Five reasons why Tony Adams should feel very hard done by

Portsmouth sack luckless Adams after a home loss to Liverpool

Every Monday, chickendinner reveals five interesting stats about the weekend’s football. However, after the news broke last night that Tony Adams had been sacked by Portsmouth, this week we are instead providing five reasons to sympathise with the former Arsenal captain:

1. Adams was only given sixteen games in charge of Portsmouth this season, which was one game less than former Blackburn boss Paul Ince had.

2. Despite the criticisms of Portsmouth’s defence under Adams, they lost by three goals just twice in his 22 games this season. In comparison, Harry Redknapp lost four of his 13 games by three or more and all three of their heaviest defeats this season came under the stewardship of the Spurs’ boss.

3. Adams lost five of his first twelve Premier League games before being forced to sell Jermain Defoe. That again compares well with his predecessor, who lost seven of his last twelve as manager.

4. Portsmouth won one of their last twelve league games under Adams but before Christmas, Gianfranco Zola was on an identical run (W1 D4 L7) at West Ham. The last game of the Londoners’ sequence was an unlucky home defeat by a one goal margin to a top four side but they backed the manager and have since lost just one of seven and climbed nine places to eighth.

5. Three of the four clubs who have appointed three permanent managers in the same Premier League season have been relegated. Fulham resisted the temptation to add to that list last season after Roy Hodgson won just two of his thirteen games in charge and were rewarded with a great escape from relegation and a place in the top half this season.

Posted: February 9th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn |