Avram Grant set to succeed Adams at Portsmouth
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TONY ADAMS ON THE BRINK
Portsmouth boss clinging to job after horror defeat
FACE OF DESPAIR - Tony Adams during Portsmouth's 3-1 defeat to Fulham.
There is a belief within the club Adams is out of his depth after replacing Harry Redknapp.
TONY ADAMS was on the brink last night and faces an anxious 48 hours as his Portsmouth future hangs in the balance. The Pompey board will meet today to decide their manager’s destiny — but there seems little chance he can survive.
Adams is even questioning his own position after a humiliating 3-1 defeat at Fulham which could bring the curtain down on his three-month reign at Fratton Park. He still retains some support within the Portsmouth boardroom but after failing to win in the league since November 30, the tide has turned.
Eight matches without a win has seen the club plummet to within a point of the relegation zone and seems to have sealed the former England captain’s fate.
Pompey’s dismal run also saw them crash out of the FA Cup to Swansea last weekend. Adams considered resigning after the debacle at Craven Cottage but was persuaded not to make any rash decisions. He will have talks with chief executive Peter Storrie today before the board meet to decide his future. Sources close to the club believe it was only Storrie’s intervention which saved Adams from the exit immediately after the Fulham defeat.
One said: “The chairman thinks there are huge question marks over Tony’s ability to turn things around. It was as bad as it can get against Fulham and there is a major problem that needs to be sorted out quickly.”
Adams said after the game: “I do my job to the best of my ability but it has been a tough period. The last two months have been difficult both on and off the pitch.”
Adams has lost the likes of Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe in the transfer window for around £34million but has spent just a fraction of that on replacements Hayden Mullins and Pele, with Giovani Dos Santos looking likely to follow.
There is little doubt he is a victim of a lack of investment through Gaydamak’s determination to sell up. But there is also a belief within the club Adams is out of his depth after replacing Harry Redknapp in October last year.Morale is at rock bottom and that has left even the normally confident Adams doubting his own ability.
He was at his wits’ end in the aftermath of yesterday’s defeat, believing the axe would fall. But he calmed down enough to wait for a boardroom decision, which is likely to come tomorrow, if not before.
Rumours surfaced last weekend that Feyenoord were ready to provide Adams with an escape route from Fratton Park. He may now need it.
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i manage to save portsmouth from going down in my FM2009
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TONY ADAMS is facing the Portsmouth axe today with Avram Grant set to succeed him.
The Pompey boss has managed just two wins from 15 games. And he seems certain to be sacked — having told club officials he will NOT resign.
Ex-Chelsea chief Grant is a pal of Alexandre Gaydamak, the owner, and was once director of football at Fratton Park.
Gaydamak spoke at length about Adams’ position yesterday following the 3-1 loss at Fulham which left the club a point off the drop zone.
Yesterday evening, chief executive Peter Storrie and Adams were at the club to complete the £4million signing of Giovani Dos Santos from Spurs. But it still seems Adams’ days are numbered.
A Pompey spokesman insisted: “Our main priority at the moment is transfers, which Tony is very much part of.”
It appears Adams has been used to persuade players to join the club before being given the push. He faced a dressing room backlash from frustrated players, including keeper David James, following the defeat at Craven Cottage. The former England defender said: “I am no runner — I will still be here until they sack me. I’ve no fears about my future.
“After games, we have an open forum. I have no problems with that. Some of the lads are vocal, but quite a few of them are quiet.
“I’ve been angry in the dressing room before. Bolton was my first time. But everything is fine and I am still loving the job. The wife wants me at home, but only for childcare.
“We cannot continue with these defensive mistakes and we have to work hard on the training pitch. I will also be relieved when the transfer window shuts. Then, we can get on with things.”
Grant has received a string of job offers after being booted out by Chelsea at the end of last season. He turned down the offer to become the new Bulgaria manager last month to keep himself available for the Portsmouth job.
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OMG!!!!
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is this a joke?!
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now he has a chance to prove his worth.
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sigh another potential England mgr bites the dust. First Tony Adams,next to go will probably be Gareth Southgate. Scolari probably end of the season...
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Looks like some Portsmouth directors decided to give Adams a little more time... Really Bad Mistake...
I had hope they got themselves a new manager and the players will be fire-up to fight and play better this weekend to impress the new manager cos its against Pool... lol
But, too bad... Keeping Adams will only continue their fall... Really Bad Mistake by some directors...
Adams has never manage a top side before and he looks like he don't even have it in him at all... A really bad choice made by the Portsmouth directors... The same players Harry got them so high but under Adams... Going to get relegated.
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i will say grant will not do as well as he did with chelsea
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Of course he won't do better than at Chelsea... Just look at the resources Portsmouth have and you can't compare it to Chelsea... But I belief he could do much better than what Adams current is doing...