by Noel Draper
It would be very easy for me to knock up another piece belittling dear old Harry Redknapp and my first thought was to do so. But then I stopped and had another think. As much as I detest the man, and believe me I do detest him, a lot, he has provided the world of football with some much needed pathos from his quite frankly bizarre tactical selections to his cheeky chappy press conferences. So here is a Redknapp tribute to his Tottenham days. A thank you if you will.
When you replaced Juande Ramos back in 2008 the side you inherited were languishing near the bottom of the table and devoid of any team spirit. Players like Jonathan Woodgate had already voiced their concerns over the style of play on offer at White Hart Lane but that was going to change, wasn’t it. You had already stated that Tottenham were a “big, big club” when asked about the move at the press conference and that “Tottenham have come in and offered £5million, which is good for the club”. It seems that money is never far from your thoughts, is it Harry?
Good job the chairman gave you loads more of your favourite thing to buy some players with then wasn’t it? Back came the experience of Robbie Keane, some fire power in the shape of Defoe and Palacios to shore up the midfield. Look what happened. Tottenham started to shoot up the table and finished the season in 8th position. You must have been very proud. Especially for your old club Portsmouth seeing as you gave them nearly £16 million for Jermain. A profit of £10 million pounds for the south coast team who you used to manage. In just over a year.
Still, Spurs fans looked forward to the start of the new season, especially as you had given your old club, Portsmouth, some more of the chairman’s lovely money by signing Crouch for £9 million, Kaboul for £5 million and Niko Kranjcar for around 2. It went well, didn’t it Harry. The new players gelled as though they had played together for years and you finished the season in a very fantastic 4th place. Well done. Champion’s league. You also won the Premier league Manager of the Year award. Very impressive.
You then had the Champion’s League to prepare for and it was no good raiding your former club for players was it? Probably because they had no good ones left to spunk some of the chairman’s money on. Still, you did manage to capture some more midfielders in the shape of Steven Pienaar and Raphael Van Der Vaart. The latter has been an astute piece of business. The 2010/2011 season proved to be one of highs and lows with fantastic wins against Inter Milan at home and AC Milan away meaning you ended up in the Champions League quarter final against Real Madrid. Sure it ended with an overall defeat but you stuck to your principals didn’t you Harry. 4-4-2 all the way. Shame you finished in 5th in the league though.
The next season proved to be your downfall didn’t it. For a start it seemed that the money from your lovely chairman had dried up. No more big signings apart from Scott Parker for £5 million. What did you do? Well, you went down the free route capturing a youthful Brad Friedel from Villa and an injury free striker from Everton in the shape of Louis Saha. Still, your league form was imperious and just after Christmas you were in 3rd place in the Premier league, a whopping 10 points clear of 4th placed Arsenal. Nothing could go wrong. You were invincible. Right up until the media decided, against anything the public actually wanted, that you were going to be the next England manager.
It all collapsed then Harry didn’t it? Instead of just saying “Yes I want the job” you dithered. The team you did actually manage dithered with you and your 10 point gap disappeared meaning another 4th place finish. Still Champion’s League for the second time in 3 years. Oh wait, sorry, the Liverpool rule struck. So it’s Europa League again then which seems a pity considering the standard of football that sometimes appeared when Tottenham were on song. Some people said it was the best in the league and at times it was but as the team stumbled it would appear that your lack of tactical knowledge came to the fore. When things were going wrong, what did you do Harry? What did you do? You told the wingers to switch wings. You let Bale, your most potent weapon, to wander where he liked, that’s what you did. In short, you messed it up. Big time.
And now this. Were you sacked? Were you pushed? Did you resign? With only a year left on your contract were you being greedy? Do you know what? It doesn’t matter. I don’t care. A few Spurs fans may care but I don’t and the reason why is very simple. I have never liked you. Ever. You have ruined every club you have ever worked at with your false promises and failure to get them to the next level. If I was a Tottenham Hotspur fan I would be very happy this morning. I’d be ecstatic.
One last thing Harry. Dear old shifty looking Harry. When you joined Tottenham Harry, do you remember what you said at the press conference? Come on Harry, it was only four years ago. No? I’ll remind you then.
“If we’re all being honest it was a deal which is good for the club and a chance for me to manage a big club before I retire.”
There you go mate. You said you would retire. Off you go now. Bye.
That is one harsh article and I have to completely disagree with everything you have said. I am 33 have been going to Spurs for 25 years. I have never seen us play such good football and obviously never seen us finish 4th (nevermind 4th in 2/3 years). You dont really know what you are talking about and it is fans like you that make the rest of us look silly.
I dont agree with everything in the article but with most of it. I have been supporting Spurs for nearly 50 years, a bit more than you DC, and I am also happy Harry has gone. Harry is a liar and will always be one. Good riddance.
I remember the teams from the 80s and pleats 87 team were better than our current side and would have won the league.
We finished third that year and we also finished third in 1985 and 1990
So I am over the moon with our recent departure.
Big mouth HR is already giving his side of the story like he could have won the league (we do not play the reserve league anymore)
I would like cappello with sherwood working close
The rest of the country looks on in astonishment, and not a little amusement. To me it smacks very much of the time Newcastle sacked Sir Bobby for finishing 5th after 2 third place finishes. Labelled by all and sundry as deluded, Newcastle’s fortunes since that day are history. Best of luck but beware the Souness effect.
Arry done ok but not ass great as he makes out we were never thretend by relegation in just 8 games under ramos and were a standard top 6 side with martin jol alreadt securing two top 5 finishes then we won a cup with ramos then everybody pissed of berbertov and Robbie keane and we struggled all harry did was steady the ship yes we made top four with an improved team but that was always are direction. Plus we want cl as a standard every season just like are rivals arsenal. Coys let’s pick it up again
What one, nasty, vitriolic, spiteful piece of work this author and the shit he wrote is.
Even the positive moments in Harrys tenure are written with such sarcasm.
There wasnt a fucking peep out of you at Christmas. Since we had the bad spell, wankers like you just wanted to put the boot in.
Lets hope the next manager is as good as Harry.
TimDim – he’s a liar, hmm, ok, what about the football weve played over the last 3 years, no good mate?
We’ve been rejuvenated by this man, its the best we’ve played in years.
Martin – I agree with you that the football we played at times, particularly the first half of this year was brilliant, but the crap we played in the last few months was so bad that it beggers belief. No one is to blame for this but Harry. He took all the applause when we di well but none of the blame for the bad displays.
Great article.. Damn good riddance.
you couldnt of sounded more like a twat when writing about his first 2 full years which were happier times if you tried. Typical idiot concentrating on the negatives and never the positives. yeah i agree with the last season what you wrote but totally embarrassed yourself with the first 2! I’ve had a season ticket for 15 years and been to pretty much every game for those 15 years and the football has been fantastic. Im not his biggest fan because its clear to see hes tactically inept when it comes to the big stage and always tries to fit the best players in and not pick the best team to play i.e modric out wide and bale not on the left. But its been a good few years under him and now we need to kick on! COYS