Harry Redknapp: The Aftermath

[parklane1]

so one player says we never practiced penalties before a major cup final which could have and did go to penalties, another player says we "didnt train one minute" on a corner that we managed to score from, and still you think he players work on set pieces despte the fact that evidence in games suggests otherwise. If you think this is ok, then fair play, each to their own

im sure that if someone like Moyes became our next manager, we will get more than enough quotes from players saying "woww its so different now, we now work a lot more on set pieces than we used to under the previous boss". It always happens like this

My thoughts as well.

 

[Pirate55]

We should have spent last January and this January and gone after a top class striker, we didn't both times and we'll pay the price for it twice!


I'm not putting this all on Redknapp. Yes the England job has been and still is a distraction, but the players need to get a grip also.

Quite right. Both the last two transfer windows have cost us big time.

 

[ArnieArdiles]

There are plenty of managers who do not practice penalties with their teams because you cannot simulate the pressure.

And if I may so , Milo ....All those managers are not doing their jobs correctly ....

Why try out different formations in matches on the training field?

Why bother with any training of the game?

Hide the training ground balls and just get the players super-fit...

 

[Pirate55]

In actual fact I think the same, I get the feeling we have spent the last couple of seasons getting our "ducks in a row" and we will have money to spend in the summer. Again what I believe is an example of Levy being shrewed with money and timing.

I think Levy is keeping the powder dry partly because he doesnt trust Harry's transfer targets. Lets look at who Harry has bought - Crouch, Pallacios, Krancar, Defoe, Parker, Saha, Neilson. How many have actually been resounding successes?

 

[DHSF]

I think Levy is keeping the powder dry partly because he doesnt trust Harry's transfer targets. Lets look at who Harry has bought - Crouch, Pallacios, Krancar, Defoe, Parker, Saha, Neilson. How many have actually been resounding successes?

Im gonna intrude here because some of those players contributed to us getting CL. A couple of those players i.e. Saha and Nielsen were short term temporary solutions to replace players who wanted to fudge off.

So I would say the players Harry has brought were a success.

 

[braineclipse]

I think Levy is keeping the powder dry partly because he doesnt trust Harry's transfer targets. Lets look at who Harry has bought - Crouch, Pallacios, Krancar, Defoe, Parker, Saha, Neilson. How many have actually been resounding successes?

Parker has been good for us, and well worth the money spent. Saha was free, no? And Kranjcar was something like ?ú2.5m.

That leaves Defoe, Palacios and Crouch. Defoe is still here and doing a job, might have been a bit expensive compared to what we got, but not by much. Crouch and Palacios were both important for us for a while and we then sold them for about as much as we brought them in for.

The only read dud was Keane. Bassong has been a bit disappointing as well, but he did well for us in the first season and we'll probably recoup a decent chunk of the fee we paid.

 

[COYS]

By 'as far as he can' I hope you mean THIRD

COYS

 

[Harry_Perkins]

Parker has been good for us, and well worth the money spent. Saha was free, no? And Kranjcar was something like ?ú2.5m.

That leaves Defoe, Palacios and Crouch. Defoe is still here and doing a job, might have been a bit expensive compared to what we got, but not by much. Crouch and Palacios were both important for us for a while and we then sold them for about as much as we brought them in for.

The only read dud was Keane. Bassong has been a bit disappointing as well, but he did well for us in the first season and we'll probably recoup a decent chunk of the fee we paid.

The problem is, apart from perhaps Sandro, no real younger value buys. And that is vital to keep the thing ticking over. Parker, Gallas, Friedel.... yes, they were good shots to nothing but they won't be around in a couple of years. In the same way that things were being setup nicely for a decent coach in the years before Redknapp, I can't help feel the task is getting more and more difficult for Redknapp or whoever comes next.

I also think you give too much benefit of the doubt on the more average signings. I mean, you could make the same case for nearly all the players signed while Comolli or Arnesen were here. And certainly Comolli is always slagged off for what he did in the market. Yet there were loads of exceptionally good ones and loads in the mould of "did a job, sold for what we paid". Think Woodgate, Corluka, Malbranque, Chimbonda, Bent, Jenas etc. Well, it isn't difficult to get players like that but what we really now need a few more in the mould of Bale, BAE, Carrick, Lennon, Huddlestone, Dawson, Kaboul, Modric, Berbatov etc.... good value but at an age where their value and importance will appreciate. Only Sandro under Redknapp falls into that bracket. That is disappointing after 4 years.

 

[Harry_Perkins]

I can't help feel the task is getting more and more difficult for Redknapp or whoever comes next.

It is also worth noting on this point that when Harry leaves a club, it seems really rare for them to go from strength to strength. Quite the opposite. And I can't help feel the same issues were at hand. He made a lot of signings that were decent proven premiership players, or players that had been wrongly overlooked at other clubs, but for relatively big money. This also raised the wage bill and the average age of the squad. It also brought some relative short term success but made the task of renewing the thing more difficult. On the plus side, we are in a much better position to ride the storm than the likes of Pompey, West Ham or Southampton and we'll hopefully make better decisions than they did after Redknapp left them!

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Usually when Harry leaves a club there are influences far beyond the team effecting what is going on. Not a fair comparison to Tottenham at all. Look at his CV, we are the odd club out by a mile.

What older players we have are on short deals and easily disposable, the majority of the squad is still in its prime or yet to reach it

 

[Danishfurniturelover]

The problem is, apart from perhaps Sandro, no real younger value buys. And that is vital to keep the thing ticking over. Parker, Gallas, Friedel.... yes, they were good shots to nothing but they won't be around in a couple of years. In the same way that things were being setup nicely for a decent coach in the years before Redknapp, I can't help feel the task is getting more and more difficult for Redknapp or whoever comes next.

I also think you give too much benefit of the doubt on the more average signings. I mean, you could make the same case for nearly all the players signed while Comolli or Arnesen were here. And certainly Comolli is always slagged off for what he did in the market. Yet there were loads of exceptionally good ones and loads in the mould of "did a job, sold for what we paid". Think Woodgate, Corluka, Malbranque, Chimbonda, Bent, Jenas etc. Well, it isn't difficult to get players like that but what we really now need a few more in the mould of Bale, BAE, Carrick, Lennon, Huddlestone, Dawson, Kaboul, Modric, Berbatov etc.... good value but at an age where their value and importance will appreciate. Only Sandro under Redknapp falls into that bracket. That is disappointing after 4 years.

We signed the 2 kyles not that long ago and just brought a brazilan defender then the is coulibaly. If you mean younger players who are ready straight away for the first team i think the problem is we are going for the top places in the league and the is more of a risk in buying young players and fitting them into the squad.

I would agree with you to a point and i would like to have seen us fresh up the strikers with some younger hungry players. But i also feel that we will have caulker and livermore be a big part of the squad next year and then after that you can see townsend, smith and carroll come through. I think the club want to bring through young players now rather then buy them.

 

[braineclipse]

The problem is, apart from perhaps Sandro, no real younger value buys. And that is vital to keep the thing ticking over. Parker, Gallas, Friedel.... yes, they were good shots to nothing but they won't be around in a couple of years. In the same way that things were being setup nicely for a decent coach in the years before Redknapp, I can't help feel the task is getting more and more difficult for Redknapp or whoever comes next.

I also think you give too much benefit of the doubt on the more average signings. I mean, you could make the same case for nearly all the players signed while Comolli or Arnesen were here. And certainly Comolli is always slagged off for what he did in the market. Yet there were loads of exceptionally good ones and loads in the mould of "did a job, sold for what we paid". Think Woodgate, Corluka, Malbranque, Chimbonda, Bent, Jenas etc. Well, it isn't difficult to get players like that but what we really now need a few more in the mould of Bale, BAE, Carrick, Lennon, Huddlestone, Dawson, Kaboul, Modric, Berbatov etc.... good value but at an age where their value and importance will appreciate. Only Sandro under Redknapp falls into that bracket. That is disappointing after 4 years.

I think "perhaps Sandro", is an understatement. I think he is very promising and a potential star for the future who has already put in some excellent performance this season.

You're also ignoring Kyle Walker who I think is very promising, and of course Kyle Naughton along with him.

And since you mention Kaboul, Harry actually brought Kaboul back again! Certainly he deserves as much credit as those that first signed him?

Then of course there are players like Colibaly, Ceballos etc who might make it, might not, either way he's trying to bring in people for the future. But unlike some of our previous management, and Wenger for example, he is making our squad more balanced between youngsters and experienced players. This, in my opinion is one of the reasons why some of our younger players have stepped up under Harry. Where Kaboul looked lost, alongside mainly other young players during his first stint at the club, he has now looked a lot better alongside not only King, but also Gallas.

If you compare this to the business made by Comolli over at Liverpool, they have brought in quite a few younger players, and players "at the right age", but they lack some players that can perform straight away and help those players along. Because of that their team looks average, and some of the younger players they have invested so heavily in might not develop in the way they could. The exception there is Bellamy, who has been important to their season so far, I'm guessing quite a few Liverpool fans wish they've brought in a couple more players like him this summer. Maybe their season would have worked out a bit better.

 

[GrimsbyYid]

My mate works for match of the day and often gets a little gossip. He says if Harry goes it's definitely one of Moyes and Poyet but Poyet being the big favourite... I'd cry with either of those...

 

[braineclipse]

It is also worth noting on this point that when Harry leaves a club, it seems really rare for them to go from strength to strength. Quite the opposite. And I can't help feel the same issues were at hand. He made a lot of signings that were decent proven premiership players, or players that had been wrongly overlooked at other clubs, but for relatively big money. This also raised the wage bill and the average age of the squad. It also brought some relative short term success but made the task of renewing the thing more difficult. On the plus side, we are in a much better position to ride the storm than the likes of Pompey, West Ham or Southampton and we'll hopefully make better decisions than they did after Redknapp left them!

Usually when Harry leaves a club there are influences far beyond the team effecting what is going on. Not a fair comparison to Tottenham at all. Look at his CV, we are the odd club out by a mile.

What older players we have are on short deals and easily disposable, the majority of the squad is still in its prime or yet to reach it

I actually think that is a fair point made by Perkins. Harry has had a history of leaving clubs with more problems than they had when he arrived, and of buying a lot of older players, often on relatively big wages. At least from what I know and understand.

This is why Levy is doing such an important job, he is keeping Harry in check where other chairmen haven't. He is giving Harry a budget to work within, strict wage caps and seemingly he's insisting on signing some younger players. He's making Harry convince him (according to reports) that signings such as Parker are necessary, and that's a good thing.

 

[braineclipse]

My mate works for match of the day and often gets a little gossip. He says if Harry goes it's definitely one of Moyes and Poyet but Poyet being the big favourite... I'd cry with either of those...

Nothing personal towards you or your mate, but I doubt anyone in the media has any true knowledge about this. I can see journalists getting some inside knowledge on some transfers, but this will be down to Levy and Levy keeps his cards close to his chest.

 

[totman]

My mate works for match of the day and often gets a little gossip. He says if Harry goes it's definitely one of Moyes and Poyet but Poyet being the big favourite... I'd cry with either of those...

No offense to you or your mate, but one of you is talking a load of horse sh#t

 

[Danishfurniturelover]

No way do i want poyet, not yet. Would not mind dunk from brighton though nice player.

 

[Harry_Perkins]

Usually when Harry leaves a club there are influences far beyond the team effecting what is going on. Not a fair comparison to Tottenham at all. Look at his CV, we are the odd club out by a mile.

What older players we have are on short deals and easily disposable, the majority of the squad is still in its prime or yet to reach it

I don't make a direct comparison. As I said, the chairman and owners of these clubs made poor decisions too. I just point out that he tends to want to spend the money he has available on older players and ideally those who've already played in the premier league. This pushes the wage bill up, the average age of the squad up and means that if we do eventually have to allow the likes of Modric and Bale to leave, there isn't anyone there to replace them. I was largely unmoved at the time when Carrick and Berbatov left because I always felt we could either sign more in the same mould or players were already there (Bale and Modric) who would come to the fore in terms of importance. But I haven't got that confidence with Redknapp.

 

[Harry_Perkins]

We signed the 2 kyles not that long ago and just brought a brazilan defender then the is coulibaly. If you mean younger players who are ready straight away for the first team i think the problem is we are going for the top places in the league and the is more of a risk in buying young players and fitting them into the squad

Yes, it is a bit more of a risk but it was probably the only way for us to get top 4 and probably the only way we can sustain it, short of a bankroller owner. We would certainly not have done it signing the likes of Crouch, Parker, Defoe, Keane, Bassong, Palacios and so forth. We would have run out of money, for a start. All those players I named were also signed before we'd made the CL too. Why should it now be harder we've been it and should qualify again this year? Modric joined after we finished 11th, for example (although we had qualified for Europe by winning the Carling Cup). It just means being a bit smarter and doing the groundwork. See Bale on why he came here when he could have gone elsewhere. Are we doing that sort of groundwork under Redknapp? After 4 years now, you have to seriously doubt it.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I actually think that is a fair point made by Perkins. Harry has had a history of leaving clubs with more problems than they had when he arrived, and of buying a lot of older players, often on relatively big wages. At least from what I know and understand.

This is why Levy is doing such an important job, he is keeping Harry in check where other chairmen haven't. He is giving Harry a budget to work within, strict wage caps and seemingly he's insisting on signing some younger players. He's making Harry convince him (according to reports) that signings such as Parker are necessary, and that's a good thing.

I think you agree with both of us, Im not disagreeing with Harry in his observation - thats fair - but also trying to point out we arent like any other club he has managed. I dont think we are in any real danger of what Harry fears