The Redknapp Review

What’s this? A Spurs blog doing an opinion article on Harry Redknapp? Stone me, whatever next?

But woh there, slow down, you move too fast. Solomon's here. All part of the job. What's going on? No points for originality, but here comes the USP, setting my stall out, getting off the fence and putting my cards on the table. I neither love him or loathe him. Ambivalence is probably the wrong word, but he doesn’t inspire the same levels of anger that seem to drive a number of our lot.

The football world is one of extremes; from the mega money to the micro-analysis of every ball kicked. From the vitriol directed towards the sugar daddies, launching ever more shocking and offensive barb’s towards our North London neighbours, to those sad acts who spend their time slating individuals for a wayward pass in opinion pieces and match reports *cough*. No longer is it enough to say Harry has his good points and bad points, but overall he’s doing a decent job. What sort of supporter are you without blind faith or an allegiance to a lynch mob? If you’re to be taken seriously, make sure you position yourself at one extreme of the scale, or you’re just not paying enough attention. Or you don’t care, and you can faaaaaaaaaaaak off and support the gooners.

We all know he can’t pass a CCTV camera without giving an interview, but what’s the other extreme? A man who gives staccato responses in press conferences, and constantly tows the party line? I wonder what kind of reaction he’d have got from the faithful had he spent all summer saying, Wenger style, that ‘’everything’s fine with Modric. He’s happy, training well, and he won’t be leaving’’. Imagine hearing that every press conference, no elaboration. Praised for his unblinking stubbornness and consistency in the face of such rife speculation? No chance. ‘’You’re a f**kin’ liar Redknapp, we have a right to know what’s going on at our club’’, would probably be a little more like it. The handling of it was far from perfect, but given the choice, I’d choose a little naïve, weary honesty over robotic compliance.

There have, of course been some unfortunate choices of words, the most recent of which described tonight’s Ropey Cup game in Greece as a ‘nuisance’. It’s not that he’s wrong- I have no doubt the guy will have been given the remit of prioritising a top 4 push, and as in any job, all smaller tasks forced upon you that detract from your main charge are usually a nuisance. If you’re a professional about it however, you take it in your stride and negotiate the most efficient way through it by correctly delegating your resources in as low a profile as possible. Perhaps something like ‘it’s a great opportunity to see how the kids respond to European competition etc, etc’’ would be a little more calming, but as already mentioned, if his constant off-the-cuff comments leave us exacerbated more often than we’d like, it’s hardly cause to call for his head. 

He’s got my goat on a number of occasions mind, not least after labelling us all idiots after daring to suggest that drawing at home to Sunderland, West Ham, West Brom, Blackpool etc wasn’t really on. The freedom to throw out such comments must be earned, and the level of criticism of the fan base goes way beyond the remit of anything he’s achieved. As for his ‘love’ (or lack thereof) of the club and the fans, I can live without it if results befitting his levels of expenditure and bravado are being achieved. You can spend big money on the likes of Palacios, Crouch and Bassong (£31 million pounds), talk up title pushes, and criticise the support without reproach if you’re finishing in the top 4 and beating bottom 6 teams at home on a regular basis. When you aren’t, you have to expect a bit of backlash and take it on the chin. Lashing out just make you look a little silly.

Here stands a man who’s very much into the twilight of his career. Previously hailed as a hero for comparatively moderate achievements against a backdrop of even more moderate expectations, he leads Tottenham to 4^th place and a Champions League quarter final, and there’s no statue of him erected on the

Park Lane

. What’s all that about? I can sympathise to an extent. Imagine you’re a runner who’s been expected to run 5 hour marathons your whole life, consistently posted times of 4 hours and told you’re the bee’s knees for doing so. You then take a voluntary step up in class where you’re expected to run it in 3 hours, and through a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and pressure the likes of which you’ve never experienced; you actually manage to hit that 3 hour target. A magnificent achievement on a personal level, but at the finish line, there’s no open top bus parade and delirious fanfare waiting for you, just a round of applause, a warm handshake from your employer, and then being asked ‘do you think you can do it in 2 and a half?’.

I’ve never taken the ‘this is as good as it gets, really’ comment in regards to our CL quarter final appearance and 5^th placed finish as being literal, but as a ceiling that Redknapp himself has set. There’s no doubt that that represented his most successful, eye-catching season in club management, and at the age of sixty-whatever, there will be very few, perhaps only one, more chances to top it. Back to the running analogy, having posted your best ever effort in an ageing frame, would you go about managing expectation, or immediately declare that this is just the start and to expect previously unimagined levels of success, when you’ve got at least one eye on putting your feet up a bit? I don’t believe he meant it’s the best season Tottenham will ever see, it’s just the best he himself is now likely to achieve. Poor choice of words again, and a little misdirection from a man with an agenda to get himself what he feels is his job by right.

The England job, so often cited as a distraction for Redknapp, and used as a stick to beat him with, I can only see as being a potential win-win situation. Despite yesterday’s protestations that there have been no discussions over it, I think we can all read between the lines and assume that, barring a meteoric rise of a currently unfancied outsider, the job will be his, and this year will effectively be his final interview. For Harry, the Tottenham job is a means to an end. He doesn’t love Spurs, but he does love the idea of being England manager. If he can galvanise a supposedly unsettled Tottenham side (an idea he seems to take pleasure in promoting, translating to ‘’I’m holding this lot together, I’m great at dealing with lofty chairmen and lowly players alike’’), and get us to qualify for the Champions League, his case will not only be strengthened, but he can probably name his price as well. The incentives are there for him personally, and if he can do it, he’ll leave us a far more attractive proposition for any new manager or player.

To wrap it up, I think Redknapp is doing a decent job, but with the potential and incentive to do an even better one. Both transparently shrewd, and ill-advised in equal measure when it comes to dealing with the media and supporters, there are still some creases to iron out before next summer’s seemingly inevitable departure, but delivering for Tottenham delivers for Harry… and you know what, I’m fine with that. He’s still the best man for this job. For now.