THFC1882 welcomes back Rob for another guest blog. In June Rob wrote this about Harry Redknapp. So have the last five months changed Rob’s opinions? Has the manager won him over? Read on to see what Rob has to say:
Five months ago I asked this blog site if I could do an article on Harry Redknapp. The season had ended in dismal failure (in terms of we didn’t achieve a Champions League position) and it seemed like every Spurs fan was talking about the managerial status of Harry. Yet I still asked!
As I was writing my Jerry Maguire type mission statement while getting my little boy back to sleep late one June evening I tried to see the discussion from both sides and put the case for and against Mr Redknapp staying in the job or leaving. Obviously I had my own opinion, which I did express at the end of the piece, but I tried not to make that the object of the piece. As it was the hot potato topic at the time it got a lot of feedback and as expected some were agreeing with my own views, some vehemently disagreeing and a few just saying I know nothing and shouldn’t have had the audacity to even write the piece in the first place! With the third international break in full flow and Spurs flying high, I thought what better time to revisit the subject and reflect on my own article and how things might have changed.
Now, if you think this is now going to become a Harry Redknapp love in, stop reading right here. Let me tell you it isn’t. We are currently on a fantastic run but I don’t get swayed with such things or fair weather public opinion, my views are my views no matter how we are doing at the current time. Don’t get me wrong if I think I am wrong or have been proved incorrect I am more than happy to admit that too. I also respect what Harry has done for the club, no question about it and always have, but certain underlying factors that haven’t changed make me feel he still should have gone in the summer.
Since my article was published certain issues have been resolved, for the time being anyway. Luka Modric and the summer transfer window being two of them. Whether Redknapp had anything to do with either is questionable with Daniel Levy being key to both. Being the brilliant business man that he is, he wasn’t prepared to let Chelsea prove him a mug over Modric and quite rightly dug his heels in and proved that a player signing a contract actually means something. This may not necessarily be the case next summer but that will depend on what Levy told Luka and where we finish in the league. Harry whilst not getting ‘involved’ as such was still very vocal and tried to disrupt the process with some ill-advised interviews on the subject but Modric could have handled it better as well.
The summer transfer window was typical Spurs, with everything being done at the last minute as per usual, even though deals had been mooted long before. To be fair to Harry who he got in, Friedel, Adebayor and especially Parker, have all proved their worth, what we needed and have made us a much better team. The interesting thing for me was the fact hardly any money has been spent at all. This to me could mean one of three things. We didn’t have the money and/or ENIC have stopped investing. It was tied up in other areas, NDP being the principle suspect here or Levy doesn’t want to give it to Harry to spend as the future is, let’s say unclear. My suspicions would actually be a bit of all three. ENIC certainly haven’t been pouring money in for the last few transfer windows, a certain amount of finance has been seemingly put towards the ground issue and the on-going situation with Harry either going to England or getting into legal hot water, the latter taking an uncomfortable turn and very real possibility with him facing a trial in January of next year, make giving him free rein an impractical thing for Levy to do. In truth I think Harry has lost the boardroom support he once had. The trial could obviously make all discussions, debates and arguments null and void if Redknapp were found guilty of tax evasion. Surely he would be sacked. Has Levy already thought of this possibility and drawn up a shortlist of potential suitors or will he let Joe Jordan and Kevin Bond steer the ship until the summer? If Harry does get found guilty then he will never be England manager for sure so would we regret not acting this summer to avoid this mess. The fact of the matter was how could Levy act in the summer? Harry had just led us to the quarter-finals of the champions league at the first attempt and fifth in the league, slightly harsh to get rid of him but Chelsea finished second and still did it to their manager!
Another point in my first article was the fact that Redkanpp can’t help but talk to the media on any given subject and was disrespecting fans that dared to voice their own opinion on the end of season run. This hasn’t changed until recently, as all summer and the early part of the season, especially when we were getting trounced by the Manchester clubs, he was all over Sky Sports. Maybe he should have concentrated on his actual club rather than his Sky Sports fantasy team! The Van der Vaart spat didn’t help and as usual got played out in the media rather then it being a private affair and him talking up every team and manager we played against drove me mad. He has actually quietened down since we have been on this brilliant run and as much as I wouldn’t wish him ill and I hope he is fit and ready to return soon, maybe his recent treatment will keep him out of the spotlight even more. He also won’t be able to talk about certain subjects for legal reasons and therefore might not be so inclined to pop in and say hello to a microphone. The fans that were so scathing of him at the end of last season have been silent recently in the main but they are still there I am sure waiting for any slip, any mistake that they can jump on. This can’t be good for the community and harmony of the club as we all want a successful team and it would be better to show the support for the manager as well as the team if we could.
For me, as much as Harry might be one of the best man managers around, his tactical nous and decision making are poor. Most of this season, late or wrong substitutions have been taking place and there have been questionable tactics and team selections (mostly the first few games when his hands were slightly tied). With an Ancelotti (my preferred choice) in charge we could certainly improve on this. Once again though to be fair to Redkanpp, he has worked out our best team and way of playing and utilising players in their correct position is paying dividends.
I don’t want anyone reading this article to think that I am making a personal attack on Harry Redknapp as all I am really thinking about is my beloved Spurs. The club comes before any player or manager. I actually don’t mind him in general and I love how he has transformed the club, albeit from the false position when he took over, to knocking on the door of Champions League football every year. He is a happy go lucky kind of guy and I hope his heart problem is not a serious one, but as much as what he brings to the club on the pitch, the things he brings off it aren’t what I want my club to represent and are affecting matters within it that will eventually get down to pitch level. Whatever the next few months bring and I am confident it will be good times rather then bad, I will stand behind Redknapp until his era draws to a close as he is the general of our ship. Love him or hate him, and I know whatever views you have won’t change, for the time being he is here to stay.
COYS
Rob ( @essexlad13 on Twitter )
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Rob, I’d be glad for your follow-up thoughts about the growing versatility Bale and Lennon show on/from their opposite-from-usual sides. Harry’s taken a lot of criticism for switching them over, but it seems to be paying off, with Lennon’s recent goal a good example. What do you think?
Perhaps I should be clearer what I mean. Once concern I have about Bale is that he can be too predictable down the left. Ditto Lennon on the right. Putting more combinations in their attack seems all to the good.
My opinion in the summer is the same as it is now. Harry did a cracking job for us last season and I would take fifth place for that amazing debut champions league every time. His signings this summer have been frankly inspired and i am sure that one of the main reasons some of our superstar players are still at this club are because of him. Rob, I can see your article to a certain extent is balanced, but Harry is the best manager I have seen at spurs in my 23 years supporting them and the day we lose him and his wonderful style of play he brings to this team to me is a sad day. Harry i f’ing love you mate and everything you’ve done for my team
I moaned about Harry at various points last season and during the summer, but how can you argue with 2.2 points per game? (on course for 83 points – doesnt that sound mental? How awful can his tactics be – I wouldnt have done the same things on many occasions but we still got the points – isnt that what its all about after all?
He will always talk too much but that is something I can put up with (until the next time he irritates me).
I dont care how much financial backing he had from Levy – we managed to strengthen our starting eleven considerably and get rid of tons of dead wood whilst making loads of money – how can that be criticised?
I was critical of his squad management last season but he seems to have got that spot on in the Europa, blooding young players and not knackering the first teamers.
Overall, there is almost nothing to complain about and its a great time to be a Spurs fan.
Harry’s future is uncertain but he has helped turn us into a club that top quality managers like Ancelotti would be interested in managing – could you imagine that a few years ago?
You must be crazy if you think Levy wants Redknapp out. He’s about to offer him another contract, despite the out-come of the court case still unknown. As for Harrys’ input over the summer, he had to bend Levys’ arm back to get Parker, as he did last year with Gallas. AND with Friedel – Levy wouldn’t sanction David James’ transfer but did with Friedel, a subtle change there… Some of your fears don’t really relate to the facts, mate. And Harry won’t go to jail. At most breach FA rules which may make it impossible to keep him. It’s Very Terribles all over again :{ I think Harry’s the best manager we had that I’ve witnessed, having caught the back-end of KB but was really too young to appreciate that side of it. I hope Harry’s here ’till he’s 74.
And re the board, they backed this club embarrassingly so during a two year period {or so} when buying the likes of Bentley, Bent, Pav, Modric – the list goes on. To expect or even want us to sustain that level of investment… I’m glad they’ve stopped all that. Was needed at the time, maybe, but we’re in a different place now. We can’t be spending that sort of money on players who can’t touch the 1st team or going along with quotes like we got for Henderson and Carroll. Suarez was our only mistake. He would have been fantastic but then he is a bit of a tosser.
A sad article by a supposed fan who doesn’t know what his talking about. A tactically naive manager who decision making is poor wouldn’t have been able to get to a Wembley final, get us to 4th and 5th in successive seasons, get us to a quater final of the Champions League and get us back on course like we have this season. The only poor decision making I see here is the one made to invite you to write the article in the first place. Stick to blogging about the X Factor or Britain’s Got Talent as you obviously don’t know anything about football.
Good piece again Rob. I have to say that I am far from won over by Harry but it is increasingly difficult to argue with our record this season & some of the stuff we have played going forward has been a joy.
I guess that it all comes down to how much you believe Harry is responsible for the improvement. The 5-1 defeat against City was so bad that it was embarrasing and there is no doubt that Harrys selection & the way the team was set up for that game contributed heavily to the result. What it did do however was open his eyes to playing 2 def midfielders together. No doubt the transfers have helped massively – Parker has been an absolute revelation whilst Adebayor has given an option up front we havent had for a long time – but as big a factor has been the fitness of Ledley who has been outstanding. What we now have is a spine of King, Parker & Ade and that is as strong as any team in the country. Tactically his substitutions are inept and again at Wigan when the whole world could see we needed another defensive midfield presence preferably with a bit of height to nullify Wigans tactics Sandro sat on the bench whilst JD was introduced.
Still what the previous posters have said is correct, this is a great time to be a Spurs supporter & we are playing some attractive fluent football that is a joy to watch so the chances are my cynicism of Rednapp is misplaced
Dixon – that’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? He’s entitled to his opinion! Plenty of people agree with that viewpoint, Harry has shown a frustrating lack of tactical nous at times, plenty of times I’ve disagreed with his substitutions and match tactics. His win record is good and there’s no doubt he has achieved, but has he reached the summit of where he can take us? I don’t know but not going to hammer anyone for their view on it!
Rob – good article mate, I too find myself somewhat conflicted after being really annoyed with some of the things HR said and did at the back end of last season. This season has been refreshing though – we are still some way off 1st/2nd place but I think that 3rd/4th could be in our sights. Where I see us struggling is that even if we get CL again, not sure that HR has the pull to bring in some star names. Ancelotti definitely would have the clout to bring in those names, help push us on to regular CL entry.
Dixon – it saddens me to see when fans slate another fan because they hold a different viewpoint to you. Football is all about opinions, if we all agreed it would be boring.
As Ciaran points out, many question his tactics/subs and he’s got away with it. Fair play for the run we’re on and bringing in Parker, Ade and Friedel, can’t knock that or the run we’re on. Lets hope it continues. COYS
Arry doesn’t do tactics THIS HE ADMITTED ,but they way some go on arry is a great tatician,great person ,great this great that,jesus the guys a bloody genius,so why hasnt he won LOADS of trophies in 30yrs or more
DAN LEVY has done brilliant for this club over last 9yrs building this team along with Comolli and Jol and others let us not forget last yr againest INTER and AC i think it was 2players out of 11 where wat arrys brought or asked didnt ave a clue about Sandro,and he had to ask his son about VDV [pass] thats after three yrs .Hasgenerally cained some of the players that he never brought ie BENT never slagged off Crouch ,Keane for there continual garbage on the football pitch to quick to slag lennon but not crouch in madrid
In an sense he has been lucky Ledders has done wonders for our team something we missed for 2 seasons adding stability
However arry is very very lucky to have some of the best passes and players in that midfield in Bale,Modders,VDV,and PArker,Sandro,Hudd,Lennon ,Kranks i have already said harry doesn’t do tactics and the Man Shitty game summed it up central midfield Kranks and Modders against Yar Yar etc no competition [maybe he done it on purpose lol]
This team and i agree and i have been saying for 3yrs this could be best yet for yrs we all know that
Yes we know 4th and 5th but jol with a far,far inferior side got us 5th and 5th this team has been built up over a period NOT BY BLOODY arry the messiah !!
Because some of us dont like the manager doesnt mean we are not SPURS and slagging people off “saying they dont know about football” pathatic mate
Wont get into a debate about jol as the feelings of a majority of the away support summed up theirs at Fulham
ps any body want 100 to charity about arry not being offered a new contract HE WONT!
and as for Parker levy refused to pay 10m which WHU wanted i think it was 3-4 in the end
so we paid a fair price . And as for Modders he is still here THANX TO LEVY
There is a whole list of downers on arry ,but this team is a bloody good side and will for a few yrs with or without arry. And by the way KEITH was a bloody brilliant manager please dont compare!!
Great article Rob, though I will admit I do not agree with some of the points you have made
I have 3 blog posts myself that are almost ready, one of which is almost a counter point to this. But the one thing that I think all Spurs fans should be agreed on is while Harry is here we should be behind him 100%. And sadly a lot aren’t.
Critiques of his pursual of Parker and signing of Fridel were common place, a lot of negative quotes attributed to Harry have been corrected or put in to the correct context by his supporters. A lot of what Harry is meant to have said isnt always what he actually said. In short, criticism is running thin and I worry if fans do not get behind him because of a personal dislike the only thing left is hope that we have a disaster this season just so certain people can say i told you so. And there is a bandwagon who would love to undermine our success just to prove a point, hence why I will never debate a Harry subject on Twitter again.
And if people hate his media love in then they must have despised El Tel when he was at the club.
What Harry has done is built a future for our club. That future is coming through in the likes of Kane, Livermore, and many of the youngsters causing a massive buzz for us. And at the moment, on paper anyway, we have a first team squad the surpasses anything any club outside of Manchester can offer. And we are playing proper Spurs football. 80′s fans will know exactly what I mean by that.
Took 3-4 years for most of the greatest club managers to build truly great teams. Harry is old school, in the same mold as Cloughie, and dare I say Sir Alex, where tactics are secondary to a strong team and winning belief. Lets at least give him until May to see what happens
The football we play is great to watch, we have a team full of fantastic players, we have learnt to close out games (sometimes a little lucky there!) and we are heading up the league. I cannot see why people feel the need to complain when we are doing well? Enjoy the good times and stop bl**dy moaning!!!!!
Thanks guys for all the comments and some very well made points with it. Just to clarify I am not moaning about the situation I was just following up on my first article to see what has happened since. HR has done wonders for the club and whenever he leaves we are in a very healthy state which a top manager would love to take over and try and progress.
Of course I am enjoying the run that we are on and at times the football has been scintillating but I am also aware that when it starts to go wrong the knives will be out again from a certain quarter.
@NPJack I am still not sure about Bale and Lennon swapping wings to be truthful as whilst in the games against QPR and Fulham it has worked very well for me they are both so one footed they always cut and that too becomes predictable. With Parker in the team though they certainly have more freedom to do it and the combination is growing in confidence to try different things to change it up.
@Dixon It’s a shame that you just can’t express your differing views in a more eloquent manner rather then unnecessarily abuse me for my own. If you reread the article I have never taken away what he has achieved for us and always respected him for it. I never have done any blogs on Xfactor or Britain’s got Talent but maybe I could just for you as I’m sure Stuart wouldn’t want them on this blog. Please don’t question my football knowledge until you have proven some of your own.
Rob great informative read and good to know others thoughts.Really enjoying our run, there have also been some very good comments from my colleagues who are not Spurs fans (their problem!!) and that does not happen often!! @Dixon as has already been said this blog is not for abuse its for those who enjoy the different viewpoints of Spurs fans.