Post by Salem6 on Feb 9, 2009 11:54:48 GMT
Portsmouth have sacked manager Tony Adams and first-team coach John Metgod following a run of poor results.
A Portsmouth statement confirmed: "This has been a difficult decision and Tony has worked tirelessly to arrest the slump in form."
Portsmouth have won only two of their 16 Premier League matches since Adams, 42, took charge back on 28 October.
Former West Ham manager Alan Curbishley and ex-Chelsea boss Avram Grant have been touted as possible replacements.
Director of youth operations Paul Hart will take over as caretaker manager.
On Saturday, Pompey were beaten at home by Liverpool despite leading 2-1 with only five minutes to go.
Prior to the defeat by Liverpool - their seventh loss in eight games - Adams had insisted he had the backing of the club chiefs.
Portsmouth are currently 16th in the table, one point above the relegation zone, with 14 games to play.
The club's statement added: "The owner and the board feel they have been as supportive as they can during a period when results have been poor.
"The team has played well but too many points have been dropped from winning positions.
"The priority for the club is to remain in the top flight and we feel the appointment of a new manager will give us the best opportunity to enable us to do this."
Adams has been hamstrung - Dixon
Adams was appointed at the end of October when Harry Redknapp, who guided Pompey to FA Cup glory last season, decided to take the Tottenham job.
The former Arsenal and England captain was named as Redknapp's number two in 2006, after an ill-fated spell in charge of Wycombe and coaching jobs in the Netherlands with Feyenoord and Utrecht.
At Wycombe, the Gunners legend won only 12 of his 53 games in charge, losing 20.
However, Adams' former Arsenal team-mate Nigel Winterburn feels it is wrong to solely blame the manager for poor results.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Tony will be very, very frustrated - he was a fantastic leader on the football pitch, but being a manager is a different animal.
"It is always the manager who takes the blame as he is the one who sends the players out.
"But I think you also have to look at the players. They are the ones who play for 90 minutes and if they don't perform properly, they have to take some of the responsibility as well.
"It is too easy to look only at the manager when a team goes on a poor run - we should look at the players as well.
"Portsmouth have put in some terrific performances but they just could not get a win, and individual errors have cost them dearly in several games this season."
news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/7878084.stm
