PHOTO CREDIT: Daily Mail
PK’s Premiership/PATRICK KINMARTIN
The front lever on Newcastle’s head coaching application box is still lying flapped open. Frankly, Tottenham’s probably should be. And Fulham’s could fall forward sooner than everyone thinks to watch out for.
In other words, that’s three reasons right there to speculate over Harry Redknapp possibly leaving Portsmouth. Add those to the list of possibilities not limited to the famed successful-yet-slippery manager falling into another aggressive bungs investigation or taking his general expression of disinterest on the bench to the next level by finally calling it quits for good (hey, the man is 61.)
There is another reason to wonder how tenuous the gaffer position at Pompey might be currently. Because for every moment Redknapp grows seemingly more bored and equally cranky over the club’s innate inability to be competitive on par with the league’s top shelf, Tony Adams is budding toward the task of attaining No. 1 status on staff.
Suggesting there is a fragment between the ambitions of Redknapp and Adams would be inaccurate. Their cohesion was evident Saturday when the two could be seen collaborating closely as usual during Portsmouth’s matchup with Aston Villa.
Really, it is that symmetry between Redknapp’s penchant for wearing thin at a consistent rate and Adams appearing more game than ever for the head spot that makes an impending changing of the guard at Fratton Park so believable.
In coaching years, Adams at age 42 is barely a shade older than baby-face bosses Roy Keane (37) and Gareth Southgate (38). The former Arsenal dynamo also is starting to get credit for having breached that line standing between big-money players and the legitimate intentions for pushing reputation aside for the purpose of paying dues in the coaching ranks.
Following his publicized reemergence from the depths of a nasty bout with post-playing career alcoholism, Adams went out and netted his sports science degree at Brunel University. Not long after came his first coaching break afforded the Wycombe Wanderers position in November 2003. It flopped alongside the organization’s relegation to League Two that season and subsequent struggles to battle back up, but Adams’ hat had been fully thrust into the middle of the coaching circle.
What really displayed Adams’ assertiveness down the road aimed at the major opportunities in the Prem was his eagerness to latch onto the vacant junior coaching gig at Feyenoord — a suitable big fish/small pond side on the Dutch scene for the likes of up and coming unprovens of the Adams mold. That role steered Adams to a short spell with Utrecht as a first team trainee coach.
Suddenly, Adams had himself some experience in the pocket to mix in with all the glitter emanating from his playing pedigree. Enter Redknapp.
Adams was hired into the partnership, becoming Harry Houdini’s replacement for outgoing Kevin Bond. That was one of a slew of moves made in the 2006 offseason that made way for Portsmouth to finish ninth in the Premier League — their highest standing since the 1950s — and last spring’s FA Cup title. Adams, for his part, looks like he is getting hip with this newly-powered Pompey stuff.
Beforehand, remember, he was openly dreamy about any potential for working under Arsene Wenger in a connection that might lead to the organization’s throne down the line. A development of that nature would truly cement him a Gunners god.
Now, the Redknapp link is playing out in somewhat similar fashion. Keane couldn’t wait around for certain dominoes to fall at Manchester United when Sunderland came calling. Adams is sitting in the same type of boat.
When will it actually set sail? That is for Captain Harry to decide, which explains why the only thing Adams remains intent on doing is hunkering down to stay aboard that faulty deck.
Wrapping up the rest of the Prem weekend…
OWED DRINKS: The slate of match officials undoubtedly thirsty alone from the activity of having to dole out five red cards combined among the 10 matches. No matter how they are performing execution-wise, head referees might already be working harder than ever in recent years just three months into this season.
OWES DRINKS: The 26 field players who participated in the Bolton-Blackburn bore at the Reebok Stadium, because they have to buy something since they pretty much couldn’t pay for a shot on goal if they wanted to in Saturday’s 0-0 draw. When it was over after 90 minutes, just one between both teams had been recorded.
GOAL FULFILLED: Dirk Kuyt’s 85th-minute winner in Liverpool’s 3-2 victory over Wigan at Anfield, which lacked complete flair but underlines the essence of this weekly award taking into account more quintessential aspects of working for goals that have just a smidge more than technical quality.
LET IT BE: Nine teams, or 45 percent of the league, failed to register a goal. Let’s see something similar happen two, maybe three more times before diagnosing as a trend.
SAY IT IS SO: That Carlos Tevez — the only member of Manchester United’s fab four not to score in Saturday’s 4-0 thrashing of West Brom — is starting to feel the snub. Any seeds of discontent planted now might just be capable of producing something magnificent within the league starring Tevez come January when the transfer window reopens.
3-POINT FINISH: In the early, early individual goal standings where most of the names at the top of the list are some of those most familiar suspects, it is Wigan’s Amr Zaki who is the leader with seven while not far behind is Bolton stalwart Kevin Davies. … Obafemi Martins returned from injury after his month away from Newcastle and the Magpies, with their 2-2 draw against Manchester City, remained unbeaten when the Nigerian nemesis is in the startling lineup this season (and 0-4-1 without him.) No irony there. Even if all your favorite TV pundits don’t proclaim the notion, there isn’t a single player more important to his team’s fortunes at the moment. … Hull City boss Phil Brown gave the club’s joyed supporters a stern warning at a booster rally following the 1-0 win over West Ham to keep the club’s rager of a start in an Earthly perspective. Here’s why: After going to West Brom this weekend, the Tigers host Chelsea on Oct. 29, go to Old Trafford three days later, get a brief favorable-matchup reprieve with a home match versus Bolton on Nov. 8 and then host Manchester City before going to Fratton Park to face Portsmouth.
