Harry Redknapp loses his voice
Thursday, June 9, 2011 at 10:47PM I'm staring out the window at the moment. The evening sky where I am is an assortment of angry dark greys, all brooding and moody looking. If the clouds happened to be in a bar enjoying drinks, one of them is about to bump into another and spill a pint and it's all going to kick off. A downpour and a thunderclap. Any minute now. Here it comes.
That other window, the one most of us have our eyes on even when we sleep, is equally damp. What has today brought us? Just more suggestive journalism and soundbites. Very little dancing in the rain. Early days though, right? Reading too much into it, yeah? Might be sunny tomorrow, you just never know.
Abel 'goal machine' Hernandez bid rejected
In summary:
Uruguay international.
20 years of age.
Plays for Palermo, Italy.
£8.9M bid.
Maurizio Zamparini (president) rejected it.
£18M the valuation and alleged acceptable offer.
I don't know too much about the player but was told the quoted '2 goals from 22 games' is not quite factual. It's 3 goals from 12 starts and 10 appearances as a substitute. So statistically (not much of a difference), it's hardly the world class forward signing we need. But then if we did bid for the lad, considering it was a bid under the £10M mark you'd think this signing would not be the marquee statement we are eating away at our fingers for. Rather 'one for the future' who could still make an impact as our second striker in rotation.
I've had the following pointed out to me (not disputing it, but if anyone has anything more to add, please do):
He's had heart surgery.
Recovered from an injury.
Is highly rated by the press and by other Serie A clubs.
He's expected to truly take the league by storm next season.
Cavani, in his first season in Italy, only scored 5 in 33.
Palermo are known for their good youth work with young South American players.
It's down to the person who scouted the player and fedback to chairman and manager on how best he could fit into the team. If they want more it probably wont happen because we are obviously working to a budget and can't over spend on players we don't value as highly as the potential selling club. Can't complain. We'd laugh off £20M for Modric if someone has the nerve to write a cheque for that amount.
Phil Jones. Nearly.
Harry Redknapp is always at hand to compliment others, never a bad word to say and always looking to make sure everyone knows he/we were somehow involved in the big story of the day. Phil Jones signs for Manchester United and guess what...we tried to sign him. He's obviously a lad with great potential, so I don't disagree with Harry on that. I'd expect us along with one or two others to be interested in the player. Why would you not be if you harbour ambitions to progress, push on and polish up on your squad by signing a young talented player? What I don't need to hear is a post-mortem on how we missed out, pinned to our chest like a badge of honour. Whether we inquired or actually lodged a bid or even spoke to Jones, I'm not sure. Harry has retained the details perhaps to reveal more in another interview. I guess the point is, why do we need to make public every single target or attempted signing? Why can't we just get on with it, and if it doesn't happen move on without comment? Why?
What? Oh yeah. Harry Redknapp.
Crouching Peter Hidden Somewhere
Here is the quote (apparently from Harry on a golf course, the bloke can multi-task with the best of 'em) in response to Peter Crouch being sold:
"I doubt it. Crouchy is a good player. I like him. He is a great lad and I love him as a fella. He is not one I'm looking to shift. We are looking to bring a striker in but he is not one of those that we are looking to sell if we can help it"
You take the Phil Jones soundbites as face value (perhaps with permission from the chairman to share the info, hinting at activity behind the scenes) but how to take the above? Personally, it's akin to the Bible code. A cryptic message can be found if you look carefully at the text, if you study it with time and patience. Here, take another look:
"I doubt it. Crouchy is a good player. I like him. He is a great lad and I love him as a fella. He is not one I'm looking to shift BUT HE'S BLATANTLY AVAILABLE YOU JUST NEED TO ATTRACT OUR ATTENTION WITH A BID THAT ISN'T ON THE CHEAP SIDE. We are looking to bring a striker in but he is not one of those that we are looking to sell WE'RE LOOKING TO SELL ALL OF THEM IF WE CAN REPLACE THEM WITH BETTER PLAYER if we can help it"
See anything yet?
Kyle Walker
Is Walker back at QPR on loan? Bit miffed if he is. Yes he's a right back and we have a neat collection of them in the first team squad currently, but I have this fantasy that he breaks into the first team and doubles up as a right winger (ala Bale's journey on the opposite flank) as back up for Lennon. He's a talent and unless I'm mistaken we've got the Prem, Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup to contend with next season. Always feels like we loan players out until they're good enough to be sold for a tidy profit. Hutton will be sold (I've been pinning needles into a voodoo doll since the end of the season) so we need some enthusiastic fearless yoof in the side for rotation and cover. Walker back to QPR? Apparently just red top gossip at the moment. Phew.
Redknappology
Once again (and as a conclusion to the running theme pillaging its way through the above) we find ourselves asking what is the internal directive concerning the manner in which we update the media on our every move? There is nothing to be gained (other than informing all of our scatter-gun desperation and the apologetic nearly men theme) to continuously comment on any failed bid or interest of an unattainable player. Once upon a time (be it a short space of time) it was all hush hush then suddenly bang bang...here's a new player for ya. Currently we have a living breathing RSS feed relaying conflicting information via a twitchy somewhat unreliable server updating us on all our transfer movements. Unless of course Levy let's Harry get away with it all because it serves him as an means to an end. Look at plucky THFC, doing it's best for a third successive window.
Harry loves a camera and can't help himself so it's more than likely that he uses the countless occasions to do himself some good and get the word out on players we might be looking to offload or sign or make people believe we want to sign. Levy in the shadows, lurking...allows it to play out because it won't make a blind bit of difference to the work he's doing. Remember the van der Vaart signing? Harry couldn't wait to let us know how the deal came about and underplayed it a little too. I think he's opportunistic with the soundbites. I just hope Levy isn't so opportunistic this time round with the signings. Three fantastic signings is what Redknapp wants the chairman to bring to the club. If that's the case can we stop with all this persistent Parker, Cole, that bloke from Fulham linkage? What's that? Rio Ferdinand? Murked.
Someone define fantastic (not to say a fit Rio wouldn't do a job for us, but seriously...define fantastic).
Harry Redknapp loses his voice? We live in hope. Even if it did happen he'd probably turn up on Sky Sports News dressed as Marcel Marceau.
It's stopped raining now. More of the same forecasted for tomorrow. Much of the same in the news columns too I'd expect.
Reader Comments (33)
HR should be planning (injuries etc allowing) to have two sides next year. First team for Prem and second team for Dom Cups and Europa, with exception of GK and odd inclusion dependent on match fitness / fixtures. With 25 in squad - 3 GK's / 2 Each Position for outfiled / 1 extra CD / 1 extra CM = 25, this should be achievable and would be fantastic to see some of our loanees actually staying and getting some invaluable experience!! Last thing we want is away in Spain in Europe on Thursday and away at Stamford Bridge on Saturday when 4th at stake with same team!! The prem side would be fresh every game and 4th (with the right signing or three) would be bouncing its way back to WHL!! COYS !!
Mate, stop bitching! Lighten up!
You'd be moaning more if he said nothing. Get over your Harry Out attitude - you've only another year to endure him, and do you really want the aggro of a manager hunt to upset you via the tabloids too?
I think Harry is saying the right things - and I'd wager he's considerably more adept at handling the media during a transfer window than you are!
If you carry on like this you'll be throwing yourself off Tower Bridge by mid-July!!!
t
To be fair, I think I'd handle the media far better than him. I'd pull a rabbit out of a top hat then tap dance a little and nod a no when asked if we were closer to signing any players.
He does say odd things for reasons I don't understand but he's the captain and I'm just chained to an oar, so he must know stuff I don't.
Maybe it's all part of some fiendishly complex psychological operation designed to confuse the opposition. Sure they think Spurs will get a world class striker like any reasonable man would do, but 'Arry will bewilder them all by signing seventeen midfielders and then we'll take cups and whatnot because they didn't make their saving throws versus weirdness.
But as long as he keeps that little evil pixie Modric then I'll be happy. I enjoy watching him make other sides angry, plus I just paid $100 for his f-ing jersey which will change next year of course. Say what you will about American football, but when you buy an NFL jersey it will usually last at least for many seasons of play before you begin to look like a cheap bastard.
And as a gun-owning, muscle car driving 'Merican it's nice to see ole' chromedome up there as a GK threatening that headcase greased lightning Brazilian for the Number 1. USA! USA! USA! ETC!
its a good rant mate and i can feel your frustration as we are all very skeptical as to if we actually can sign a decent fearless striker, but harrys a good steady manager and probably our best for quite a while now. i must say though if my voice was respected by anyone out there i would now be behind harry and see if he can deliver, because in the back of all our minds i think there is still belief that harry can tweak this squad bring in his top players and hopefully keep faith in the fantastic suffocated youth we should bring through, who could be superstars and challenge for honours! we just have to believe!
I guess Harry wants to drive up the price for Crouch by insisting Peter's not for sale. Simple as that. As for Phil Jones and others that went the other way, its just to comfort the "idiotic" fanbase that the management is trying their best to recruit talented players which other 'big" clubs are chasing after.
If Harry took a vow of silence, the hacks would go on doing what many of them do already - make it up - turning the fevered products of their own wet dreams into, "Sources close to Tottenham say..."
The only way these dickheads will temporarily stop writing the Modric/Bale transfer drivel is when the squad's announced. Then it'll all start up again in preparation for Jan. Ride it out chaps.
Other clubs act, they don't talk it up all the time. I've said before, HR needs to stfu. As a poker player, he'd be the one holding up large placards reading ' 6 diamonds, jack of clubs, ten spades . . .' Bill Nick (Greavesie), Keith Burkinshaw (remember him ?) (O. Ardiles/R. Villa) managed to travel beyond these shores to secure 'sensational' signings. OK, more intrusive media these days but, guys, let's be a tad more discrete and shout it out only when the ink's dried.
Another provocative post spooky - nice one.
according to my sums, with all our loanees back, we have a squad of 29, excluding youth.
We are going to have to get rid of the likes of Hutton, Keane, O'Hara, Bentley, Kranjcar, maybe even Bassong/Palacios and one of the forwards, just to make room for some new signings.
I think it is bordering on poor management that in our 25man squad we have 3 "foreign" goalkeepers. While i love King and Woody, really thats another spot wasted, unless (like never before) we can keep them fit and they can share CB duties.
The squad need to be balanced with some youth, so the likes of Walker, Rose and maybe Livermore/Caulker/Townsend need to be involved.
I think these rules will have contributed to the high price paif for Jones/Henderson because cvlubs do not want to lose quality "home grown" players and other clibs are desperate to buy them.
amendment to above :
'. . . . to secure 'sensational' signings without every relative and friend of the Street of Shame's sports editors knowing every last detail.'
Flu. My bad.
I do hope we keep Walker , have seen quite a lot of games where he featured and i really like what i saw. If he doesnt get a look in the first team , he'll be gone for sure. He has pace , trickery , the right mindset and not too shabby defensively and at his age that's impressive. On the plus , he's less expensive. Some people need to realise that labeling players as too young is very old fashioned, you dont win anything with only kids but in a balanced team the kids need to get a look in ... and that doesnt happen at Tottenham very often. Old players galore and youngsters on loan ...
Btw Palermo is a maffia run club so negotiating with them could prove to be pretty hard :) Ever tried to hussle a Sicilian ? It cannot be done ...
And the point is? All managers have something to say. Claiming to be able to manage the press better than the media darling himself is deluded. If you want a definition of fantastic watch Rio play football, he is absolute class. Another self absorbed, pretentious and charmless article (unlike the Diaby wears Spurs shirt at home link).
Spooky , your style of writing keeps on confusing people , maybe you should add a sort of irony/sarcasm/jest disclaimer to the blog ...
Other news , Fulham is about to buy an Tottenham reject that did very well for himself in Holland , Mounir El Hamdaoui - great player in Holland but i dont know what he's worth for the EPL
Self absorbed? It would be considering it's my own opinions. Ooh look at me, I'm a football fan and I'm complaining about stuff, so original and different.
Sorry to bore you but if you haven't noticed, not a lot is going on other than Harry playing golf and letting us in on our transfer failures.
I'm guessing you're jesting about my claim to be able to manage the press better. If you're not...Jesus Christ is all I have to add to that.
Keep it up Spooks, nothing you write can ever be madder than what will witness this transfer window. You'd have to be madder than Brian Mad from Madcastle...
There are two approaches we either join the madness and spunk a huge wodge of money on a real landmark striker or we play it sensible and try and get a striker with potential for an acceptable amount of money.
IMO I think I've got more chance of getting a w@nk off the pope than seeing us spend £25 million on a world class striker.
Whatever happens basic economics says that we've got to balance the books and I reckon we need to see faces go before we really get involved.
At the end of the day I'm hardly going to please everyone. There's Spurs fans at the Lane who I hate listening too. Would be boring if we all sang from the same hymn sheet.
No need to worry about the occasional berk who doesn't get it. There are Spurs fanatics up here in West Bloody Yorkshire who drive me up the proverbial.
Keano for Fulham ? (talking of Tottenham rejects)
Did you ever start a game of Football Manager and clear out all the deadwood leaving a bank balance of about £100m to spunk on Europe's finest?
Well thats what we need to do.....
PLN - nah, I just ended up as Man City manager after I'd just signed Carroll and Tevez for Spurs. (My current City squad includes Kaka, Wilshere, Aguero, Rossi, Sanchez, Shawcross on top of the players currently there).
The other problem, as Football Manager does a good job of replicating, is that it's not easy to get Europe's finest in when you're in the second tier of European competition and other clubs can offer bigger wages.
But I do agree with you in regards to having a deadwood clearout. The problem is that Levy seems to be looking for high transfer fees, or the clubs that are interested can't match the current wages. This is where City will ultimately have a problem in the future as so many of their squad are on wages no other club can afford.
You play Football Manager as Man City? Thats like turning on the unlimited money cheat...
I bet you also save the game before the cup final and replay it if you lose.
Ok Guys,
Panic stations are not on the horizon,
United & Liverpool have paid well over the odds for "promising British Talent" you know one for the future...
Arsenal are in disarray and by all accounts half the team are either leaving the emirates or dancing arround the lounge in a Spurs Shirt, classic.
Our Squad - Its probably one of the strongest in the league, I do agree it might be time to call in the youngsters, but for no other reason than to boost squad numbers to play them in early Europe & somestic cup rounds.
We need to focus on just 22 players focused on the Premier League top 4 finnish & who knows maybe 3rd, I say this as currently Arsenal are falling, Chelsea are Managerless & whoknows what City will turn up next season....
Our Squad for the assault forget the kids for the future, we are in the now and it is a prime time to topple Arsenal and we need to strike with strength and experience.
Modric is the only player muted away from WHL but if we keep him do we need additions???
Kaboul - has come on strong and could be massive for us next season at RB or even as part of a CB trio. (Charlie to cover)
On the left we have BEA with Bale taking over if we play a back 3 perhaps.
CB Gallas, King, Dawson + 1 more lets us move out Woody & Bassong.
Midfeld - Horny as Hell we have Modric, Lennon, Bale, Sandro, Thudd, VDV, Palacios (He ha been injured + suffered a terrible family tragedy, he will become great again).
And might I add to this amazing line up Rose, Walker (youth) & even Bently......
Up Front - We only have a Russian star, 2 English Internationals & an Irish goal Machine that condemmed WHU to the championship. (Joking aside they are all great strikers that suffered problems that I cannot believe will be repeated)
Newbies - Harry is correct we need 1 x Defender, 1x Midfielder, 1 x Striker.
Top Quality only and I am sure Harry will be sniffing arouund JOse for some bargin peripheral that time has forgot to set the world alight again whilst producing money for old rope by moving on "squad Players" Jenas, Krank, Ohara - you know the ones (poss fire sale £20million???)
Chin up and chocks away 3rd/4th here we come - THis has to be our biggest season in decades we fuck this one up and it could be 10 years till we reach this point again.........
COYS
Here we are, another summer of hope from some, not for all. I'm one who has very little hope left!!
I cant see us signing anybody of any significance - we are not willing to pay!!. We are now under significant pressure by Man U and Modric him self. The story will not die so pls don't tell me its the media, don't be so naive! There is some truth in the story. On the other front, we are really making progress. Signed a 41 year goalkeeper, keeping Crouch and offering 12 million for a striker that has scored 3 goals in 22 games. He should really fit in well with our existing strikers!!
Its looking good guys, chin up, keep a smile on your face, its the same old crap. We simply cant break in can we, regardless of what we do, how we go about it, we simply cant get a foot in the door.
The one season where we had a chance to get into the big league for a 2nd year and we screw up because we could not stand back and see the bigger picture. Lets go for glory guys, even if its for 1 season, never mind if it means another 5 years of rebuilding to get to the last 8 again. Its enough for little old Spurs - we should be thankful!!
Awesome, within the last three posts we've summed up being a Spurs fan.
We're definitely bipolar!
Makes me wish we had the stadium to argue over still. Transfer window is a bloody nightmare.
Club is as ambitious as the chairman, who went on record to say he won't chase top 4 by overspending.
If modric does go life will carry on, that's football, people need to wise up, we are a selling club.
Tri-polar
Read today United turned us down for Welbeck ! Real world class
Patience!....The way i see it...is with my eyes....Same every window....moan........worry....excitement...dashed hopes...........hanging on every word (typed or otherwise)....moan..........fiddle...fart...cry....rage...EUREKA!....ahhh...damn!....bollocks!....GET IN!.....here we go then......new hope....
We are so close....hanging on that precipice by the skin of our teeth on our fingernails....don't fuck it up Levy...
We shall see.....let's hope they're trying their best and their intentions are similar to ours...........it's all we CAN do isn't it?
COYS
PLN - nope, I started the game at Spurs, but after 2 seasons City offered me the job. How could I say no to having all that cash to spend???? Also in charge of England.....
"Chin up and chocks away 3rd/4th here we come - THis has to be our biggest season in decades we fuck this one up and it could be 10 years till we reach this point again........."
If you'd written that last season, I'd have been in full agreement.
Glass half full eh?
We're going to finish 3rd.
I'd take that (thank you very much) in a heartbeat. But who will we be unseating? What's your 'Top 4' for next season?
I see City & United in there for definite..Chelsea too probably.....leaves us to be above both Arsenal & Pool.Is that how you see it? Top 4 of Utd, Citeh, Spurs, Chelsea (not in a particular order)....or one of those dropping out and the goons getting back in? As much as it pains me they can't be written off (for a 4th place berth at least rather than a *chuckle* trophy obviously).