EX-SAINTS striker Iain Dowie has been installed as the early favourite to take over at Pompey if Avram Grant leaves.

Grant is reported to be the leading candidate to replace Gianfranco Zola at West Ham.

Even at prohibitive odds of 1/8, Sky Bet still report money being placed on Grant to move to Upton Park.

The Israeli is free to make the move after Portsmouth administrator Andrew Andronikou confirmed that the south-coast club will not demand any compensation for the remaining three years of his contract.

Grant’s departure is expected to trigger a mass exodus from Fratton Park this summer.

Sky Bet go 7/4 that none of the eleven players that started against Chelsea in the FA Cup final are still at the club at the start of next season.

Dowie, whose future as Hull City manager is in doubt, is Sky Bet’s 5/1 early favourite to take over from Grant at Fratton Park.

Ex-Saints bosses Glenn Hoddle (8/1), Graeme Souness (12/1) and Nigel Pearson (16/1) are also mentioned as potential Pompey managers while Kevin Keegan is a 33/1 outsider.

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway, Sam Allardyce and ex-Saints manager Dave Jones are reported to be on the Hammers’ shortlist along with Grant.

Holloway and Jones go head-tohead in the Championship play off final at Wembley this Saturday.

It is estimated that the victors at Wembley on Saturday stand to earn as much as £90million from promotion to the Barclays Premier League.

Blackpool have not been in the top flight since 1971, while Cardiff were last in it in 1962.

Both clubs have played in what is now League Two in recent years – in fact, they were both promoted from the basement division in 2000/01.

Ex-Saint Brett Ormerod, who played for the Tangerines when they went up that year, will be a key member of Holloway’s side at Wembley.