Harry Redknapp: The Aftermath

[parklane1]

Would you say that Wenger and Ferguson are similar dinosaurs?

No because they rely on far more then just trying to motivate players.

 

[Danishfurniturelover]

I think that the reason we struggle to rotate beyond the first 14/15 players is because there is a big drop off in quality outside of this group.

Scrapping the reserve team has done the development of the younger players the world of good. The scrapping of the reserve team also did not hinder fringe players in Redknapp's first two full seasons.

The main issue that we have had in the last month or so is the loss of Lennon. We lack balance and are more predictable without him.

I have been moaning about us not having a reserve team for seasons, i think i have had the conversation with you before actually milo. We have our own views and i guess that is not likely to change and while i agree it has done the youth players a lot of good to get and play league football i feel we have enough players at the club to put out a reserve side for the squad players who are not getting any minutes.

Would love to know which other teams in the top flight do not compete in the reserve league.

 

[milo]

A big drop off in quality? Really?
Was Corluka ever that much worse than Walker, often lauded for his pace and attacking skills but berated for his defensive positioning and awareness (the opposite of Corluka)?
Bassong? Was he always a big drop-off in quality? Wasn't he a mainstay in our season when we finishhed 4th?
Pienaar? Was he always expected to be a big drop-off in quality? If si, why did Redknapp buy him?

Perhaps the youngsters who have done well would have done well anyway? BTW, what's happened to Bostock?

Oh, and are we really a one-man team now? So we give that label to Arsenal re RVP, but are we not the same if just because Lennon is out we lack balance??

I rate Corluka and think that he is a better defender than Walker but Walker's pace is a real asset and I think his elevation to first choice this season is largely tactical.

Bassong is a decent player but needs to be playing first team football week in week out, reserve team football would not have helped him. Also sometimes players just go stale at a club and it is time to move them on.

Pienaar is a funny one. I think that the truth is that signing him was good business. A bit like when we signed Murphy, a decent player but would always struggle to get games.

Perhaps the youngsters would have done well anyway but they didn't before and sending them out on loan to play first team football has been a success. Bostock? He's out on loan but it does not seem like he will make the grade. Nothing surprising there, players making it through from the youth ranks is a bit of a lottery. All clubs have failures.

We are not a one man team but Lennon is an important player and we have missed him. He is not as important to us as RvP is to Arsenal but I think that we would be at least a couple of points better off, if he was fit throughout March.

 

[milo]

I have been moaning about us not having a reserve team for seasons, i think i have had the conversation with you before actually milo. We have our own views and i guess that is not likely to change and while i agree it has done the youth players a lot of good to get and play league football i feel we have enough players at the club to put out a reserve side for the squad players who are not getting any minutes.

Would love to know which other teams in the top flight do not compete in the reserve league.

We play friendlies behind closed doors for player fitness and form. What difference would playing in the reserve league make?

 

[Jurgen the German]

All we ever hear is we have a strongsquad....Do we cause every time we use it we look poor and unbalanced.

Questions need to be asked now seeing as everybody a couple of weeks ago were saying how shrewd Rednapp was etc etc.

Playing Crank wide right is a waste of time, Bale wandering is a waste of time, Modric always looking sideways or backwards is a waste of time, Parker has gone right off the boil and needs a rest, Sandro never gets a look in now, Townsend shoved out on loan when Lennon has been so injury prone,

Buying a complete carthorse in Nelson and expecting him to fit into a team that was going for the title massive mistake. Not buying anyone of note in january mistake. Saha getting in ahead of our top scorer Defoe a mistake. Rednapp just sitting there slumped on the bench when things arn't going right..All mistakes.

This season is over as far as top 4 is concerened and being 12 clear of Arsenal just a few weeks baks that alone is not acceptable.

Thats why i'm saying as far as i'm concerened Rednapp has taken us as far as he can go.

Tbh, Levy deserves some of the blame too for not having the balls to back him more in the transfer market. Adebayor was a no brainer on a season long loan, but we've missed the boat TWICE in the last two January transfer windows. We needed a top class striker badly, we ended up with Saha. I'm not saying we should have gone and blown ?ú100m like Liverpool did, but we've spent ?ú5m in the last two windows , for a club of our stature and where we want to be, that's pathetic.

 

[milo]

No because they rely on far more then just trying to motivate players.

So does Redknapp but he plays this down in the media and people take him at face value.

 

[Danishfurniturelover]

We play friendlies behind closed doors for player fitness and form. What difference would playing in the reserve league make?

I do not think we play enough of these unless they play some they do not tell us about, i also think a match in a league system is more competitive, i know reserve league football is not at a great standard but i think the players would be sharper from it then behind closed door friendlies, not that i can prove it either way.

One day when i have ebough time im going to have to find out which teams play reserve league football. I do see the point about youth players and i hope that next season we have smith, unvi, townsend on loans to the premership and parrett, carroll, mason and kane to the championship. Just think we could do with keeping our squad players sharper.

 

[glorygloryeze]

How do poeple compare our barren run from the Blackpool game last February to the current run we've been on since the Arsenal game?

I'd be interested to see what people think in terms of how we're playing, the tactics seemingly in use by us (and our opponents) and the players at our disposal.

 

[AdamB]

Simple answer to the question: yes

 

[glorygloryeze]

I do not think we play enough of these unless they play some they do not tell us about, i also think a match in a league system is more competitive, i know reserve league football is not at a great standard but i think the players would be sharper from it then behind closed door friendlies, not that i can prove it either way.

One day when i have ebough time im going to have to find out which teams play reserve league football. I do see the point about youth players and i hope that next season we have smith, unvi, townsend on loans to the premership and parrett, carroll, mason and kane to the championship. Just think we could do with keeping our squad players sharper.

Keeping our squad players sharper would certainly be helped by us having regular games available for them to play in a reserve league, and also a bit if rotation planned in advance when we have multiple games. Our loss against PAOK showed how lack of planned rotation and fitness means when we are forced to rotate we can quickly become a shambles.

 

[Rossi22]

How do poeple compare our barren run from the Blackpool game last February to the current run we've been on since the Arsenal game?

I'd be interested to see what people think in terms of how we're playing, the tactics seemingly in use by us (and our opponents) and the players at our disposal.

It's basically the same. Lack of rotation during the season meaning the 1st choice are knackered and the backups have played so little that they're not sharp enough to just step right in - this is where the fans proclaim how brick they are. Also the inexplicable change from 4411 to 442.

 

[glorygloryeze]

It's basically the same. Lack of rotation during the season meaning the 1st choice are knackered and the backups have played so little that they're not sharp enough to just step right in - this is where the fans proclaim how brick they are. Also the inexplicable change from 4411 to 442.

Do you think there are enough games for our form/fitness/moral to return? Can we make top 4 and get to the cup final?

 

[parklane1]

So does Redknapp but he plays this down in the media and people take him at face value.

Disagree with that, the fact that we do not practise dead ball situations in training is a major tactical blunder to start with.

 

[glorygloryeze]

Disagree with that, the fact that we do not practise dead ball situations in training is a major tactical blunder to start with.

Forgot about this; looking forward to reading counter views on this one...

 

[punk_is_back`]

Tbh, Levy deserves some of the blame too for not having the balls to back him more in the transfer market. Adebayor was a no brainer on a season long loan, but we've missed the boat TWICE in the last two January transfer windows. We needed a top class striker badly, we ended up with Saha. I'm not saying we should have gone and blown ?ú100m like Liverpool did, but we've spent ?ú5m in the last two windows , for a club of our stature and where we want to be, that's pathetic.

It looks like Levy did back him, which is why we have who we have. We know the type of signings Levy likes to make, young with resell value such as Sandro or players at their peak like Berbs/VDV. No way that Parker, Saha, Nelsen, Gallas etc are Levy signings they were signed by Redknapp to get short term success. Just like late sugar era and early Hoddle when we signed Sherwood, Leyoonardsen, Redknapp, Poyet etc. At the end of the transfer window this is what I was getting at, we're being built for the short term and marginalising fringe players like Sandro and Bassong who have potential.

 

[yiddo2786]

So is now the 10th longest serving manager, gameswise, and closing in on Terry Venables.

Looking at that list brings back some memories too, good and bad

I think it's impressive that Jimmy Anderson stepped down in 1958 and was still a great bowler 60 years later on.

 

[ArcspacE]

I think the main reason Levy entertains these pathetic and borderline embarassing retirement packages we keep selling to utterly brick players who couldnt prior to that get a game at bottom 8 clubs is rather simple - these are short term fixes for a man who is clearly leaving in the summer, so why trust him with the big chips? And rightly so.

Problem is - much like it did last season this time - it could well cost us our season

 

[totman]

So does Redknapp but he plays this down in the media and people take him at face value.

The same people that suddenly think Wenger is a genius again

 

[milo]

Disagree with that, the fact that we do not practise dead ball situations in training is a major tactical blunder to start with.

I don't believe that is true. I think it has become accepted as fact by a few after reading some quotes taken out of context.

 

[milo]

Happy to hold my hands up and accept that I am wrong if someone can produce clear evidence