Baffled Harry Heads For The Market Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp was left baffled after watching his lacklustre side succumb to a 2-0 defeat away

Redknapp watched on as Pompey, who have won nine of their last ten away matches, were second-best to eighteenth-placed Sunderland, Keiran Richardson scoring both goals for Roy Keane’s men as they secured all three points.

The 60-year old feels that the disappointing display was due to the weeks’ speculation, linking him to the managerial vacancy at Newcastle, and the loss of strikers John Utaka and Nkwankwo Kanu and midfielders Sulley Muntari and Papa Bouba Diop to international duty

“I don't know [what to put the defeat down to]. Nine out 10 [away games] we had won previous to today," he told Sky Sports.

"We started okay and Benjani [Mwaruwari] had a good chance to score. But once they scored we became ragged.

"It certainly wasn't one of our better performances. They [Sunderland] played well, they were dangerous. Full credit to them.

"We'll pick ourselves up again. It has been a draining week [for me]; we will recoup and pick the lads up for next week.”

Redknapp also feels that the club must invest in replacements for the players they have temporarily lost, at least for the short-term, to ensure their bid for European football isn’t derailed as it was during the last campaign.

"We need to strengthen a little bit. We are short; there is no doubt about that,” he added.

"We need to get one or two in this week to give us a little bit of strength and depth."