Loving, hating Harry Redknapp
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 10:45AM Redknapp. He's like Marmite spread across your toast. Half of you would really like it and the other half would not be so keen and would much prefer jam as an alternative (not certain what jam is meant to be representative of at this time).
Happy with Harry? Staggered that I'm asking this question six games into the EPL. I'm going to humour all the discussion currently musing around on the various blogs and forums.
Obviously many of you are not or have never been (happy with Harry). Some of you are more supportive than others. Both sides have strong opinions. It's massively subjective for a number of reasons. It's the perception of the fans that adds (removes) credence to Redknapp's tenure. Half full, half empty ethics.
Quick history lesson then.
Harry came in and did a job. One that involved the resuscitation of the club as it slumped half-dead in the deepest darkest hole at the foot of the Prem. Mouth to mouth from the boat race of Harry, not a pretty sight. But it fixed the problems that needed fixing. He hugged a few players, got confidence on the up. There was no twitching, just a wide smile, a cheeky wink and a thumbs up. And we pulled ourselves to the upper regions. Miracle worker? Or making the most of a win-win situation? Levy master-stroke regardless. Because it was a risk that worked. Is that risk now punching above it's weight?
Here's the first subjective piece of the debate.
Harry got the players playing to an acceptable standard and on occasions out of their skin. That's it. He hasn't worked a miracle. He took over the botched up job Ramos left behind and got them to work for themselves and each other. A unit. To some, this is simply the result of decent management and not the by-product of the messiah. He didn't get us onto a new level. He got us back up to the level we were meant to be at and instilled some self-respect. Across the divide, it was more than just a rescue mission. He was seen to fulfil a duty that so many others couldn’t quite get their heads around. Not only did he fix confidence and resurrect the team, he took us further (CL) when many had argued he was not cut out for either job. Especially the latter one, with aiming and taking fourth.
Onwards onto the second subjective piece of the debate. What level are we meant to be at then? I ask this because some people see claiming fourth again as the be all and end all whilst others want even more and plenty understand and appreciate we might find ourselves just outside the CL places but as long as we challenge until the death, it's nothing to be ashamed of.
We have been inconsistent for years. Mediocre (see the 1990's). Previous modern day managers have all failed to match expectations. The Jol period was (is) the foundation we have managed to build on, be it that some of the structure collapsed when we hired a Spanish cowboy to finish the job. But there was no genuine push or challenge after 2006 that would suggest we had genuinely turned the corner. Flirted with the dream, with the ideals. Nothing more. Think of the pre-Jol era. Depressing. Jol got us back into the game, but then many cited at the time he had limitations. Wasn't good enough for the big occasion. Had to be replaced. Déjà vu, eh?
Harry is the first manager for a long time to truly get results for us. Statistically, his win ratio is unequalled (yes it's only been 2 years). We've looked the part on the field in terms of style and application (eventually) during the recovery of 2009 and the epic journey of 2010. 4th and CL football. The impossible dream achieved. Of course, the landscape of the domestic league is a very different place to what it was back in 2006. It's far more open now. Not to say that a manager should be marked down on points just because Liverpool are crap.
However, just because we finished 4th doesn't mean we should be resting on our laurels. And the argument is that in more capable hands, this team would be doing far better than it is at the moment.
Harry rebuilt a lot of the damaged parts. He gave Levy that quick fix of stability. But how long do you give someone to see if they can continue to build on the newly laid foundations? Is there a lack of patience because of the need to see instant and continuous results? Or should we attempt to remember how long it's taken for us to get here?
The divide is with the people that embrace time and those that want to travel through it at pace.
The third subjective piece would be the one that splits me at times. And actually forms part of the previous one.
I appreciate the challenge at hand. If we're going to progress we need to be ruthless. On the pitch and off it. Levy has a strategy, be it one that concerns redevelopment off the pitch. What he wants on it is consistency. What we need is something more than that. There is no point plodding along. But he's astute. He's already made statements about not over-extending ourselves.
And we all know that the Prem is looking like it might well birth a time-share on 4th spot between 2/3 clubs. Still, you would hope deep down the ambition is to destroy the other contenders and claim it for ourselves. Why just aim at the target when you can see it's bulls eye? But that's me the fan, wanting and needing, always that little bit more. He (Levy) knows that patience is a virtue and prefers to make sure it's a steady rise to the top. No cutting corners. No massive unnecessary risks. Although the risk here could be the lack of risks.
So how does this split me exactly and divide the rest of you?
Harry has his limitations. I questioned him, at times, last season in terms of tactical prowess but still he mastered some superb victories - high pressured victories - at the death of the season. He's not daft. And he has proved people wrong, time and time again. But is he good enough for the Champions League? Good enough to push the team and pioneer its evolution? Can he adapt at this stage in his career? Learn from mistakes? Change his ways if it means improving the team? Is he out of his depth? Is it even fair to be posing these questions when the true test of his skill has yet to begin?
Harry works best when Harry has to fix things. Although, this current problem (if that's what our current form is) is one made from the hands of Harry and not inherited. There's no hiding place or quickie catchphrase available to divert and deflect. Some believe we just got lucky last season. If that's luck, bottle it the f**k up.
So on the one hand, you have us stable and looking in the right direction, but on the other, if he's not going to be here long term then what else is he capable of bringing to the table? Some of us, they want that sacrifice. Club before loyalty to a servant.
The subjective piece here is whether we go ahead and sacrifice the present, to guarantee the future. It's a bit wishy-washy mainly because you can do something about the present in terms of changing things, but you can't predict what's ahead and how it will effect the progress of the past two seasons. This, ties back into what level we believe ourselves to sit at and also if Levy is willing to take another risk. The last risk was forced upon him. Some of you would rather see it being premeditated this time round rather than reactive because there's no other choice.
I know one thing for certain. Stability. It's imperative.
My gripe with everything I've covered is the complete lack of consistency with how we think it's all meant to work. There is plenty of drastic cut-throat fan opinion at the moment. And quite a bit of see no evil hear no evil going on too. So where do you stand on this?
We have stagnated if you review our low-key performances and lack of oomph six games in, if you take it from the second half of the City game to the present day. But it's not quite an implosion or an epic failure. We've had the good with the bad and been average overall. It's disappointing in terms of the standard of our football in comparison to what we know this team has achieved on the pitch. Disappointing we've dropped points to team we 'should' be beating. We are missing the vital traits of intensity and spirit. Disappointing we look over-stretched defensively. Missing Defoe too. And that pride thing that set us on our way back in the post-two points from eight games days. That has gone AWOL.
Panic will no doubt rear it's head if we fail to get out of this lazy slump in the next month. We might find ourselves struggling with confidence in a far more evident detrimental way. But next month hasn't happened yet. And as much as I would want us to be outstanding from the off, this is a first time experience for our squad and for Harry in terms of EPL and CL. There is some vital, urgent re-tuning to be had. He's a manager. It's his job to fix it up. We need to look the part in the league.
Harry now has to adapt tactically and motivationally to the challenges ahead and within this, the divide between both sets of opposing views might well close up a little. But in terms of support (personally) I'm nowhere near the state of mind that would have me calling for his head on a plate. I'll admit I'm wrong if it all goes full on pear shaped, but then last season I can remember plenty of near suicidal fans screaming message board abuse at how Harry was mucking up our season. There are some that are incapable of handling the pressures from one game to the next.
Perhaps a learning curve is not an acceptable reasoning tool. But considering we have not been here before, I'm not sure we have a choice other than to support the team and just wait and see. That isn't exactly a mind-blowing assessment of matters. But what else? What would the alternative be?
Do we have impossible expectations with no room for compassion and the memory of a goldfish in terms of the past? Or is it that compassion is no longer welcomed in this particular high-end arena we wish to stay in? Or is it far more simplistic than that. We're not world beaters but it's obvious we can be playing far better and it's obvious how. If it's the latter, can we perhaps wait until the 15th game before we start burning effigies.
The lack of a world class striker is the biggest negative for both manager and fans. The injuries, not the best in terms of preparation from one game to the next. We've lost key players. But it's football. You don't always buy the players you want and you don't always have all players available for selection.
I guess it goes back to the subjective matter of what you want from the team at this specific moment. Do you think we are under-achieving, this early in the season, and that it's not acceptable and that all the evidence points to it being a problem that can not be sorted long term? A fatal tumour that can not be operated on because our surgeon doesn't have the necessary tools and experience? Or do we simply need another mouth-to-mouth to save the day?
Overly dramatic, yes. Well all this just about sums up how fragmented and fickle we are as a collective.
As for myself. I can see what isn't working and expect to see improvements. I know I'm adding fuel to the fire by opening a platform for discussion. But it's the type of discussion that's unequivocally made in Tottenham. And let's not pretend it's not going on. It's a slice of the now. And we can refer back to this at the end of December and laugh (cry) about it.
So go ahead and burn the place down...
Reader Comments (113)
We could be searching high and low for the best manager we could possibly have forever. I'd like to know, the people who dislike Redknapp and want him gone, what replacement they would be looking at because I can't see much out there myself.
Didn't like HR at the time he came to the club, however I doffed the titfer at what was achieved last season, but I worry about the 'lack of tactical awareness' that we seem to suffer from.
Waiting and seing....
good article. Our problem is that the fans are not realistic enough. Last year the top 4 was a pipe dream but we achieved it. By doing so alot of us now have unrealistic expectations for this season. Its too easy to look at out first 6 games on paper and say ' well i cant see us getting beat there, we should be top come october' then when we dont do it, its all panic stations.
Its ridiculous. We are Tottenham, some of us seem to forget that. We can beat anybody but we can lose to anybody, thats who we are and thats why we love 'em. We are not as good as Man u, chelsea or the scum so to expect us to be as good as them is dellusional.
What is a good season for us this year? Top 6 and an good champions league effort if if we come 3rd in the group. Most of all it should be enjoyed. It wont happen every year so its important to enjoy it whilst its here. This is what Levy said and i agree with him 100%. I can see this 4th place alternating between several clubs these next few years.
I believe most of us are realistic but sadly we have a very vocal few who expect far too much.
Philosophical thoughts. Makes us sound fickle which is what we are.
I have never been a fan. But if we only kept managers I liked we would have only
employed Keith Burkinshaw and Glen Hoddle in the last 25 years.
Better the devil you know and a consistent coaching team though
than head chopping every time we have a collapse in form.
Personally too I don't much care about 4th; winning trophies - even the League Cup -
is more uplifting. But it's now all about the money, no one seems to care a out pride and glory.
Sad days for all football fans and a depressive trough for us Spurs followers.
"There are some that are incapable of handling the pressures from one game to the next."
Sums it up very well Spooky.
Spurs have loads of different types of fans. Ranging from the un-bothered ocassional armchair types to fanatical, life evolves around THFC, types. It's more than likely that the types who frequent internet blogs (the ones who maintain an interest outside of matchdays) fall in to the latter category. Therefore, they are prone to allow their heart to rule their heads. Perspective during two back to back defeats against london rivals is at a premium. Personally, I think allow those (incl. myself at times) to blow off steam but by all means take what is said with a pinch of salt.
Harry looks after Harry and nobody else. But there is something unnerving about managers who claim to love the history and tradition and bark on about the past, like Hoddle and Jol. If it means a manager only cares about succeeding to better himself but the result is the club benefit, what is wrong with that exactly? With Harry, if he loses interest or has his eye on something else, then I doubt anyone would complain. Very easy for things to turn sour in this day and age. But don't think it will. We'll be top 5 at Christmas and fighting City for 4th again in the new year.
Everyone just needs to calm down a bit, yes we have had a few disappointing results but for f---'s sake we are only 6 games in to a new season. we have played one CL game away from home to a very good side and got a draw.The injuries really have not helped, but we have to cope somehow, i truly believe HR will be able to cope with what is for him a totally new level of management, we have the players we have the manager we a chairman in DL that is very shrewd, we certainly have the fans and in the not to distant future we will have the most magnificent stadium.
We are playing something we only dreamed bout for many years CL football.... so come on it aint all doom and gloom .
COYS !
Well said Steve.
I cant believe we have 5 centre backs out!!! (sorry completely off the subject) But is anyone else worried that we might get raped with bassong and thudd / charlie at the back!
WE have a stronger squad than last year, particularly with the addition of Van the Man.
We have the experience of playing together in the main for another season.
We should be doing better.
When we were not qiute at this level we spent fortunes on Bentley, Pavlyuchenko and Bent without financial ruin descending, but as soon as we actually get to the 'next level' Levy draws his horns in and slams the cash box shut.
A lack of joined up thinking somewhere in there.
Good thinking Spooky, any chance you could turn your mind to the Middle East crises or an exit strategy for the Afghan War?
I think you've got to back Harry really. I have really really never seen a spurs squad that is so good. When you look around at the talent it's unreal, ok, so we have injuries and lack of form, but you are always going to get this with any team.
Harry has surpassed my expectations already, and I'm sure in a month or so we will be absolutely fine, having picked up points in the CL and the PL.
I did wonder how Harry would cope at a bigger club, where money was more available to him, and a little more was expceted, but I think he's done a great job, he's not perfect, but unless you get Mourinho who is?
Bit worried about a defensive crisis though atm, hopefully we'll just play wothout any fear tomorrow, and just blow them out of the water.
I can see us winning by a landslide, I can also equally see us conceding two early goals and never catching up. I think it's on a bit of a knifes edge right now, but a decent win should kickstart it back off for us right now.
COYS
great article, i have never liked that we got harry in. i know he has done a great job so far, but he must take us forward, not backwards, or even to a stand still. and i belive we are at a stand still now. he didnt solve the striker problem in the summer, he tried, but it did seem like bellamy was the answer to all. and he also wanted to bring in david james????? what in the name of "the dark prince" should that be any good for? another thing is his obsession in playing crouch as a lone striker, we all know that dont work, but still he keeps up with longball-crouch. why cant he admit when he is wrong? and lastly, he seems to be incapable to change games if longball doesnt work. like he dont know what to do next. no plan B. i belive we need a better manager, oneil type. but we must wait until the end of the season. but if he proves me wrong, i will be more than happy to admit i was wrong. kols
Great blog
Sorry mate i think we should him the door.. For that super spammers remark alone... I`m sick of that smug look he has, that we should all be grateful for how he saved our club... He just gives me the impression that he dosen`t really like us, or am i being paranoid ????
Centre back, left back and striker, that`s all it needed. What do we get....2 midfielders and a keeper.
How do we all manage to see that but he can`t..
I may be alone here but since we got into the C.L. he seems to think he`s untouchable, telling that Sky reporter to F**K OFF because he`s a football manager isn`t funny its just how up he`s own arse he is... Someone should show him old sky reports with him saying he would need to do some more wheeling and dealing when at Portsmouth.. In the words of the great Homer Simpson DOH!!!!!!
He should be grateful to us for letting him manage our great club
Give him till Xmas then if nothings changed give David Moyes a little bell me thinks
COYS!!!!!
The first time We've been in the champions league as well as the first time he has. I think the best thing to do is to stop over speculating and give the whole club and a chance to adjust and to make the mistakes that any club would need to make to understand the inner workings of such a competition. Yes it's frustrating, but its frustrating for everyone criticising Harry shouldn't be the first port of call. I always hate the waves of complacency that creep into every Spurs side that I have seen but even I have found myself finding the premier league tedious in the wake of such a new, shiny competition so I cannot beging to wonder what a mentally challenging task it is for everyone at the club.
I believe Harry is half way to building the team we want and need. Threre is far too many players in the squad earning £50k+ a year that wont play and Levy wont have it. January will be massive. If we stay in and around the top 6 we could well have a big push toward the end of the season. Hutton only played because we had no RB's available and he plays a good hour and he's "the right sided Bale". Harry isn't silly and will big up Hutton, Keane, Bentley and Jenas to get the best price right up until they leave. Most probably in January. Then a world class striker is a must. Fabiano if he's still unsetled is a shout. Good times.
Back him. His ego won't allow him to drown himself, injuries or not, this squad is more than capable of fighting for top spots. When the likes of Daws and Defoe are back we'll be okay. I can see us mulling around 7th-5th spot in the mean time but don't think there will be much in it between 7th and 3rd.
Levy said CL wasn't all important. I agree. If we can finish 5th-4th every season and not fall back into mid-table then that;s the stability the team will be able to continue to build on. We'll have to continue to improve and chop and change but the basis, it's there. If we bottle this then we can all just agree it was a fluke, a stroke of luck. But if we continue to be a top table side then we need to be patitent in terms of finding that next level.
I'm not sure anyone really wants him sacked do they? I'm not his biggest fan at all but I wouldn't want the upheaval of another new manager coming in.
It could simply be a matter of other teams working out how to play against us and now it's up to Redknapp to change the system so it works again. My fear is tactically he's inept and will struggle to change anything.
However, at the moment he's still the best man for the job, we've had some very serious injuries to key players and we will get better. It'll be another season of surprises as seen last weekend. We've just got to do our best to limit the amount of times we're the ones on the end of those surprises.
COYS
Grim - don't agree mate. We should be aiming for 3rd place so that 4th is the consolation prize. We can not lose our competitive streak. Look at last season, look at the results against Arsenal and Chelsea and the celebrations after the City game. The players need to stop wondering around like they've arrived because we haven't. We got an invite to one party. Not a free pass to all of them. I think it does come down to the clubs strategy. Levy should make as much money available as possible to Harry because this is the best chance we have of really taking a stranglehold on fourth and put the pressure on City rather than the alternative of us chasing City whilst they spend millions every window.
All this talk about doing a Leeds is also bollocks. Levy would never blindly spend spend spend. But if Harry wants a £20M forward in January then we should do everything we can possibly do to sign him. Because that £20M would be worth three times the amount if we move 10 points clear of the team below us in 5th whilst we sit in 4th.
Ambition = success = the next level
Nobody wants him sacked. I've not seen anyone say it out loud yet but its been implied by a few without using the 'S' word.
What pi**es me off is that we have had a close season where we knew we needed a HEALTHY CB on top of someone like Gallas and a striker who SCORED goals. Those were two positions that needed filling and we failed miserably on both counts. Sorry Harry did. Levy is building a stadium for UCL football and he wants to do it with a skeletal squad. I cannot understand why spurs fans are always shouting about strength in depth. We don't have strength in depth. In fact some of the people who come on here or on Vital Tottenham must have their heads up their arses as the talk absolute and utter rubbish. This season an opportunity has been missed by Messrs Levy and Redknapp. We had the opportunity to move on to a better level and consolidate or, alternatively, move on like 'Billy Big Bollix' without strengthening and let the opportunity slip. The latter is what Messrs Levy and Redknapp opted for and Europa is whats in store for next season and the following seasons (if that) because those two custodians missed a simple opportunity. The reason is both are out of their depth.
In my opinion Harry has earned the right to manage us in the CL. Its early days and we have had plenty of injuries this season so far.
I hope we revert back to 442 until we have the personel to make 451 work. Bale has to stay on the wing as he's our best chance of scoring at the moment.
I think the biggest gripe i have with Redknapp is his inability to keep his mouth shut. Always talking about how he couldnt turn down the England job etc (thats fair enough but dont announce it every opportunity you get). Also I dont want us to play like Arsenal - I think we have a more attractive brand ourselves although we could do with having the same style played throughout the club.
Overall tho we played some amazing games last season so Ill accept that he's going to annoy us fans every now and then and back him to the hill cause we dont know how good we have it at the moment!
Didn't sell the deadwood, didn't sign enough of what we needed.
Andy above makes a good point. Last week a couple of mates of mine talked about how all arsenal, chelsea & MU struggles at first to cope with CL, Prem & Cups.
we do indeed need to let the club make its mistakes and at the same time after seeing West Brom and how well they played against Arsenal - appreciate there are few easy games anymore.
Back the manager. Can't believe some of you are already sharpening the knives in perpetration for his failure. We'll pick up form. Shame we have lost points in recent games but we'll find the right shape and the team will work hard to get us back into contention. Six games, not like we are bottom three.
I'd say the midfield is key to rediscovering that spurs magic again. Not enough support for Crouch up top on his own. Strong balance midfield and it will work out fine.
Latest Harry quotes:
"I'd like to get another couple of flair players for the side to go with the likes of him (Van der Vaart) and Modric. You don't give the ball away when you've got players like that.
"You look at Arsenal, they're all popping the ball around to each other. If people want the ball, you've got a chance because they tend not to give the ball away.
"I'd much rather play that way, to be honest with you, than have people in there who are hammer-throwers, and keep passing the ball to the other team and then tackling people to get it back again. I'd rather go the other way."
We've got that African CB joining us in January. Let's hope a new striker too but can't see us grabbing more flair players when we have an abundance of them and hardly even use a couple of them.
Our movement off the ball has been poor so how about extra training sessions. If we're going to play possession football then we need to line-up the right way and work the ball properly. Instead of the fucking shaun of the dead tactics of last Saturday.
We created chances against West Ham and typical that Green has a good day. But we never took the game to them and bossed it. Harry should lose the complexity and play more traditional. Watch us smash past Twente and everyone will be throwing rose petals up in the air.
New striker, we need a Drogba up there who will be centre to all attacks. Defoe if he hassles can do a job for us but its going to be a while before he's back.
Excellent piece Spooky!
The problem is that when we secured the Top 4 position, most fans believed that we would tackle the challenge the same way this season. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but this has caused a negative impact with us starting the season the way that we have.
The true positive here is that people are dropping points around us, and that we are not far off the 3rd place spot. Anything goes. Harry needs to piece the puzzle together quick and make sure that from here on out, we turn this run around.
COYS!!!
I do laugh when I see somebody say Burkinshaw was one of the few managers they liked (a poster somewhere in these comments).
I wonder if they loved him for the first 4/5 years?
Season 1 - Relegated
Season 2 - Promoted
Season 3 - 11th
Season 4 - 14th (Going BACKWARDS??!)
Season 5 - 10th (Still mediocre BUT oh look an FA Cup win 5 years after beginning the job and BOOM consecutive top 4 finishes and more cups!)
These days Burkinshaw would have never been around to become one of our most loved managers. We would have sacked him after his 4th season and would have consigned him to a Gerry Francis type memory.
Funny how patience can sometimes be a virtue. Or erhaps we should do what we've continued to do for years and tghat's pander to a few cretinou fans who want it all now. They should go and support Newcastle and really live the dream of constantly changing the manager and see how it feels when 41 years have gone by with nothing to show for it all.
Yeah lets sack Redknapp and hire Souness!!!
Who fancies a spell in the Championship in a few years time?
I mean it was only two years ago we were facing that. Now we're in the CL biut oh no thats not enough.
We want 3rd now and when we get it nothing else than 2nd will do.
When will we stop demanding that bit more within a year of achieving anything otherwise the manager has to go?
Cos ultimately that only becomes one step forward, two steps back.
Did the Redknapp out mob even live through 1992-2004(ish)?
We never have a good september.....
Our best finish since 1986/87 last season with Harry in charge. He has achieved what none of us thought could ever happen in such a short time in charge. Amazing. 4th and champion’s league football including two trips to Wembley. We have the best squad we've had for donkey’s years. Played some of the best football some fans have ever seen. Some people are just never happy and completely unrealistic. Don't agree with some of the points in this article I'm afraid. We are six games into the new season! We have eight players out!!! Any team would struggle with that many players missing especially having 5 out in one position. (Including Chelsea, Man Utd and Arsenal) All of which who are better than us. Not even mystic Meg could see that one coming If we had of beaten West Ham we would of been joint 2nd. To even question whether Harry should or shouldn't be in charge is an absolute joke. This club like any of the other successful clubs needs stability. I'm sick and tired of Spurs changing their Manager, Rebuilding all over again and going backwards in terms of development a couple of years. We've done it to many times before and a classic example was sacking Jol (A disgrace) and bringing in Ramos. It was like we thought that would guarantee us 4th spot because he had won so many trophies. Crazy! jj has made the most sense with is following comment: "I believe most of us are realistic but sadly we have a very vocal few who expect far too much". This is so true.
My one and only beef with Harry is no longer having a reserve team in place at Spurs and loaning out the likes of Caulker and Walker when we have so many players out. I think that is a mistake. Although I did read a comment saying Harry wouldn't put these young players in the PL even if we are having an injury crisis simply because if they didn't perform they would get ripped apart by the fans and possibly lose their confidence. A fair point perhaps.
As for strikers and transfers Harry did ask for four or five players and we got 3. He wanted another striker because he knew with Defoe out we lack pace up front. He tried to sign a couple but it didn't work out. He can't be held responsible for that. Maybe Levy should have splashed the cash on a big name striker, but he didn't so we just gotta hope our strikers hit some form.
I think it will be a real struggle to get 4th even harder this year when you think City have spent over a £150m. 5th or 6th is far more realistic. We are new to the champions league and we have a terrible injury list so what do some fans really expect? At the moment some of us really don’t realise how lucky we are.
biggest difference is a striker. Flashback to West Ham vs Spurs last season where West Ham completely dominated us and went one up only for Charlton Cole to gift Defoe a fantastic chance which after one touch, bang, goal. Fast-forward to Saturday and after we dominate possession for the entire game, Hudd gets a chance, one touch, bang, over the bar.
Fine lines in football but this form is only temporary. Those who are moaning about Harry, also said he wasn't good enough to get us fourth in the first place. I would suggest at this stage there is no point not supporting the manager as only a fool would sack him after 6 games. You can always say 'I told you so' at the end of the season. Nothing to be gained now.
"Run around a lot and kick it in the net"
In reply to moleman. I wouldn't look much further that Wolfgang-Felix Magath currently at Schalke 04. I know they have had a poor start this season but he is by far a superior manager than the one we have at the moment. But then most mangers are when it comes to redknapp. This is the biigest job redknapp has ever had in his managerial career and there is a reason for that. He's shit. If redknapp had had his way this summer all our signings would have either been the wrong side of 30 or average africans. Gallas proving my point on that one.
Anyone see Harrys interview post West Ham?
Lacking a bit if leadership on the pitch. Dawson is a bigger loss than many people realise. He was a rock for us last season and inspired others around him. Losing Gomes didn't help either. Despite his bad start, he grew in stature and gave our team the extra confidence that a top keeper can. We will come good and all the Harry bashers will once again be proved wrong.
Didnt we already do the Sack-the-manager-and -replace-with-tactically-better-proven-winner thing, I seem to remember having to having to buy all our players back due to a certain number of points from a handful of games or something
all these losers banging on about how they would be happy with a 'realistic' 5-6th, like it is a badge of honour to accept a backwards step. would you please fuck off.
twats.
Spooky said, "....Perhaps a learning curve is not an acceptable reasoning tool. But considering we have not been here before, I'm not sure we have a choice other than to support the team and just wait and see."
Sorry but I have to disagree. We've been here before. How many times have we seen pre-match comments from the likes of Jenas (actually, from Jenas himself) about how good we are and how we are going to achieve this and that...only to be followed by a poor performance that completely ridicules the whole statement?
Who would have thought that CL football would mean the return of Hutton, Jenas and Keane? and Crouch as our "talisman"? Admit it, we all thought that all was needed was for us to qualify for the CL and we would be able to "attract the requisite level of talent to take us forward". We said it on this blog and others so many a time. Here we are in the CL; only this time, we will be hoping the hoof to Crouch tomorrow will result into a goal since CL teams are not used to playing someone like him! Is it really worth it?
Other than Levy's money, I really don't see the value of being in the CL. We are not endearing the club to new fans, infact we are losing the remaining little respect that was there. And we are not attracting good players. I have seen nothing from Jenas and Hutton that I haven't seen before. Championship level football.
At the moment I have to say that Harry is - unfortunately - out of his depth. I really wish him well though. Hopefully as manager of the English National Team.
" he seems to be incapable to change games if longball doesnt work"
Wolves??? it was only 10 days ago mate
Ouji nobody is saying they would be happy about finishing 5th or 6th. It's called being realistic when you look at the competition out there and the fact that our biggest threat spent in the regions of a £150m in the summer.
Trust me people aren't losers for thinking that, they are looking at the bigger picture. Of course if we got 4th again it would be an even bigger achievement then the remarkable season we had last year. That is what we all want but it's a big big ask.
So, other than the views of a few idiots, we seem to be saying there's no need to panic; Harry has done right by Spurs so far, so he deserves our backing; and we are on an understandable learning curve re. PL/CL balance. All very heartening. (Last two defeats still hard to take, though.) COYS!
Spooky what have you done
rick. shhhh
city spent 30m on Milner!! We have spent silly money in the past, it is no guarantee of anything. they got rid of Ireland and Bellamy two of their best performers over the last couple of seasons.
We added Van derFUCKINGVaart, Gallas, Sandro and a GK cover to a squad that were still in with a shot at 3rd on the last day. We have added depth to teh squad with the retirn of OHara, Hutton and GDS.
Sad defeatist pussy bullshit - even city aside, are Arsenal hugely improved from the side we were neck and neck with on the last day? no. And that has fuck all to do with loses to Wigan and West Ham does it? How the fuck can you 'realistically' accept a backwards step.
harry has done us well in his tenure thus far. i do think he aspires for bigger clubs or more money or international coaching... maybe the reason people are iffy on harry's future here is because he's known for not sticking around too long. but who would have done a better job here? i feel like a lot of people want us to try to lure jose mourinho, but i just don't think spurs are a big enough club for him. as much as i'd like to see what he could do here :)
Harry's remark about playing more like Arse makes sense to me. but he could have said chelsea or united or barca... his point was that we're giving the ball away too easily in midfield (hello, jenas, palacios, etc) and more 'flair' guys like modric and vdv would go a long way toward creating more exciting football, and goals. -- as an aside, don't you think berbatov would be a great striker option right now? -- Arsenal are better than us, as much as we all hate them, and playing more like them means winning more and becoming a consistent top 4 team. I think, at least, that's what harry meant.
i like harry, but the only way i see him getting sacked is if we don't go far in CL and end up outside of 6th or 7th place in the league.
The problem people seem to forget is, if we don't get in the top 4 this season , we will probably lose our best players ! so fuck the champions league else it will be like previous seasons .and we will be a feeder club for the rest!!! .then we will never build a team no matter what manager we have,
Okay so say its the summer of 2010. Levy sacks Harry to make way for an upper tier manager who can handle CL and is not 'out of his depth'.
Care to guess what the reaction would have been?
spot on beakybill. mopdern football doesnt wait, there is no 'next season' its this or nothing.
We'll probably finish 7th and win the Champions League.
Joking aside if we fail to finish top 4 then Bale, Modric, Lennon, vdv see ya later.