'Bring me the head of Harry Redknapp'
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 12:09PM Are people really calling for the head of Harry Redknapp to be served up on a plate with side salad and chips?
Apparently so. There was an article over at Football 365 that cited Guus Hiddink as a replacement (irony of Hiddink and his prior tax issues not lost on me). Are we doing it again? We're a point off 4th not struggling in the bottom three. Harry hasn't even had a full season in charge of the team yet. I know there were reasons for not wanting him in the first place, many to do with his general persona, self-centred priorities, West Ham connections, the fact he would probably up and leave if someone 'bigger' came in for him. And there are questions over his lack of tactical cutting edge to truly make battle with the Prem's disjointed elite. However - arguably - this is the first time he's been at a club of this type of stature. So perhaps he has a learning curve to get through before things even out for him. If he fails to prove he can manipulate the outcome of games with clever switches and substitutions - then the only person who will matter is Levy because he'll have to look at bringing in someone who aspires for absolute perfection (love to know where we can pick one up from).
Let's face it, if this current run of form is considered a 'crisis' then bloody hell, I wouldn't shrug at a couple of these a season if this is as bad as it gets. Think back not too long ago and compare.
Yep. Exactly. Not so depressing now is it?
I know that if we want a team that can seriously compete, then we need a winners mentality - one that is not drowned in self-pity and excuses. So I understand that accepting this current lull is not the way forward - but let's face it. We just don't have the right balance of players. Far too many apologetic personalities who seem to switch off far too easily. Too many remnants of the Tottenham disease remain dormant within the club. The comfort culture has yet to be eradicated.
I do agree there is plenty to suggest Redknapp is not the man with the tools to exterminate every last infestation. But his early work at Spurs is evidence enough that he can inspire and muster up spirit and pride.
Things are not quite right at the minute but they're a long way off from being disastrous, and with 12 games left and 3 additional more required for a potential Wembley trip - we can't frown and start throwing our season tickets at the directors box just yet (I'll give word for when to do so).
There is no room for another sideways step. Consistency and avoidance of another transitional season is of the utmost importance. Otherwise, what's the point? Knee-jerking at the first sign of trouble is truly the most gutless of solutions and will simply set us back, again.
Maybe fans need a fix every couple of seasons. People find it easier to cope with disappointment when there is a brand new start made, one that begins with a new face at the helm. Patience is not a valuable commodity in modern day football and cutting our losses and re-booting seems to get everyone up for yet another journey/adventure. Like a tap of a vein and the roll back of eyes, we get high off it.
Stability is holding the hand of patience, lost and without a compass. I personally think Harry can bring that stability to the club
If Harry doesn't quite make things work (this season or next or because of matters of a non-footballing nature) the issue at hand will be altogether a completely different type of beast. Considering we'd have tried everything (ex-legends, continental, back to basics - to name a few) the only remaining option would be Jack the Ripper. Someone to expertly rip out the guts. Last thing we need is someone who appeases the current batch. I'd love to see a manager at Spurs, in his first press conference, sit down and state 'this was a big club, it isn't anymore' rather than talk us up and quote the Glory days and how we deserve to be successful.
Can we start to write history than simply quote it all the time? I continue to live in hope.
There are many other clubs that aspire to break up the monopoly. They’ve probably not spent as much money as we have. But the fact remains - Rome wasn't built in a day. And it’s a sad fact, breaking the top 4 is not an easy task. As long as were knocking on its door then we're doing something right. Putting our foot through it is the next step forwards. Whether it's Harry's…we'll have to wait and see.
It seems when we were doing very well everyone was happy to support him and shout that he could possibly lead us to the Holy Grail. If Harry was simply a quick-fix interim who saved us from relegation, then let's just play out the season first before we pass further judgement. Support him and our fragmented team until the very end.
It's not over yet. The moment it is, I'll let you know. I'll be selling Redknapp effigies outside the ground for you to string up to your hearts content.
Reader Comments (121)
Spot. On.
Anyone who wants him out is mad.
But there are valid criticisms of him. Changing a successful back four unnecessarily. Kaboul at right-back ffs. Not using his subs, especially Pav.
Kaboul as right back was a bad idea. And he needs to give Pav a go up front with Defoe, plus we need to play five across the midfield in some away matches and then bring on the second striker.
Until he does a Jol and has a really worrying season, we cant complain too much. However, Harry has made it clear that his retirement is coming up, so ildly looking around won't do any harm. The problem is that Hiddink is a year older, and has become accustomed to working more in the 'part-time' nature of internation management for a while now. Yes he had that period at Chelsea, but it was short. There is an opportunity to get him, but I feel it is bad timing and we need to stick with Harry for now
Yep, the way I see t we have generally dominated almost every game and should have won many more points than we have. At times we have looked top quality whilst still not winning the game.
So I think we are definitely on the right track to being a very good team and something perhaps still needs to click. The introduction of possibly just one or two key players could see this happen and elevate us to the position we are looking more than capable of reaching.
These days we go away and are not bullied and beaten, we are almost always the better side and as I say something is just holding us back from greatness.
Very frustrating, but kind of unprecedented.
The trouble is fans want perfection now, and don't realise we've made one big leap and now it's small steps....
Too true Spooky - any chance your next piece can be on the merits of Peter Crouch (yes, he does have some) over the lazy Russian who everyman and his dog seems to think is the answer to all our problems? I'm past trying to advocate JJ...............
Agree Agree Agree! I had a heated discussion with someone about this on another site and you have just reiterated every point I made. We always chop and change managers, it hasn't got us anywhere, now we have one that has got us into a decent position, why shouldn't we try something "new" and stick with the poor bastard for 3 full seasons and see where it takes us. Then we reassess on progress made during that period. How people can call for his head now its absolutely ridiculous! That really would kill our season.
Well put, I don't think I can go through ANOTHER new manager and ANOTHER new rip-up of our squad.
Let's face it, as we have Arry if he actually did go, how many of HIS player's would go too?
Questions are starting to be asked about him, tactics, subs etc....how much of the off-field stuff is affecting him etc.
He deserves time IMO. If we did get rid I'd have to wonder what our illustrious chariman really wanted out of all this.
Let's not shoot ourselves in the foot again.
Another sound and sensical Spooky outpouring.
"Are we doing it again?"
...let's bloody hope not - but some of the "Harry's taken us as far as he can" chatter that's being bandied about is far, far to Jol-esque for my liking.
Between fifth and seventh in the table and QF of the FA Cup is about where anyone would expect this group of players to be.
To do a better we need to keep Harry and upgrade some of the squad players. Can't really expect us to crack the top four without any net spending in the last two windows.
What do people think to us going for srna in the summer? Another Croatian, can't be a bad thing?
The one thing that really annoys me about Harry is how he came in and talked about how unbalanced our squad is, but in 3 transfer windows, how exactly has he addressed this inbalance? Niko is a great player, but exactly the same as modric, what we needed was a truely left sided player, i,e - Adam johnson. All that needed to happen was for Lennon to get injured (just our luck!) and we are screwed!
Spooky, I sense you are sitting on the bench with this one.
Is there room there for me too?
With so much common sense from Spooky and the rest of you, I have to ask: Are you sure you're Tottenham?
i think the problem is at the start of the season everyone said 5th and the FA cup but since we started well and liverpool started shit we wanted top 4, however we now have a weaker squad than we started with and its not gonna happen, have to say i've never been a fan of redknapp but he's doing a pretty good job
We need to keep the current coaching staff, end of. We need to buy: A quality striker, A quality creative midfielder, A quality right back. All to be in the starting eleven. We need to bring O Hara back and possibly Giovanni and Tarabett. Then we need to learn how to play football on the floor even when CVrouchy starts.
So fickle we are, so fickle. Not even one full season and we've got idiot fans shouting the odds already. No wonder we never progress.
Give the man a fair chance, the signings he has made improved the squad and the ones who left have hardly damaged it, ( except a certain Irish penalty taker playing for his ( 2nd) boyhood club).
I would take issue about being a big club, we sell out every week and take over four thousand to a televised Sunday match in Bolton, we may not be succesful as we would all like to be but make no mistake Spurs are an enourmous club with a worldwide fanbase the envy of most.
Cry God for Harry and St George!
I've said it a couple of times recently. We don't have the winning mentality. It's the players we have at our disposal at the moment. We need a couple of people that think like winners, act like winners and probably have been winners. Harry will get it right, but we must have that/those players soon.
Levy knows what we have, he's aware of who they did or did not try and buy in the last window. Harry is safe.
That was a positive comment by the way - we're moving in the right direction!
Are Spurs fans really asking for the head of Redknapp or just those mongs over at GG?
Those fans out there shouting for the head of Redknapp are muppets...............we are experiencing a string of frustrating results, but we are still in with a shout of finishing high in the league, and getting to Wembley (Twice!)
Harry has to this point in my opinion done a great job, if Pav does not want to play or train well then Harry has no choice but to not play him, he has a squad of players to think of, not just one spoilt brat.
We badly need to stick with our manager for a few years to see where we get. Yep, we are going through a rough patch, but we will come out the other side, and having stuck with Harry we will be all the better for it as a club as a squad of players & as a team............................................imagine if we all ditched our beloved spurs everytime they frustrated us, or disappointed us, or let us down.......................??????...... In Arry I trust.
............now back to my lunch..................COYS.
So we have no winning mentality and yet the ones displaying a yellow-streak are the fans who run at the first sign of trouble. Shame on anyone who is already questioning the manager.
I hear that Ramos is available...
I pray for deafness
I wonder if Man City fans will think it was crazy to sack Mark Hughes if they finish 4th?
Does that steep learning curve include learning how to beat Wolves, Stoke and Hull at home with a far superior squad?
It's all about seizing the moment when it presents itself. If the opportunity does present itself (ie. a qualified manager), unlike Redknapp and our bottlers have managed to do, Levy should seize it. If there isn't anyone, give him another season.
No-one wants constant change, but if the alternative is to 'make do' just to avoid change, then we'll get nowhere.
For me, Redknapp is an average manager with a good squad. If he brings better players in, he'll still be an average manager but with a very good squad.
Coming back to Yiddo Yiddo's post, Pav lazy? Possibly yes. Crouch lazy? Definitely. I'd rather play the striker that only needs one chance to score a goal rather than the one who trips up over his own legs in front of goal and needs 10 to score. Crouch is a sub who should be brought on when we are chasing games and time is running out, or when we play against Pygme United. Other than this, it's Pav all the way........
Peter Crouch. Perhaps another reason why some don't believe Redkanpp has what it takes.
i do not belive redknapp has what it takes, crouch?? he is a sub, not a starter. and redknapp never ever dropp those p`mouth friends of his, even when thay play shit, why??? i also belive that there will be more dealings with p`mouth. james and belhadji? if we are to belive some of things that is\was in some of the papers. and i must say i dont think they will solve anything, if they get bought. but lets not go all mental yet, and see what happens, if we get 8th this season, than spurs and levy must decide what to do with redknapp. he has used a lot of money on verry average players i think, crouch,kranjkcar,kaboul,keane,cimbonda,bassong. well let`s see what happends during summer. still belive in spurs.
I think the problem is that Jenas is not much of a bone to be going on with for the rest of the season...there's a few potential banana skins on the horizon Wigan, Bolton, Fulham...Even failure against bigger fish like Man City and Everton will bring the fickle ... out in droves. Trouble is some can't see the difference between legitimate criticism like; why does Harry systematically play Crouch and not play Pav., & going overboard into "kick i'm out "mode...
Good post, Spooky. Harry ain't the "one" but he's a sure old hand at managing in the Premiership and one we can build a decent foundation for the future with. I'm not talking winning the damn thing but an assembly of no-nonsense players within reach of being in the top 3. What concerns me more is what you rightly described as "Too many remnants of the Tottenham disease remain dormant within the club. The comfort culture has yet to be eradicated." OK, so Harry has his tactical preferences and gives his instructions. Sometimes, when things don’t go to plan he is often slow to shake things up or get sufficiently worked up to get the players to up their game. The players, like all players will have their off day (some more than others - JJ anyone), but on the whole they are a talented bunch who can on their day give as good a performance as any. The problem arises when it isn’t easily flowing: far too often we see the “if I hoof it or pass it to someone else, I can’t be blamed” or “you should have run faster/slower/stood still” or “ooo, I don’t fancy that” type of look. At this point, if it ain’t the manager laying into them, then one of the teammates must, a captain perhaps (but not necessarily). You see it often with Rooney, Carragher, Terry and others. With Spurs, I have noticed that there is a general acceptance of not giving it your all which seems to permeate rapidly through the squad when things aren’t going their way. A sort of shrug of the shoulders and then going through the paces. Instead of a team effort, we see a bunch of individual prima donnas shifting blame. That’s precisely the time to kick that comfort culture up the ar*e. Preferably during the game and from within the touch line.
Yes. Mike England's Kneecap, there does seem to be a lot of sense being spouted across various blogs. That is, I would humbly suggest, part of the Harry effect. We are, perhaps, a little more reailstic. Wha'ts frustrating is the feeling that, having made so many chances in so many games we have not won them - a clearer run to the cup, many more points in the Premiership, enough to have us challenging for the league title. But we're a lot better than we have been for a long while and that's also the Harry effect. Let's see where we are at the end of this season.
And while I'm at it, a plug for Pav - he did look like a top class forward in his cameo against Leeds. It's not all about speed and ostentatious effort - think Clive Allen.
We need a manager who cares not for egos and Harry is one seems to like playing his favourites. Don't think he has the clout to change games with substitutions either.
Chiefy - Crouch may be ungainly, awkward, repulsive to look at and (I'm sure by his own admission) not the greatest striker on the planet, however, he does have an understanding and partnership with Defoe. There are other types of forward player other than those who score 20 a seasons. Too many fans think by playing Pav we'll suddenly start scoring goals for fun again, we might, but there are other areas (centre midfield, right wing, centre half when King isn't fit) that require more attention than the strikeforce at this moment in time. Pav's got a cult following, not because he's shown us how awesome he is, but because people have an impression of him which is rose tinted - they just want him to suceed (see Gio Dos Santos, Taarabt for other examples) On Sunday, Crouch hit the bar by out jumping the keeper (none of our other strikers would have even bothered making the challenge) and won a penalty..........which granted, we were never going to score, yet he's still the brunt of frustrations. He has too many detractors - leave that for the opposion fans. Whilst he's wearing our shirt, get behind him. Pav summed himself up for me at half time against Bolton on Sunday whilst warming up - someone passed the ball to him a yard adrift, instead of collecting it, he watched it roll past only to then pretent to tie up his laces whilst someone else went for it. The guy's only in it for himself.
I struggle to see the 'understanding' between Crouch and Defoe. Defoe does not look for the knock downs of Crouch. Either something telepathic should happen OR if not, they should really work together to have a system so that Crouch knows where Defoe is expecting the ball or Defoe knows where the ball will go. But these days the players are chopped and changed so much that it is probably difficult to work this in.
We all have to take the positives.....we're in pretty poor form (compared to the season so far) but we are still just 1 point from 4th. We have tough games to come but so do all else. Man City & Liverpool play each other very soon etc. But we are in there fighting and if we start to hit the early season form we will really give the rest a run for their money. With Lennon back very soon, this is a real possibility.
While i will not blindly accept anything better than last season, we have to be realistic about the progress we are making. Man City have spent £200m and are still no better than us, or liverpool or Villa and are way behind the top 3......this proves money solves very little. It helps but you need the right man at the helm, good team spirit , a balanced squad and real hunger.
We have most of these things but it is clear that our squad needs some improving. Regardless of ins and outs, we need another CM as we only have 3 and apparently JJ has had a hissy-fit. We lace pace without Lennon and while palacios' tough tacking efforts are much appreciated, he does remind me of a dog chasing a ball in the park....he can be reckless, he often gets himself way out of position and he use of the ball is not the best. I do love him, but cannot help but think that Hudd would do better with a real disciplined DM behind him, giving Thudd licence to roam a bit more. Often Palacios is the most advance of the 2 which is a waste....
....i could go on, but in summary I hope we have learnt from the Jol situation. We were stable, improving and building but he was undermined and forced out becausethere were doubts he could make the next step.....we are only now back to where we were with Jol, having spent £m's and with HR allowed to spend it on the players he wants, not Commolli. Stability brings improvement....lets not start again, with another manager and a squad overhaul.
COYS! 3 points a must at Wigan and then at home to Everton.
spooky..... And other spuds, please read about Arry's sins in the following blog....
http://goonerholic.com/?p=2100#comments
SWINEFLU ALERT
Sorry, YiddoYiddo you said it "Crouch hit the bar..." and that's half the problem. He doesn't score and his knockdowns, lay offs reach nobody either. He's actually not bad with the ball at his feet, where it should be for most of the team most of the time.
Hmmm. These things go with the territory for any manager. Ferguson and Wenger have experienced it yet are still in post. Without calling for him to be sacked we should still be free to discuss and yes criticise him where appropriate. Nobody can suggest his selection and tactics at Wolves were petty abysmal. I also worry about his apparent obsession with ex-Pompey players and Croats in transfer dealings, or maybe it's the advice he's being given.
http://goonerholic.com/?p=2100#comments
I see Spooky paid them a visit.
Sorry! it's yours truely again...!
This is the website and the title of the article which I didn't specify in my previous comment.
Enjoy!
http://goonerholic.com/
Leopards, Spots, Twitches
Feb 11th, 2010 by 'holic
'cannot help but think that Hudd would do better with a real disciplined DM behind him, giving Thudd licence to roam a bit more.'
Do me a favour. It's Palacios that needs a proper attacking CMer in front of him. The only reason Palacios surges forward is cos his cumbersome colleague is too lazy to make the runs himself.
Brook - are you a comedian or a Gooner?? We know Harry's history and don't need to be told anything by some poxy scum rag.
Redknap did a good job of getting us out of trouble, so with that being said we're all carrying on like a bunch of ingrates. This being said, I think he is a bit off his trolly, after a few questionable transfers have been made, some team selections that infuriated me and the rest of the spurs faithful, his failure to admit that we HAVE turned into a long ball team......but what troubles me the most is now that he has officially decided to take the F.A cup more seriously than the league (not an entirely a bad thing) it is evident more than ever that we do not have ANY penalty takers! Bale said it himself that they do not practice penalties!!!!
My question is, how can you go into a cup final with no penalty takers?! What happens when 90 mins are over, added time is over....penalty time, and we will pay the penalty. Keane and possibly Bent could take penalties (not a fan of either mind you).
I pray we will turn this season around from Sunday on......C'mon you COYS!!!!!
Awful lot of ostrich farmers in Spurs fan base. Let's give him 3 years, no five years, no seven years, and then we'll take a look at how things are (from the Championship I reckon). What we lot want is stability and that means the Manager must stay. Oh you can change all the players, just don't change the Manager. Certainly, bring in a striker to replace Pav, because we need someone on the bench to not play. I know if I were a world class striker I'd be headed straight for Spurs to sit and watch fric and frac go about their circus routine. So Defoe left because he was 4th or 5th in the striker pecking order, but now he's number 1. Not good enough to link up with Bent, Berbatov, Keane, Mido, but he's class because they're all garbage. News flash, same striker as he was when he left, still only out for himself, still can't slot home a penalty, still hasn't a clue about the definition of offside. Not picking on Defoe, this is a team rife with underachievers, and when we add 10 more Pompey players, we'll certainly be closer to the top, because they're all class, just not being used by Harry. Here's a thought, how about we bring in a World Class Manager (Capello, Mourinho as examples- not Hiddink), someone with a resume that demonstrates Top Level success (Harry's resume is that of a very average manager for over 25 years). That Manager will then assess the squad and will only make improvements to an already excellent squad (Gomes, Corluka, Dawson, King or Bassong, BAE or Bale, Palacios, Huddlestone, Modric or Kranjcar, Lennon or Bentley, Defoe, Crouch). Funny, I've yet to hear or read one Spurs fan suggest that this team is worse than the squad that Jol had, yet Jol got 5th twice in a row. So what is reasonable to expect of Redknapp when Liverpool and Arsenal can't spend, when City has growing pains, when the door is wide open to the CL. 8th and quarterfinals in the FA Cup. If that's your definition of ambition, then I understand fully why Spurs will finish again out of Europe. It's one thing to support your team - I have supported Spurs with all my voice and all my heart for forty years, and another to allow the team on the field to constantly underperform. We have dropped 17 points unnecessarily this year. All teams drop points, but 17 is unacceptable. Harry's squad selection for Wolves was unacceptable. Harry's statement that the FA Cup is priority over CL is both ridiculous and unacceptable. Harry's playing an unfit Modric (sick) against Bolton and preferring Tom for the penalty over Kranjcar, Crouch, Corluka even King was unacceptable. Harry's throwing Tom under the bus after it was not slotted in was unacceptable. Harry's throwing Bentley under the bus after Wolves was unacceptable. All this in the past week, and Spurs fans want 3 more years of this for stability's sake. Well, I want Spurs to succeed. Is it realistic that we can win the PL (that is the goal, not top 4 BTW) in one year, NO. But Europe must be a minimal expectation every year by table position. If we don't qualify for Europe, this season is a failure in my books. The quality on the pitch is better than we've seen for decades, so the expectation should be that we do better than we have in decades. COYS
I love the fact that fans of le arse have to come and post links to their websites on spurs sites to try and get noticed lol. We aren't obsessed with you like west ham are with us. Sorry!
peterballb - started reading your post, but stopped when I got to "how about we bring in Capello, Mourinho" - Fuck it, lets buy Ronaldo and Rooney whilst we're at it.
Don't forget Messy....
I've always been a fan of rednapp & to be honest i'd want the head of anyone I caught saying that they want him out. I totally agree, see where we are in a season or so time before we start turning our backs on someone that got us from the bottom of the table to nearly in the Europa cup. Time is needed even more so with a club like spurs.