Arsene Wenger says Tony Adams should be given time to prove his worth at Portsmouth, and warns that England will never produce top managers if clubs continue to sack them in panic after six months.

Adams, formerly Wenger’s title-winning captain at Arsenal, takes his Portsmouth team to the Emirates Stadium this afternoon under mounting pressure after winning only three of his first 14 games since taking over from Harry Redknapp at the end of October. A bad result, after embarrassing defeats by Bolton and West Ham, would leave Adams’ future in jeopardy should Portsmouth struggle at home to Bristol City in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Wenger, however, insists it is far too early to pass judgment on Adams. He said: “I hope he is given time. The pressure was on Roy Keane, then Paul Ince, now Tony. People complain there are no English managers at the top, but they will only succeed if they get time.”

Ricky Sbragia, who took over as caretaker manager when Keane left Sunderland earlier this month, was yesterday awarded an 18-month contract by the club after overseeing a three-match unbeaten run.

Wenger says having a stellar reputation as a player could be a double-edged sword. He explained: “It gives you a fast track into management, but that can be a trap. With a big name comes a higher expectation level. You are expected to win the title straight away because you won it as a player.” Directors and club owners were starting to panic because of increasing financial pressures, he said. “In today’s climate, I don’t know if I would have been given the time to succeed at Arsenal.”

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Adams says: “The trouble with this country is that we rip up and discard generations of good coaches. This industry does that to you. Roy Keane left Sunderland, then the wolves moved to Incey’s door. Gareth Southgate is hanging in there because he’s got a great chairman [Steve Gibson] behind him at Middlesbrough. This game can kill you very quickly, and it could be my turn next week.”