Harry Redknapp: The Aftermath

[Hootnow]

We could have played another 7 hours and not scored.

Which funnily enough, is how long its been since we scored an away goal in the league.

 

[Enter the Pitbull]

Philippe Auclair ‏ @PhilippeAuclair Redknapp complaining about 'tiny squad'. Only 38 players under contract + Adebayor, and another 17 on loan.

 

[Parklaner81]

You either back the Manager in place or you let go.

That's too simplistic. We don't have a bottomless bank account. You can't 'back' one manager with a huge budget in January, knowing that he's more than likely going, then 'back' a new one in the summer, then again the following January...........

 

[indianspur]

Redknapp and tactics should never be seen in the same sentence. He couldnt care less about tactics, in his mind its all about having good experienced players and putting an arm around their shoulders from time to time when the need arises. Thats about it for his tactics

 

[indianspur]

bare bones

 

[DHSF]

That's too simplistic. We don't have a bottomless bank account. You can't 'back' one manager with a huge budget in January, knowing that he's more than likely going, then 'back' a new one in the summer, then again the following January...........

I was kinda chatting about the summer. Especially when the likes of Ancelotti were available

 

[suffolkspur]

He isn't entirely wrong. We didn't deserve to lose today, we dominated the match, had plenty of set pieces and attempts at goal. The problem is we aren't creating clear cut chances, ones that we should be scoring.
.

But this isnt a new story is it. There have been plenty of games in this brick barren run where he could (and has) said the same thing. The thing is if you have the same problem over and over then you have to come up with some kind of plan to rectify it and this is where Redknapp and the players have failed.

I half heartedly said at half time that we hadn't played to badly today and we hadnt. It wasnt brilliant but in my opinion it was a bit better than some of the other matches recently. It became apparent as the 2nd half went on that i was just seeing a repeat of the same affliction that we've had for a while. Sure we can knock the ball around against most teams and dominate possession but for whatever reason our cutting edge has gone. It has been up to Redknapp and his coaching team to work on something to overcome this. They havent done so. We've suffered due to it.

He may be right with his comments to a point but to be honest im sick of it hearing it.

 

[Jurgen the German]

I was kinda chatting about the summer. Especially when the likes of Ancelotti were available

To be fair, he would have been slaughtered by most of the fanbase if he had got rid of Redknapp last summer.

Whoever the next manager is, we need to spend big. None of this ?ú5m in one window gonads.

 

[punk_is_back`]

Im sorry but Levy is/was part of the problem. We needed players Harry gave him a list Levy failed to get them. Harry ends up with loan signings to fill in the gaps.

DHSF I don't want to stir up an argument with you. But i've noticed recently you've been firmly in the Harry camp rather than the Levy camp when it came to transfers. Levy has never been afraid to back his managers with their signings. In fact its a case of him letting a manager do as he pleases but living or dying by his signings. The 2011 Jan transfer window Redknapp openly said to the press that Levy had told him he can spend but that he was scared of spending lots of money on players. We put in bids for Aguero and flirted with Rossi for a lot of the window. Heck we even had a bid accepted for Suarez but Redknapp has said that he didn't want to buy him

ÔÇÿWe looked at Suarez. He was a player who we probably should have taken, looking back on it. We just werenÔÇÖt sure. We thought he played like Van der Vaart, but he can play anywhere.

ÔÇÿWe were really looking for a target man but I have seen him play up on his own and he can do that and he can play off (the striker) too. He is fantastic ÔÇö top class.ÔÇÖ

Redknapp also signed Crouch when we could have signed Huntelaar when he left madrid; and again missed out on huntelaar when he moved on from Milan.

Again we could have had Sessegnon and Ben Arfa given that we were light on the wings and up front, but instead we went for the less riskier Pienaar.

"We could have had Sessegnon at one time, I think.
"The people who work for me weren't really convinced at the time. They were watching him and they didn't feel that he was any better than what we had, in all honesty.
"We still had [Roman] Pavlyuchenko here, and Defoe. But he is a talent, there's no doubt about that, a really good player in behind the striker.
"The boy at Saudi Sportswashing Machine's a good player as well, he's a talent, Ben Arfa. He's similar, another good little dribbler.
"We probably could have had him as well, but you can't take everyone can you? You end up with dozens of players hanging around, and we've got good players here anyway so he might not have got in our team.

Redknapp also signs players on the recommendation of his friends and family; Parker was signed because Jamie Redknapp told him too. He also signed Saha on the advice of Rio Ferdinand:

"I like Saha.

"He's got good movement, can score goals but probably needs a change. He's out of contract at the end of the year so David Moyes has let him go.

"I can remember speaking to Rio Ferdinand and he said he was the best forward he'd played against."

Its funny how Redknapp can quote ferdinand with a straight face on saying he was the best forward he's ever played against, given that he has probably faced Van Nistelroy, Rooney, Tevez and Ronaldo in training at United.

Thank GHod that he has taken on Joe Coles advice to take a look at Hazard.


It appears that Redknapp can't actually take a gamble and sign players that haven't played outside of the premier league and always seems to opt for the safe option. In fact us having a geriatric squad is the result of Levy giving his backing to Redknapp last summer to sign older players such as Parker and Friedel and this has continued into the jan 2012 windo. When levy does get involved in transfers you have us signing the likes of Rafa and Sandro, players in their peak or with huge potential. We also has a failed Levy bid to sign Mata last summer. I would rather Levy not back Redknapp on transfers as you can all clearly see where it gets us.

 

[mouville]

I recently finished reading ÔÇÿHarry Redknapp ÔÇô The BiographyÔÇÖ by Les Roopanarine which covers up to the period just after our Champions League journey. It is quite damning on RedknappÔÇÖs ability to sustain a credible run in the second half of a season at any of his clubs. Some interesting comments -
Redknapp at West Ham ÔÇ£The day I stop choosing who I buy and who I sell is the day I am not managing a football club anymore.ÔÇØ
Rupert Lowe on Redknapp at Southampton ÔÇ£Journalists write very good things about him all the time because he spends his life giving them stories. If he spent five percent as much time coaching the side as he did schmoozing the media, we might actually get somewhere. Ultimately he has his favourites. HeÔÇÖs not a great man-manager in my view, heÔÇÖs lazy.ÔÇØ
Redknapp on Modric having taken over from Ramos and moving Modric into a more advanced position ÔÇ£That is his position. He needs to be free. IÔÇÖve never seen him as part of a 4-4-2. ItÔÇÖs difficult for him to play as one of two central midfielders; heÔÇÖs got to play further forward.
And perhaps the most pertinent comment from Redknapp was while at West Ham and they were slipping down the table ÔÇ£We wonÔÇÖt win the Championship but we do give the fans plenty of entertainment and I couldnÔÇÖt send out a team to play boring football. Unfortunately, some people have a false idea of where this club should be.ÔÇØ

Some things just dont change.

 

[DHSF]

To be fair, he would have been slaughtered by most of the fanbase if he had got rid of Redknapp last summer.

Whoever the next manager is, we need to spend big. None of this ?ú5m in one window gonads.

I think if we do get a new Manager in in the summer then Levy really will have to give him some money and get the players that the new Manager wants. Harry has done the hard part of saving some cash, bringing in some transfer fees and reducing squad size. Oh yeah and developing the likes of Bale and Modric.

 

[Modric THFC]

No point sacking him now...would cost us too much - let the FA pay to take him off our hands and add that money to the money which the new manager would have had anyway

If we bring in someone with a bit of man management nous then we could still finish 4th. Saudi Sportswashing Machine have a bastard of a run in. 7 or 8 points from the next 4 games might be enough for us.

 

[Modric THFC]

I think if we do get a new Manager in in the summer then Levy really will have to give him some money and get the players that the new Manager wants. Harry has done the hard part of saving some cash, bringing in some transfer fees and reducing squad size. Oh yeah and developing the likes of Bale and Modric.

Saving cash my arse. He's inflated our wage bill to unmanageable levels. That's were out transfer funds have gone.

 

[Bullet]

Saving cash my arse. He's inflated our wage bill to unmanageable levels. That's were out transfer funds have gone.

But - does Redknapp negotiate wages, or Levy?

 

[DHSF]

DHSF I don't want to stir up an argument with you. But i've noticed recently you've been firmly in the Harry camp rather than the Levy camp when it came to transfers. Levy has never been afraid to back his managers with their signings. In fact its a case of him letting a manager do as he pleases but living or dying by his signings. The 2011 Jan transfer window Redknapp openly said to the press that Levy had told him he can spend but that he was scared of spending lots of money on players. We put in bids for Aguero and flirted with Rossi for a lot of the window. Heck we even had a bid accepted for Suarez but Redknapp has said that he didn't want to buy him

We should meet up and fight instead - fudge this internet argument gonads.

In all seriousness I guess im basing all this on the fact that at the start of the season Harrys brief, and im repeating myself here, was to reduce squad numbers, sell the deadwood and reduce wages. Harry did all three.

Harry could only get loan signings. Ade was common sense. Friedel was a masterpiece. Parker was tough to get but has worked out to be our best player this season.

Harry wanted Cahill - what happened? I dont know.

Summer comes and Harry sells and gets rid of further players and wanted players to replace the ones he got rid of and also the ones he got rid of in the summer. Instead Harry got two more loan signings in two overage players just so he can fill in the gaps.

Its funny you mention Suarez - would you have him now? A number of people now are coming to the conclusion that he wasnt what we needed but at the time EVERYONE waned him. Ruiz is another example. Yet Harry has this reputation that he just buys players for the sake of it - this isnt true based on the aforementioned.

This is why I am suggesting that Levy is to blame also - Harry did what he was asked to do and Harry gave him a list (its a fair assumption) and Levy "failed" to deliver. And you (the royal you) cannot be suggesting that Harry gave Levy a list containing Saha and Nielsen (fair assumption)

 

[Jurgen the German]

Saving cash my arse. He's inflated our wage bill to unmanageable levels. That's were out transfer funds have gone.

Inflating the wage bill? What are you on about? Does any player at the club earn more than about 80k a week?

Levy needs to pick a manager that the fans will back too, it's clear some of the fans have never been happy with Redknapp. That wasn't a dig at anyone, that's just a fact.

 

[DHSF]

If we bring in someone with a bit of man management nous then we could still finish 4th. Saudi Sportswashing Machine have a bastard of a run in. 7 or 8 points from the next 4 games might be enough for us.

If the players had any fudgein pride themselves they shouldnt need a manager to motivate them to FINISH fourth and FINISH where we want to finish and want to be next season.

I go into work and my Manager doesnt need to motivate me and hand hold me every working day. I have pride in my self to do the best work to the best of my ability EVERYDAY. Those players out there have forgotten the objective and it shows they didnt want it as much as I and all of us thought.

 

[Modric THFC]

But - does Redknapp negotiate wages, or Levy?

I suspect he tells Harry we have 20m to spend and that includes wages. Then Harry goes out see what he can get for that. And he comes back with Scott Parker 5.5m fee and 14.5m wages over 4 years. Everyone rejoices how we got him cheap.

 

[Hootnow]

Levy negotiates the contracts imo but under Redknapp, our wage bill has effectively doubled. But our revenue has gone up quite a bit as well.

The problem is, the revenue last season, which was fine for the wage bill, included CL revenues. It won't this season and likely won't next season. So there'll probably be quite a bit of trimming this summer imo.

 

[punk_is_back`]

We should meet up and fight instead - fudge this internet argument gonads.

In all seriousness I guess im basing all this on the fact that at the start of the season Harrys brief, and im repeating myself here, was to reduce squad numbers, sell the deadwood and reduce wages. Harry did all three.

Harry could only get loan signings. Ade was common sense. Friedel was a masterpiece. Parker was tough to get but has worked out to be our best player this season.

Harry wanted Cahill - what happened? I dont know.

Summer comes and Harry sells and gets rid of further players and wanted players to replace the ones he got rid of and also the ones he got rid of in the summer. Instead Harry got two more loan signings in two overage players just so he can fill in the gaps.

Its funny you mention Suarez - would you have him now? A number of people now are coming to the conclusion that he wasnt what we needed but at the time EVERYONE waned him. Ruiz is another example. Yet Harry has this reputation that he just buys players for the sake of it - this isnt true based on the aforementioned.

This is why I am suggesting that Levy is to blame also - Harry did what he was asked to do and Harry gave him a list (its a fair assumption) and Levy "failed" to deliver. And you (the royal you) cannot be suggesting that Harry gave Levy a list containing Saha and Nielsen (fair assumption)

We needed to trim the squad as we had a surplus of players over the age of 21 that would fit into the PL squad of 25. There would be no use having the likes of Jenas, Bentley and Hutton around if we couldn't use them in the league because of squad restrictions. As a consequence of this the wage bill would also be reduced. That is why Redknapp was coming out with such talk at the start of the season.