Don't blame me, blame him
Sunday, June 26, 2011 at 10:31PM Harry Redknapp working his way through his copy of 101 Summer Transfer Sound-bites for the disconcerting manager by Harry Redknapp.
- There is nothing happening in the transfer market
- He needs to sell four or five players to bring in funds
- Levy has made it clear to him the club have to move a few players before we can start doing any business
- Unless we reduce our squad numbers we will stay quiet in the market
Superb, such depth, such clarity.
Harry has this gift of saying something when there is nothing to say. It's like he can't just leave it alone with a simple, subtle and polite nod towards the fact the club are going about their business like most others without the necessity to provide directors commentary.
The recent meeting between the club and the Supporters Trust revealed we are looking to off-load players. Which is pretty much like someone revealing to you Spurs play at White Hart Lane. To suggest we can't sign anyone until someone is sold is ludicrous. He then states the same thing again but differently.
(i) "I need to sell four or five players to bring in funds"
(ii) "The chairman has made it clear we need to move a few players before we can start doing any business"
The concluding comment about 'staying quiet otherwise' is laughable. I can see the official club statement from Levy post-transfer window closure...
"I wish to make it absolutely clear that by the time the next transfer window shuts we'll have sold a few players and then and only then we will sign a couple of new ones, but only if there is enough time to do business. It's been disappointing that we've not managed to bolster our summer war chest and spend it on new players but we remain hopeful that Santa Claus will broker some late Christmas deals in the new year."
All we appear to have here is a manager stating facts (yes, we have to sell players and yes money will go back into the pot) but using them in yet another tidy example of deflection and disassociation.
When we sign a player, sit back and note who takes all the credit for it.
In the meantime bask in the irony of a 2000 word article about nothing in particular.
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Reader Comments (52)
what happened to the money that harry was going to use to sign rossi in jan. oh wait a minute that was just harry lying and telling the fans rubbish.
Dead right. Actions speak louder than words. So say nothing until the ink is dry on the contract(s) and, in the meantime, give nothing away about your buy/sell strategy.
I think it's time to start a campaign (HARRY! STFU!) to muzzle HR until 31st August. You're right - he just can't stop saying bugger all at great length, and what he does say is damaging.
Yes really Harry had no need to say any of this. It is such a contrast with Wenger who says very little. I know he manages the enemy and loses his cool at tmes, but he clearly realises that the more you say to the media the more trouble you get into. Mourino had it right treat them with the contempt they desrve.
As the first poster said what about the money for aguero, rossi and llorente bids! Also there is a spare place now ohara has gone and that 5mil added to the 38mil for aguero adds to getting in some decent strikers. Cavani and rossi please.
The idea that this is Harry working with Levy to perhaps hint towards the available players we have and also push the idea we are broke so that other clubs think we don't have as much money to sign targets - it's feasible, but if I can see through it surely every other club in Europe can too.
Would you rather a wallflower or someone who gives the chairman a nudge? Lets pass judgement when the window shuts.
Harry ain't gonna change, so don't do yourself in over it.
Take a deep breath.........and relax.
It's not out of shock horror I posted what I did.
But honestly, do managers and chairman have long distance relationships in modern football?
R u on the board of THFC or do u even work with Harry or Levy if ur answer is NO which im pretty sure it will be then u know fuck all what is going on behind the scene nor why Harry said the things he did. Not for 1 second did i think Harry was shifting the blame on Levy, thats like u blaming ur bosses for the bad things in ur work lets face it no employee wud get away with that and lets face it Levy of all people wud never stand 4 that. So either do some investigating before writing articals not just add 2+2 and still get 5. I wish Harry could just do something without some so called fans jumping all over him. He has done more for our club than any other manager in decades. So get off his case and stand behind him, let him do his job.
Harry Redknapp is so uneducated that I seriously 'blush' when he comes on for an interview. What Harry thinks are subtle tactics is laughable. He tells a Sky reporter to 'fuck off' for calling him a wheeler dealer The sky reporter was correct. He is. And just how much of a wheeler dealer he is may well become public knowledge when he gets his 'day in court'. He calls the fans 'idiots'. He doesn't have a history with our club. In fact, he used to support the Goons. Now he supports Harry Redknapp. He treated Darren Bent like shite and look at the way the guy has played over the past two seasons. I actually think he hasn't got it in him to take us to the next level.
superhotspurs fc - you know how you might love your girlfriend but every now and again she does something you hate and you share your frustrations with your mates but it doesn't mean you don't love her and you're well within your rights to be critical.
It's a bit like this. Except I would never shag Harry.
The only positive aspect is that Spurs supporters don't need to watch a thriller in order to add some suspense in their lives.
Our president and our manager take care of it and offer to every Spurs supporter plenty of suspense during each transfer period.
I honestly don't see any decent targets wanting to move now in any case, aren't most players still off sunning themselves? O'Hara, Young and Newcastle's 'French Revolution' are exceptions to the rule but it doesn't seem the majority of teams are doing business right now either.
I can understand the frustration, and agree with y'all that I'd like a day to go by without a random Harry quote in the press. We DO need to get rid of some players mind, not for the transfer kitty but more to lower the wage bill I'd imagine, particularly if we are bringing in a player from abroad?
End of the day though, as long as we have a new striker, maybe a fresh CB and maybe Scott Parker (though by no means an essential purchase) by the pre-season friendly with Atletico Bilbao then I'll be happy. More so if Llorente is lining up in our new black-and-yellow as opposed to their shirt!
Good point, I wouldn't shag him either - but then again, he's never asked me to.
I'm beginning to hate this time of year; it's stressful anough for any fan, will our favourites be sold on etc but DL's insistence on keeping the daylight out of his wallet until Aug-31 (my birthday BTW!) leaves us up against the wall and pretty 'kin desperate.
Wake me in September please #COYS
Well Harry what a way to show Modric and Bale our ambition! Keep your mouth shut if you have nothing to say. Fed up of Redknapp anyway. He still thinks he is managing Portsmouth or west ham. He is not used to having funds for top players as he is a wheeler dealer, what he is used to. Spurs have bigger aspirations than the forementioned clubs and a much bigger transfer budget, harry just doesn't know what to do with it and I agree, I do believe Harry has taken us as far as he can. How many over 30 something players are we going to have in the team by the time he finishes with us. Just like pompey and west ham before. He only signs proven prem players who are if you like safe buys. Remembering it was Levy who got VDV and Sandro. Look at Harrys other signings and who he has tried to sign. Harry needs to up his game, pull his finger out of his arse and learn to keep quiet when there is nothing to report!
Superhotspurs fc is the only one in here worth considering. For me it is Black and White! Arry is a legend. If you don't like him - then get yer arses over to the Emirates as, for me, your criticisms suggests you are really Arse nal fans and certainly don't belong at the Lane. Any statement or interview to the press (in this matter) will almost certainly have been sanctioned by the Board - that is the way it works in UK PLC.
Still recovering from watching Giovanni Dos Santos rip the US a new one in the Concacaf Gold Cup final. Remind me again why 'Arry doesn't rate him?
It seems to me that 'Arry's bias towards older, established players isn't just in the transfer window. Aside from Bale, forced by injury crisis, have any younger players broken into the first squad?
Cracking match by the way, even if the result likely means the US will be in the group of death yet again in 2014.
if nothings happening, what do you want him to say? quite simply, we do have too big a squad, with lots of dead weight. 7 players i would like to see sold. we cant bring in more and drop players of value from the squad and keep paying them.
jenas, keane, pinaar, ohara, palacious, gomez, crouch, defoe. all worth money, none worth a wank to us!
Lets get this straight its not harry or Levy Thats talking here ITS THE MEDIA as Usual picking out things they want to say and Geussing a lot .... Were just a couple ov players away from being Premiership Contenders .....Weve got a Sqaud second to none and Harry WILL strenthen it The future is good very Good COYS
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13919985.stm That Dos Santos Goal.
I'd love to play poker against Harry because I'd clean up. This guy knows nothing about keeping his cards close to his chest.
By saying we have to sell before we can buy will mean different things to diifferent people BUT if you are interested in Keane, Bentely, GDS, Hutton, Palacios, Jenas et al it means that Spurs are desperate to sell and the quicker the better so they can do get some players in.
This totally undermines Levy's negotiation position because he likes to play chicken with interested parties.....he asks for £x for player A and the interested club say "No, Too much!" Its only as time runs out in the window that clubs get depserate and may agree to pay £x for player A. In a rare situation Levy may drop the price slightly but NOW, thanks to motor-mouth, Levy will HAVE TO drop his asking price, early in the window or risk not selling & thus not buying.
I don't know whether this is Redknapp not being able to help himself and saying too much as usual, some kind of ploy to get Levy to cough up some money or a means of preparing Spurs fans for a big disappointment and moving blame away from himself, probably a bit of all 3, but it is ill-considered & does us no favours!
I often wish Harry would shut up, stop contradicting himself, disassociating himself from the club, act with some quiet dignity etc - but at the end of the day that is actually less important than what squad we end up with for the new season, whether we have solved our problem areas, kept our key players and got rid of some dead wood.
It is far too early to judge that, however from what we have read and Harry's comments in particular it is hard to define a clear strategy about what the direction is (are we happy with 6th or more ambitious), and there appear to be tensions between H and L over the type of player required. In addition to this there is the rumbling Modric issue (ie whether he will stay and/or showing our best players that we have some ambition), an impending court case, the England job and it adds up to a lot of uncertainty.
From a fans point of view the last two transfer windows were a failure as we didnt capitalise on our CL place/extra income to push on and solve any of the squad problems, when we were in a stronger position to do so than we are now. The last window was shambolic with the last gasp bids falling through.
As fans we want to see that the current and future squad is the priority, not Redknapp's blocks of flats, TV work, England aspirations, the Chelsea job, or indeed Levy wanting to get the best deal even if it means players joining at the last minute without time for a preseason or the distraction of the stadium.
"I wish Harry could just do something without some so called fans jumping all over him"
What......like spontaneously combust?
he wants to buy established players to maximise his chance of the negland job. what he leaves spurs with in twelve months time is of no consequence to redknapp; he will be convinced that his time here is the best we ever had and we should be grateful. he still thinks that about portsmouth with their fa cup win and looka t the state they are in. trick would be to keep him around as the players like him and it increases the chances of bale and moodric staying and yet somehow buy the players the next guy wants and fire harry in late aug. it is a knotty problem but there remains a very good chance that twelve of his peers with make it somewaht easier, just hope the jury dont come back in time for modric to do a deal and leave.
When is Redknapp's court case? Can't see anyone coming in till that's been decided. We definitely need to start mucking out the stables asap; the price of deadwood is only going one way.
Levy is such a tight jew... Once we got into the top 4 we should have blown our load.
Sun gossip today: "hard-up spurs who are without CL money next season must sell 4 or 5 players before they can buy and Lennon is one of those who could go if Liverpool firm up a 20m bid".; what utter detritus i can barely believe that a journo has the gall to write such pony. we were loaded before the CL money now we are still loaded but with an extra 25m in the pot. and why sell ohara gio jenas hutts niko palacios when we can sell our best players VDV bale mods lennon? thankfully such drivel it's not a matter of life and death but it winds you up all the same.
TMWNN
'arry's date with destiny is set for end-July. CPS & HMRC are pretty confident of sending him and others down apparently. Luka must find it all a bit baffling....
just seen Pristars comment. vermin.
What do you say to the press? If you say something it's taken out of context. If you say nothing they will say something along the lines of "Redknapp's silence speaks volumes". The only thing to do is give no interviews at all and they'd infer things from that as well.
anyone notice Norwich and QPR are cat B games next season? was a piss take.
probaly to make up for losing West Ham as cat A - another complete piss take.
Pristars, your racism stinks.
Moving back to Harry, he has said he needs to sell. His own words. Not the media. The only Prem Club who talk like that are Everton, who operate on a shoestring and it doesn't come from the manager, usually the board. The 'Sun Jurno' who is saying Spurs are hard up is just adding 2 + 2 from what Harry has said. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why DL doesn't carpet him and tell him to keep his mouth shut. He's a fucking embarrassment to the club, the fans and the chairman.
"When we sign a player, sit back and note who takes all the credit for it."
Not accurate I think spooks. Harry credited Levy with the signing of VDV and Bloomfield for the signing of Sandro. Harry is getting frustrated with Levy because he wants to offload before he buys but he wants to ge a premium price for them. Palacios should have gone two weeks ago but we turned down a 10m bid to get 12m. I think it's only fair enough that Harry removes himself from blame in this case. All you'll fans say at the end of the window is 'it's all Harry's fault' simply because it's popular at the moment to dislike Harry even we all know that Levy is the one who takes ages with every deal.
Between them (Levy and Redknapp), by not reinforcing last term, they have managed to bungle what should have been the start of something special. All momentum has been lost by not strengthening a piss weak front line. Before the 'do a Leeds' brigade pipe up and bore us all to death with their all knowing pragmatism; we didn't need to break the bank/wage structure to improve on the flotsam we're left with now.
He's a bit of a paradox is our Arry. Never seems to be short of a word or two but when he does talk (about Spurs), he either manages to say nothing at all despite having plenty to say, or he sends out these completely mixed messages that just add to the confusion.
Examples:
Insisting that the team were capable of winning the title and then proclaiming that it would 'take a miracle' to finish fourth considering the pedigree / financial depth of the other teams in the mix;
Starting the season by insisting that finishing in top 4 was the most important thing before declaring that our fifth place finish represented our greatest ever season (although I appreciate that he would have been factoring in the fact that we progressed to the quarters of the CL, which to be fair, he was probably entitled to do);
When he first took over at the club, I recall how in the first few matches, when things were going well, he would come out with stuff like "I have no idea how this lot are sitting bottom of the league" and "we have got a quality squad here" and then when we started to go through a sticky patch "this squad has been badly put togther from the start to be honest."
And now we have all of this stuff regarding transfers as highlighted in the article above - when he's not commenting on other teams that is. Stevie Me is superman? Phil Jones is future England captain? Don't really care Arry, and quite frankly, seeing as they have nothing to do with Spurs, neither should you.
So in summary, less taliking and more action please. To quote Snoop Dogg (or was it Vanilla Ice?) if you ain't got shit to say, don't say shit.
You're on the wrong site Pristar. Fuck off.
Steve, I fear for our club if we haven't learnt anything since the last window.
If Harry has to play such mind games then it speaks volumes about the lack of anything constructive going on in terms of signing players. Have to hope (as mentioned) that everyone is still on their hols.
Pristar - any time you want to admit you're a touch daft and wish to apologise, feel free.
Only going one way from last season and it aint up!!! Top 8 will be a challenge for an over rated squad. Modric will enjoy visiting next year.
What`s all the moaning about ? We`ve sold O`Hara for 5mill and signed Friedel on a free, triffic bit of wheeler dealing there, so what`s the problem ?
Can anyone honestly expect uncle Dan to open the cheque-book and spread the wedge while twitcher has such an uncertain future (strikes me he could be the next Mr Bridger drawing up plans for Italian job 3, he was spotted checking out the sewers in Milan last season). Harry will be running Longmarsh by Christmas. Uncle Dan must wait in case the next manager has a different player agenda but i firmly believe he should buy Eduardo from Spartak for 8 mill to keep modders happy, he is a proven EPL striker and they work miracles for Croatia, if Keane can be offloaded soon that would free up wages.
Not much happening at present anywhere, even watched Glastonbury last night and that`s sad, mind you Beyonce is BOOOOOOOOOOTILOUCIOUS and can she get a crowd going oh to see her in a spurs shirt, seven more weeks without football, it`s like doing time.
It's all part of a subtle plot that Harry/Dan are weaving. So don't worry. Have another one of these little pills and keep repeating "It'll all be just fine..."
Completely agree with Razspur. If Redknapp gets banged-up, then Levy will need our transfer kitty to entice another top manager in. It might only appear to be a small risk, but it's a risk nonetheless. If Levy is telling him that he needs to shift players before he'll buy, then it's probably just a stalling tactic.
It's all veyr dull and frustrating for us fans, but it's not like there loads of other deals going on elsewhere at the moment anyway...
"HMRC will only take a case to court that has a nailed on 99.9% chance of success"
Apparently.
Hey Harry....here's an idea!.......Why not stop being a petty minded f**kwit and keep Dos Santos and not replace him for someone half as good.
Get over yourself and give the boy a chance in the premier league! You say you want class signings. Call yourself a manager?...you can't see class when it's under your f**king nose!
You did the same with Sandro....would not give him a chance until you had no choice because of injuries.....and he has shone with even real Madrid now wanting him.
You my son are not a managers arsehole!....you see these players everyday in training and you still can't see class in front of your eyes!
Levy....keep Dos Santos and piss Harry off!........Spurs suffer because Harry has his favorites and will not give others a chance. Harry would not play Messi if he had him cause he don't like the way he combs his hair. Start putting Spurs first you mercenary!
We have so many players that are on loan or not getting chances because Harry has the shits with them.
Get over yourself you plonker!
Harry`s been quoted as saying" there`s nothing out there better than what we`ve got", i assume he is referring to the Basement Bargain Bucket players touting themselves about and not the world class replacements we need. Watch Man Utd in the market, they identify targets, make realistic offers and come back mto get their men, we should be decisive not leaving it until the last few days of the window when clubs ask astronomical prices when they know you`re desperate and the new season has started.
We missed the golden opportunity to establish Tottenham Hotspur as a top 4 club last season through dithering in January, please DL/HR don`t make the same mistake again or the fans will have to ask "Have you both taken this club as far as you can"..........I expect Man Utd to be much improved next season, Chelsea to be re-energised, Man City to play more like a team than individuals and able to buy when needed, that leaves Spurs, the enemy and the scousers to fight it out for 4th spot so we must be fast out of the blocks, routing Everton at the lane and pushing on to new heights. Is Carlo Ancelotti still available ? It`s hard to watch Harry`s refusal to rotate the squad and then have him tell us players were suffering from fatigue in the run in due to the extra European games. Careful i`m nearly starting a rant there. COYS.
Not sure how many where calling for a new front line this time last season....most were happy with the combination we had. Most did want Keane to go but he basically refused to go anywhere that paid him less than Spurs.
In January, most were calling for a new front line but it aint as simple as that....if the likes of Aguerro were available then others would have got in there. £20m for Forlan/Fabiano?? No Chance! And even when you spend money it does not guarantee goals....Torres £50m, 1 goal, Dzeko £27m 1 goal, Carroll £35m 2 goals, Saurez £23m 4 goals......we were better off with Defoe 4 goals, Crouch 3 goals and Pav 5 goals since 26th Jan.
Easy to call the January windows a shambles but whats the point in over paying when it doesn't perform any better than what you have already!
I agree with Spooky TBH
I'm not a Redknapp hater, I appreciate the job he's come in and done for us but he really does need to STFU sometimes, I mean really it gets to the point where I wish someone can just give him a slap. He says some pretty stupid stuff ranging from his sarcastic remarks about Spurs fans, calling us idiots because we dare to have an opinion which doesn't match his (because Spurs have the only set of fans in the entire footballing world who expect better of their team of course) and his latest comments about spending (or lack of it)
I, like others, get the feeling that although he's the Spurs manager he's well and truly out for himself. If you read between the lines and if you have been doing so ever since he's come in his latest comments are yet again aimed to put pressure on Levy to spend money, he's practically telling the fans "hey if we don't secure that coveted striker or if Modric or Bale leaves, don't blame me"
On one hand Levy does need to spend because he knows that we're on the verge of something big. Understandably though from a business perspective and if anyone heard Gab Marcotti's comments on Talksport which I agree with them from Levy's POV he's reluctant to Give Harry a lot to spend because of the impending court case and the very fact that he hasn't ruled the England job out.
Besides we have money to spend anyone that thinks otherwise is totally naive (if we're prepared to write a cheque of 30 mil in January without selling then that tells its own story), I well and truly believe that Levy refuses to trust Redknapp with money, would you? I mean look at the players he's brought in for us and look at his past dealings when Redknapp has had money, I wouldn't call him a shrewd businessman just more of a chancer, he isn't even on the same planet as Levy in terms of business acumen and investment.
Having said that I'm looking forward to the new season, I believe we will shift our deadwood - Palacios, Bentley, Gio/Niko (Both reluctantly) Keane and Jenas will all go this summer which will give Redknapp the money that he needs to spend on a striker, I just hope we don't get to the last week of the window and bid for every striker available on the planet and look like complete mugs nonetheless I believe we will get a striker in whether it be Damio, Forlan, Drogba etc...
It’s been a very frustrating window thus far but we're on the verge of something big so keep the faith.
#coys
I am with you Shady....HR has done great things for us but he needs to learn to shut his mouth.
Time needs to be given, no one has really done any business, and that which has been done has been at mega prices for Henderson & Jones, both of which looked pretty average for the U21s.
Doesn't help whne HR effectively admits we are desperate to sell...buying clubs might think they can get our deadwood for next to nothing.
Europa league starts this week, can`t wait real football again at last and this from a guy who was in Milan and Madrid just a few months ago, i`m cracking up, just seen two magpies what does that mean, one for sorrow, two for joy !!!!! joy joy joy Get back in your box, what did you say ? Get back to your X-Box...................Thanks nurse Sabrina.
The guy in the cell next to mine is about 60 and suffers from short term memory loss, he can remember vividly anything from 30 years ago but can`t remember from 30 hours ago, he says Saul scored for Spurs in the 1967 cup final against Tommy Doherty`s Chelsea, Spurs played them off the park to win 2-1. He also mentions this Leeds team from about the same era, maybe a little later, can anyone tell me what they won :
Sprake
Reaney, Cooper
Bremner, Charlton, Hunter
Giles, Lorimer, Jones, Gray, O`Grady
Possibly the Inter Cities Fairs Cup in 1968
He also tells me Dave Mackay broke his leg twice within 9 months in 1964 but the way he says it you would think it happened just last season. Can`t bear to tell him that a pint is £2.70 he thinks you get two pints for a shilling with change.
Sorry i mean the apartment next to mine.