The former assistant to Harry Redknapp, who quit Fratton Park for Tottenham earlier in the season, has endured a mixed start to his first managerial role in the Barclays Premier League.

Initial defeats at Liverpool and, more disappointingly, at home to Wigan were followed by a five-match unbeaten run which came to an end with Thursday's UEFA Cup defeat at Wolfsburg.

That streak included just two wins, however, and saw Pompey develop a worrying habit of conceding soft goals.

Nowhere was that new defensive fallibility more in evidence than at the Volkswagen Arena, where David James, twice, Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin all failed to cover themselves in glory.

Indeed, all of the Germans' goals in their 3-2 victory - which knocked Pompey out of the UEFA Cup at the group stage - could, and probably should have been prevented.

Adams insists, though, that after a hectic start to his reign, which has taken in eight games in little over a month, he has not yet been able to imprint his philosophy on the players due to a sheer lack of preparation time between matches.

Portsmouth face West Brom on Sunday and Adams admitted: "I'd like a little bit more time to prepare from game to game. I do like getting on the training pitch and working with the guys.

"I enjoy that a great deal and I think it does benefit our team to do some work in training, so that's a little bit frustrating.

"But I've been here two-and-a-half years and I think they know me, I will prepare as best I can, ready to get the three points against West Brom."

The manner of Thursday's defeat, sealed by James' latest moment of calamity, has been difficult to take for players who were already hurting from their last-gasp concession of a two-goal lead against AC Milan a week previously.

But Adams does not believe he will have a problem rousing them for their clash with the Premier League's bottom side.

"I think they're professionals and I'll get in there - it felt like a blow last week after the Milan game," he said.

"They gave me everything and I'm very proud of them. I've got a good bunch of guys and I think it will be okay, they will respond positively.

"I suppose I'm going to have to do my job, get in there and help them a little bit."

Armand Traore, who was in fine form at Wolfsburg until he picked up a hamstring problem, is a doubt for tomorrow's match, although Adams was boosted by Niko Kranjcar and Jermain Defoe, who have both been struggling with injuries of late, coming through unscathed.

Adams said of Traore: "It's not a full hamstring pull, I think we took him off in time, but he did feel it."

He added: "Niko came through it fantastically, more than I thought he would do.

"Jermain's got no pain, so there are plenty of positives."