

"We've got great support and a good team but outside of that there's not a lot but. If you want a structure you have to build an academy like Southampton have done but it takes years to do and a lot of money, it's a big investment.

"That's the way forward, I accept that, every football club has to try and produce kids. It's the way to go if you can do it and no one knows that better than me.

"When I was manager at West Ham, I signed six of the best English kids produced by any Premiership club, with the exception of Manchester United.

"When I took over at West Ham they hadn't had a player come through their youth system for 12 years and suddenly we produced Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Jermain Defoe, Michael Carrick, Glen Johnson and Joe Cole.

"But to do that you need the facilities and a scouting system. It's a big, big job and will take an awful lot of money.

"That's the way forward but first and foremost you need to stay in the Premier League. You can't have a new stadium with only 12-13,000 in the first division. You have to stay in the Premier."

If Mandaric has any sense, he will bring on someone to set up an academy at Pompey but let Redknapp get on with the job he is doing with the first team.

Redknapp does not need any help in recruiting talent.

He is the glue that holds Pompey together, without him they would still be in the lower reaches of the Coca Cola Championship - at best.

After all, it was Redknapp that won Pompey promotion and kept them in the Premiership with the help of Paul Merson and Teddy Sheringham, two of the best buys of his managerial career.

And the arrivals of Yakubu, Patrik Berger and Lomana Lua Lua have made Pompey one of the most entertaining sides in the Premiership. If he goes, expect others to depart during the transfer window.

But it need not be like this.

All Redknapp needs is the sort of academy that Wigley helped to make such a success before he took over as head coach.

But if a director of football comes in, all of Redknapp's good work will be undone - and the next Hampshire derby on April 24th could be the last for many years.