Harry takes biggest gamble yet with Tottenham
It’s always been known Harry Redknapp likes a gamble. Be it his forrays in the transfer market, or the 12:40 at Kempton, he’s always been one to take a risk. And usually, they pay off.
However, by taking the Tottenham Hotspur job, has Harry went one gamble too far? Looking at Spurs and the current predicament they find themselves in, it’s hard to see the logic in Redknapp’s decision.
Spurs are a team in decline, with no confidence and seemingly no hope – on and off the field. The team simply cannot buy a win at the moment, and their tally of two points from eight games has seen Spurs slump deep into a relegation battle. Too good to go down? On recent evidence, far from it.
Furthermore, Redknapp had a job for life at Pompey. It was a job with little pressure, where expectations weren’t too high, and where he was adored by the fans. At Spurs, things will be different. The supporters and board demand success – and unrealistically so in my eyes. It will be a far cry from the low-pressure job he had at Pompey, that’s for sure. Just ask Martin Jol, who was scandalously sacked from his post as Spurs manager only a year ago. Does Daniel Levy believe in karma? He certainly should. Jol can afford a wry smile at latest developments at White Hart Lane, you would have to think.
But maybe that’s just it. The challenge. Maybe Harry got too comfortable at Portsmouth? Maybe he thought he’s taken them as far as they can go. The challenge of rejuvinating this Spurs team may have been too much to turn down. This is Redknapp’s last chance to prove he can mix it with the big boys before he retires, and who can deny him that?
In any line of work, you want to test yourself. And managing Spurs will certainly test Redknapp. The team looks desperately short of confidence right now, and Harry needs to address that. Big players are going missing for Spurs, when leaders are required. And in Redknapp, Spurs have one of the best man-managers in the game. Players enjoy working for him. He gets the best out of people. He might be just the man Spurs need.
Should Harry get it right at Spurs, he enhances his reputation further. Get it wrong and it’s a small blotch on an otherwise fine management career, in a job where it could be argued no-one could bring success. Maybe it’s not such a gamble afterall?
As for Pompey, I think they’ll be fine. The £5m in compensation will soften the blow somewhat, and in Tony Adams they have an astute young coach ready to step up to the plate. And what’s more, Redknapp has left the club in a rather comfortable position indeed, with Pompey comfortably sat in mid-table and in European competition. Things could certainly be worse.
So Harry, the pressure is well and truly on. Welcome to the circus at White Hart Lane. Don’t get too comfortable, will you?
With the potential that Spurs have on their books, the ability of the individuals shown at the highest levels for clubs and county, and with Harry’s ability to unite a team and boost confidences when needed I don’t see how you can conceivably look upon this as his biggest gamble yet unless it is your attempt at playing devils advocate to induce vehment abuse and aggrovation as responses.
It is to be admitted that Spurs need strengthening in a few positions, and boosting in the confidence and teamwork area, and without a doubt if a mere supporter like I can see it then an experienced manager like Harry will too. So wind in that trolling neck and let the man do his job.
In the sense of leaving the comfortable, no pressure environment of Portsmouth to the high-pressure environment at Spurs, where 6 managers have been sacked since 2001, it is a bit of a gamble, I would think.
Jol was limited and deserved to go,undermined possibly but most realised he couldn’t cut it.Ramos’s league record or lack of it speaks for itself,don’t you think?.As for you Shaun don’t start thinking you’re a journalist will you?..
Yes, because Spurs have done so well for themselves since Jol left, haven’t they? The way Jol was treated – who to his credit acted with great dignity – was nothing short of disgraceful.
When will Spurs fans realise that sacking managers constantly will not bring them the success they unrealistically crave?
When will hack wannabe journalists realise that Spurs fans are not responsible for managerial comings and goings at the lane?.We can only proffer an opinion as do you.However ours maybe more warranted as we actually watch and care about the team,as opposed to some who comment on the team and have no knowledge or affection for the club,in fact it could be fair to say quite the reverse wouldn’t you say?.I see Mr Murphy that you seem to ask a lot of questions in your posts,is it because you are not sure what you’re talking about?….
i think wat you’ve missed is that the fans want these fans out just as much as the board does
how you can say your opinion is more warranted than anyone else is inaccurate and naive, if anything an outsider has a better view than a fan of the club concerned
saying jol should deserved to go is the stupidest thing ive heard 2bh while ramos was welding his magic i bet u were gagging for him to come back
hold just a minute, for someone whoose telling me not to comment on a team u presume i dont support, didn’t you just pass judgment on two managerial casualties?
i agree the person who supports the team does have a better idea on how things r going at there club, but at the same time they can b blind to good job they can be doing
curbishley is a great example of that took a west ham team to comfortable mid table half way through the season, they had such a big gap they could afford to under perform and look they finished in the same position
look i did it fine commented on a team i dont support and made a valid point, hope you take note
Boys lets settle this over a pint you mugs!
Islington Spur the first one is on you!!
Banter!!
Standard shout ‘Woodgate’. I’ve seen a lot of banter over the years but none as hard hitting or as unconventional as this. I call a whiskey orange challenge to settle this. Up the Spurs, by the way. Leave Redknapp alone, we’re a bigger club than Pompey – fact.
This is quite contradiciting, in that your main point is that Redknapp is taking a huge gamble and yet you end up saying that it’s not even that much of a risk –
“Get it wrong and it’s a small blotch on an otherwise fine management career, in a job where it could be argued no-one could bring success. Maybe it’s not such a gamble afterall?”