Adams pledges referee support

Adams: Understanding

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Tony Adams has vowed not to overreact to refereeing decisions even if he doesn't necessarily agree with them.

The news comes as a rather unexpected boost to the Football Association's 'Respect' campaign, as a number of referees have been subjected to a torrent of abuse from managers who allege that standards are slipping.

After admitting to abusing officials during his playing career with Arsenal, Adams admits he sympathises with the referees and the situations they have to deal with.

The Pompey boss, though, says it is difficult sometimes for a coach not to react badly to a decision that has gone against his team.

Worry

"There is a lot of worry and stress out there about whether you will be in a job next week," Adams told the Portsmouth News.

"And when there is that kind of intensity people do things they would not normally do.

"Nobody is perfect. I can get things wrong and so can referees.

"There is so much pressure on everybody, so much fear, that I can quite understand when people lose it now and then.

Human

"I understand, though, that referees are only human, too, and that it is a difficult game to referee now because of the pace of it.

"So I will try to count to 10 and give them the benefit of the doubt - although I haven't been tested (as a manager) in that way yet.

"I am going to support them as much as I can - although they need to give us 10 penalties a year," he joked.