PORTSMOUTH’S players stuck the knife into Tony Adams after the 3-2 home defeat by Liverpool.
PORTSMOUTH’S senior players stuck the knife into Tony Adams after the 3-2 home defeat by Liverpool.
Owner Sacha Gaydamak had initially been prepared to give Adams more time — despite his despair at Pompey conceding two goals in the last five minutes on Saturday. But SunSport has learned that one senior player, supported by his colleagues, contacted Gaydamak to tell him the dressing room no longer had any confidence in Adams and the manager had to go.
Gaydamak further canvassed opinion among board members. And by Sunday morning he decided he had no option but to sack Adams, with the club one point above the relegation zone having won only TWO of their last 16 league games.
It was a brutal end to Adams’ reign but his players no longer had any faith in him. They were shocked during the Liverpool clash that, after going 2-1 ahead, Adams did not seem capable of employing the right tactics to shore the game up and make sure of three points — or one, at the very least.
And, when the match ended, they were equally surprised to return to the changing room and be praised for their performance rather than get a rollicking. The sight of assistant boss Johnny Metgod laughing and joking with one of the Liverpool goalscorers, fellow Dutchman Dirk Kuyt, did not go down well either.
The perception was of a rudderless ship heading towards the rocks. For all Adams’ experience as a masterful defender with Arsenal and England, as a manager he was all at sea.
A week earlier, Gaydamak had sought the opinion of Pompey’s senior stars after the 3-1 defeat at Fulham and was persuaded to give the fledgling boss more time, having been in charge less than four months.
Adams, 42, had been forced to sell key players like Lassana Diarra and Jermain Defoe which hardly helped his cause, with Gaydamak refusing to bankroll the club any more. But the writing was already on the wall. Once it became known the owner was airing his doubts, there was no way back.
The players had been given the power to rule on when, or if, Adams should go and over the weekend they sharpened the blade. It was player-power laid bare. Those Adams thought he could trust had done for him. A Fratton Park insider said: “Gaydamak could not keep Adams on once he heard what the players were thinking.
“The manager had lost the dressing room completely and was made to pay the price. “Although Portsmouth played well for a large part of the Liverpool game, the team needed direction to hold on to the lead and didn’t feel they got that. “And Adams’ attitude in the dressing room afterwards was little more than, ‘Never mind lads, better luck next time’.
“But that’s not enough. A manager has to show direction and leadership, so the players have a man they can believe in and someone they are prepared to put their body on the line for.
“Adams might have brought out that spirit as a captain at Arsenal but he couldn’t do it as a manager.”
Adams said: “I’m a little bit surprised but results haven’t been good. I haven’t had a lot of time and I certainly haven’t had the financial backing. We’ve had a few injuries as well and that’s tough to take.
“It has not turned me off management. I’ve just got to make sure I get all the parameters right before I walk into the next one. “I can’t wait to get back in and have another bash. But I won’t be impulsive. I’ve got to learn from that and make sure I get things right.”
