Avram Grant took over from Paul Hart in November 2009

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant has been hit with an improper conduct charge by the Football Association.

The charge follows the 54-year-old Israeli's half-time outburst at referee Kevin Friend during Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Sunderland.

Grant confronted Friend on the pitch after he turned down two Pompey penalty appeals and red-carded Ricardo Rocha.

The Pompey boss has until 18 February to respond to the charge, which will be heard by 5 March.

Friend initially showed midfielder Hassan Yebda the red card for clipping Darren Bent's heels as the Sunderland striker bore down on goal.

But defender Rocha owned up and was sent off, leaving Bent to score from the resulting penalty on 12 minutes.

At the interval Grant remonstrated with the referee, who also dismissed Sunderland's Lee Cattermole and David Meyler in the second half.

Speaking after Aruna Dindane's 96th-minute equaliser at Fratton Park earned his side a precious point, the Portsmouth boss said: "In the last 10 days too many decisions have gone against us.

"I can fight against everything but sometimes it is too much."

The draw left the south coast side rooted to the bottom of the table, eight points away from safety.

Grant's charge completed a miserable week for debt-ridden Portsmouth, who on Wednesday narrowly avoided a court winding-up petition over an unpaid VAT bill of £7.5m.

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