Tony Adams holds no grudge against Portsmouth and is confident they will beat the drop.

The sacked Blues manager told The News: "It's obviously a sad time for me. I thought the timing was strange and the club have pressed the panic button. But I wish this football club and their fans all the very best. They deserve to remain in the Premier League and I'm confident they will.

"I would like to say thank you to all the fans out there. They will never lose my admiration. They have been magnificent. Their reaction at the weekend was inspiring. It gave me a tremendous amount of encouragement to get on with the job and enjoy the challenges.

"That was amazing for me. It made me feel very honoured and I felt we could have driven this club onwards together. For two-and-a-half years they were great to me. In car parks and around the club, they have always been very warm and welcoming.

"Take out the two or three idiots after the Fulham game and their support has been magnificent. The best in the business. I'm not just saying this, it's the truth. They could have shouted 'Tony Adams out' but didn't and I would like to think that was because they recognised the way in which the team was performing and working.

"Unfortunately others didn't quite see it that way but that's football. I still believe there are some good players still here and there are other clubs worse off than us.

"I'm sure Portsmouth Football Club will be fine - and they definitely deserve to be with those fans behind them."