Beyond redemption
Friday, June 15, 2012 at 10:49PM Via The Secret Footballer's blog:
I have been told by more than one player at the club that one decision in particular last season angered Daniel Levy, the club chairman, beyond redemption. After Norwich City had held Arsenal 3-3 at the Emirates Stadium, Tottenham needed to beat Aston Villa to all but secure third spot.
With the score at 1-1, Redknapp made a change. But instead of the extra striker that was needed to grab a vital winner, he threw on Scott Parker and played for the draw. A few people have told me that there were strong words in the Tottenham camp after that incident and that relations between manager and chairman were never quite the same again.
Full article here.
Can't disagree with the fact the substitution was a negative one lacking fortitude and desire for victory. It's about glory and there would have been plenty of it with an attacking substitution even if we went on to lose the game. Would Levy truly blow his top and have words with Redknapp over this? Strong words is a touch ambiguous though. There's no suggestion there was a face off or angry text messages exchanged. Strong words amongst the board of directors? They probably had a good moan. We weren't happy. Why should they be? Everything we had built was being demolished from within.
The game cited might have been the catalyst. They're have been plenty of questionable tactics since February that you could argue as being instrumental in the failure to consolidate 3rd spot. Point being, there were several occasions during the course of the season that would have seen Levy pulling metaphorical hair out. The Villa game was the final opportunity to take control of our destiny and in that moment Redknapp turned his back on it. Pragmatism, safety, consolidating a single point. Whatever the reasons it was his choice. In the manager we trust until that manager has been removed.
Beyond redemption sounds about right if a little dramatic and harsh in relative terms (the damage was done long before the Villa game, as stated, the Villa game was the final straw). But that's the beauty of hindsight and circumstance. It adds weight or removes it from the shoulders that hold it. Micro-analysis of tactical shuffles and substitutions can be long forgotten (even if they warrant more discussion) if all goes well in the end. It didn't end well. So as long as Harry continues to perpetuate a paragon of perfection regarding his tenure at Spurs, we'll have to make do with these lesser scraps that wont be appearing in a tabloid column any time soon.
Reader Comments (58)
'Arry and his failure to put on Defoe after Ade equalised in the Villa match? Was Levy pissed? Yes, and about 100,000 spurs fans as well. Just surf the websites and you'll see them venting. Said so much about 'Arry, that decision did, not least total lack of empathy with the Spurs ethos, i.e. always put the beating the Gooners at the top of the list. He had a chance to do that, or at least try and he funked it. It was his refusal to try that did for him, methinks.
RIP Harry, thanks for the ride as it was truly magnificent at times but as with some rides we got off a little nauseous. I do believe or maybe hope is the better word that this was not a knee jerk rection and that DL had/has a plan and a suitor in place. COYS.CODL.
QPR away was worse. We helped keep two shit teams up rather than go for the jugular. Clearly the relationship went badly wrong. DL: "You show any interest in England and you'll get Saha and not Tevez"
HR: "You price me out of England and I'll play Bale in the middle and throw away your season."
DL: "Then I'll sack you when it suits me."
As bad as each other. So many issues. Inevitable. When can we do a fan-based take over bid?
The Everton game where he put bale on the right, modders on the left just because Lennon was out springs to mind also. Getting bale play inside left when we needed to stretch teams wide and yes the villa game. Rubbish end of season form two years running, costing cl was the final nail.
just back from hols, AVB scares the shit out of me......anyone actually see it as positive?
I lost it with HR when he played Bale on the RW and Modric on the LW at Everton, leaving Phil Neville to have a nice comfortable game at RB. Unbelieveable.
For my sins I was unable to watch the villa game so had to make do with updates on the BBC sports page. When I saw an update saying Parker had been brought on I assumed that we had scored but the 1-1 score line at the top of the page just hadn't up dated. No other reason to bring him on other to defend a lead. Every spurs fan on the planet understood that this was our last glance. Win or bust, arsenal we going to do us no more favors. Yet Harry plays for a point cos that's a good result with ten men away from home. Jesus he said he hoped that Chelsea would win the final. It realising we would be knocked out. He cant read write etc etc. how the hell has he got this far. AVB is ten times the manager - go get him levy
I heard that Arry and Co (Stepford wives) did not even make it to Levy's office!!
So I presume if decides to bring on an international footballer/club player of the season for the last minute in place of a player who is clearly knackered, he will get the sack too?
Hilarious. Long may it continue.
Catalyst + season summed up in one substitution.
There are plenty of examples of how Harry bungled it but then that needs weighing up against 8th (2p8g), 4th,5th & 4th placings. What did it for Harry was his big self-serving mouth. The new stadium will usher in a decade of frugality, where we will sell our best like Woolwich do (for a lorra lorra wedge) & buy in occasionally, cheaply & encourage youth.From Levy, Joe Lewis & ENIC's view they now want a quiet no-nonsense custodian who will stick around & stop providing uneccessary soundbites to the media.Enter Moyes.
I feel sorry for the new manager - whoever it is. Firstly, the Harry loving media will give him no chance. Secondly, he's got to get CL with a Europa League budget. Thirdly, the PL will be stronger next year. Strong than it has been than any year Harry was in charge. Both Arsenal and Chelsea will/have spend heavily this summer and Liverpool and Newcastle will be strong. Fourthly, our squad needs a lot of attention. So many players' futures need resolving.
Lastly, if they have a DoF to deal with then he might as well go home. I hope that if Levy has learned anything in the last 4 years is that the English method works. One bloke does the football. If he wants help with finding players, get a chief scout. If Levy doesn't want to do the player negotiations again (great!) get in a chief exec. No DoF!
You can blame the Villa game Norwich defeat City's late penalty Huddlestone and Dawson out long term Kings knee seven points from bad offsides decisions Levey failing to purchase Ady Harry going for the title with a borrowed striker from City who eventually won it. All these are factors but one fact you all failed to believe is we lost points to work rate induced teams and that will happen next season after January no matter who we buy or who is our manager another fact. I warned all my fellow fans from the January window two things would scupper our chances of a top three finish energised teams and players tapped along with the media frenzy Harry for England. After we won 5-0 against Newcastle there was only one outcome every desperate team who we played work rate doubled Norwich Qpr Sunderland Villa took ten points of us Wigan went on a run of wins no expert could predict one win costing Utd the title. Learn the reason why this happened and you will learn why sacking Harry and buying more players wont stop Reading West Ham Southampton beating Spurs after January if it means they get sucked into relegation trouble next season. I feel sorry for Harry because he never seen that coming Just like Fulop when he gifted three goals to Arsenal gift wrapped by the parting Hodgson, No my fellow Cockerels Harry did make a mistake against Villa but the real culprit is the Fa and David Bernstien ex Man City chairman who allowed teams licence to upp there work rate with the light sentence dished out to Paddy Kenny and Kolo Toure whose teams took nine points between them with two offenders in there ranks
The amazing thing about Harry appointing Paul Stretford is that he didn't grt to use him. Ironic
Davspurs: Did Wenger & Di Matteo gave Woolwich & Chavski magic rosie lee at half time or was did Harry fuck it up? Please advise.
Everton at home. We won our precious game in hand and the league title, let alone 3rd or 4th was in our own hands.
None of us seriously expected to win the league. BUT the next fixture was home v Wolves. What better chance to consolidate 3rd place?
Cue Redkrapp through familiar Range Rover front off side quarterlight window.
Interviewer `Can Spurs win the league Harry`
`Why not` (munch munch lick lick suck suck slurp swallow) came the reply.
Why not? why f***ing not? How about ` We`re only as good as our next game and we`ll finish as high as we can, be it 1st 2nd or 3rd`You can only presume that what was said publicly was said in the dressing room.
And what followed was the players probably not knowing what or what not they were expected to achieve and there the slide started. 0 -0 home to Wolves.
Surprising really, from the great man manger who went in front of the world to say how his wife was a better finisher than his international striker.
Forget Villa, QPR away. Let`s be really nice and say Chavs at home wasn`t a given. That still leaves Wolves, Stoke and Norwich at home. One win form any of those games - not too much to ask - would`ve got us third spot. Let`s not even mention the possibility of at least a draw away at the library, having been 2-0 up.
He`s gone, history and whoever the new man is we can be assured that regardless of his talent he will be a hundred million times more dilligent than redkrapp. I hope he now suffers just half the sleepless nights that I have in the past 4 months.
for any reminaing Harryites out there - interesting aint it that THFC are linked with a list of possible candidates to become the new manager, wheras redkrapp? Head coach of FC Tumbleweed maybe?
And now I`m seeing that waste of space Walcott commenting on his `wonder strike` FFS. Hurry up Mr Loew make our day!
Oooooh I am a ranty boy tonight.
Harry Redknapp is with out doubt one of the best Managers that Spurs have had in modern times. The guy is humble and honest to the point that it is to his detrement. Unless Spurs can pull something truely amazing out of the managerial bag I can only see mid table mediocrity beckoning.
,,,,,,,,,,,,the Villa game...he tells Defoe to warm up when there was about 10 minutes left to play, then he changes his mind, and with 3 minutes left he brings on Scotty in a game WE HAD TO WIN!!! fkn unbelievable!!! That was the moment I realised this cuzt has taken a 3 mill bung from the Arse!! No other explanation for it!! He already thought he was off to manage Engloid, we was 10 points ahead of the Arse, and overnight he started doing his utmost to fuk our season up!!!! NOW GET PEP GUARDIOLA!!!! I would not be happy with anyone else, especially Moyes Martinez ONeill blah blah blah and all the rest of the sh!t!
AVB and a director of football again according to The Sun (Tim Sherwood).. Massive step forward to errr.. mid table? Bringing in AVB is the equivalent to bringing in Ramos after Ramos' performance at Spurs. Gauntlet down, anything short of 5th next year, Levy out.
38 Games in a season....... It didn't rest on the Villa game nor did a 10 point lead over the Arse get lost in one game. I cannot think of anyone else that could imrpove Spurs at the mo..... Pep included.
Kiddakidda... agree completely... and when Man U loses a 7pt lead with 8 games left ... do they fire Fergie? Amateur hour at Spurs again. Credit Levy for finances being in order. Blame him for Santini and Ramos.. and all the chopping and changing. Redknapp wasn't perfect but he was getting good results.
I think Levy got the hump about the whole England debacle. I don't know of any Manager that has gone from potential Manager for our national team to getting sacked from his club because he didn't get the job. The press have not helped 'Arry' in all this.
I see,Monday morning quarterbacking at its worst. Harry did this and didn’t do that, bla, bla, bla…
Of course, all shit could be thrown only on Harry, and not at players or mind-boggling refs’ blunders when it counted the most, or (God forbid) at a couple of fucking scrooges at the helm of the club; lying fuckhead Levy and the tightest-puckered club owner in the PL).
OK, Harry is gone, and who did we sign? Fuck no one. There’s your bellowed fuckhead right there – neither new players nor new manager in the club. As usual he’ll wait till the last day and try to nick a fish on a cheap from what is left in a muddy, shallow pool.
Harry can walk with his head held high. He build the team that played, without doubt, the most exciting footy in the PL, and achieved more with the players he had than reasonably expected by everyone that knows thing or two about footy (except blind Spurs fans). Could he done it better? Certainly, one can say that. But he could have done worst, too. I didn’t hear the same crap from fans being thrown at Fergie for losing (10 point or so) lead to ManCity just few games before the end of the race and losing the fucking title.
All I can say to the man is words of thankfulness for the exciting years watching Spurs under his helm, and wish him luck in whatever he decides to do. If I could, I’d run out of the club the fuckhead Levy as he’s the cancer. Also, I hope that some real football enthusiast buys Spurs and moves us forward.
How “smart” and “right” are the fuckhead’s decisions is yet to be seen. And we’ll see it for sure.
Good morning, being a guest on here and not a spurs fan, I hope to bring a nuteral view to Harry's sacking. Looking at the season my team have had and the dire football we have had to endure, I am supprised at the vritolic shown towards Harry by your fans. You have seen some great football not only this season but over the past 4, where were you when he took over? He stabalised your club and moved you forwards. He has bought in good decent players and got rid of those deamed not good enough ( I know as we got one of them). He has been lambasted by the press over the court case, then set up as the saviour of English football and the fans choice as England manager. This would have had an effect and should have been stopped, but for whatever reason it wasn't and in my opinion went some way to the change of tactics you saw. Harry by his own admission is not the most educated man, but to riddicule him for it when he did so much for your club is astounding. I am affraid that you will have to lower your sights regarding a manager, as the like of Pep Guardiola are not going to come to a club that has a chairman like Levey. And as an outsider that is where your problems lie. He interfers far too much in your team running and is on the managers shoulder constantly. I feel that Harry would have learned from this season and you would have improved next and nailed that CL spot. Now you are back at square one and looking for a manager, beware of that you could end up with McLeish.
Well done Villan. Nice to read an outside perspective and it is very true what you say, especially about stability. Sadly, you will read some very measured and considered opinions on this blog. The same cannot be said for the others where you would be even more perplexed by the slavering, rabid opinions of the hate mob. Perhaps you could pop round some of those and make the same point. We must be the laughingstock of the Premier League. I had to put up with ridicule from my Chelsea supporting mates while i was in England this week. They all find it hilarious. Ball is now back in Levy's court - time to prove HE has a game plan and bold tactics. Your move baldy...
Btw Villan, I have a dog called Pep. We have more chance of him managing Spurs. Its amazing the delusional aspirations of some fans... However, maybe i could get Paul Stretford To negotiate a good contract for my dog.
Villan, why would you expect Harry to learn for next season, when in the season just past he made the same mistakes as the season before?
Why would Levy want to invest in a multi-million pound training complex and hand the keys to a guy that doesn't do much in training? There's probably an entire sports science department which, under Harry, would do nothing but house a pallet of magic sponges.
For a little london club you lot sure have an inflated opinion of yourselves. I look forward to your downfall next season.
There are some points in the History of the World which change"how things were"forever - & the World moves into a New phase with the previous prevailing order "Gone Forever".
What has just happened @ WHL in footballing terms is one such example.
I saw England Win the World Cup in 66 (as a young young kid) and thought that even back then as a Spurs supporter that the Manangement of the National team was far more important than anything else - Years later I know I was wrong.
Witness - How the FA treated Sir Alf - Sir Bobby Robson - How they never but should have appointed Brian Clough - What it did to Don Revie - Graham Taylor - Steve McClaren - Glenn Hoddle - You get my drift?
What our club has just suffered is the Bad Karma that surrounds the poisoned chalice that is the England managers job and BOY!!! Do WE now know ALL about that.
Harry has been a (love him or hate him) "Revelation" in his 4 Years @ The Lane
The foootball has been fantastic - People fear us - For my money he assembled the 2nd BEST squad in the P.L. after that Northern Arab team BUT even better than that .......At Long Long last that shower down the road were starting to Sh*t themselves as to the fact that WE had a better squad - played better football - and (5-2 excepted) had beaten / avoided defeat in FOUR out the previous FIVE games - Winning 3 in the process!
At 2 Nil up with 4 minutes to half time - we were 13 points and God knows how many places ahead of them and Chavskie
What happened then ? We all know and BOY - DO WE NOW KNOW IT .....AND THE COST.
If you feel sorry for Harry and indeed I do - Bear this in mind.
Had the FA come calling - HE "WOULD" Most definitely have GONE - FULL STOP!
So where we are this morning is where we would have been weeks ago cos 'Arry would now be in Poland with the England team - So we are no worse off - FACT.
But wheres Harry this a.m. ?
Richer by £3 Million- But "Sacked" - "Bulleted" on the Dole! Ego shattered - Feeling useless - Uncertain and probably wishing - as we all would - he should have KNOWN what (Historically) a crock of sh*t the England job IS -and indeed by comparison - Where he was loved and respected - Where he was wanted - Had a NEW dynasty and Where he had a very long term future.
So WHAT happened to change it all.
The French call it "La Folie de Grandeurs"- "The madness of power" and THAT is exactly what got into his head The Madnes of what HE perceived was his (Over) Personal Worth & The power THAT could bring + The ££££££ s
What a Friday / Saturday that was when Harry "walked" from Southwark Crown Court - Capello resigned and We / HIS TEAM "Destroyed" Newcastle 5 (Should have been 10) - Nil!
33,000 people (NUFC excepted) imploring him to "STAY - STAY - STAY" !! And beyond ????
And how was it thereafter ???
Every Spurs press conference undermined by continuous questions to him of "Was he gonna take the England Job" ?
The coy little smiles - The - nudge nudge wink wink - "Sorry I cant say too much - You know how it is mate" none replies but everyone knowing that he's already planning what colour of car he s gonna ask from th FA + Can I have a South facing Office at Wembley etc etc - ie The man had already at that stage "crossed the Rubicon" in his mind and HE HAD!
Where did that leave Totttenham - "Totally in Limbo and Uncertainty" - "Weaker"!
Dont tell me (Yes and that means you as well Harry Redknapp) that "that" situation WOULD NOT have got to the players - Individually or Collectively - It did and Boy did that manifest itself on the field.
By the time several weeks had passed and 'Arry's utterances were clearly starting to sound like a bloke who was by now syndicating his options , hedging his bets - It was ALL too LATE.
The STELLAR START that we had made had evaporated and from cruising along basically sharing top spot with the 2 Manc clubs at one point we went to 6th for an hour or two until we won and went 4th - Still not GOOD enough - The damage was done - Not only on the field but also (crucially) in the Board Room.
Put simply, "OUR" Season had gone to hell in a Hand Cart and for "What" ? - For Harry Redknapp's vainglorious dalience with a job position that he was NEVER EVER invited to consider / apply or was in reality - - EVER HIS TO HAVE!
Norwich threw us a last gasp lifeline - But Harry blew the bloody thing the very next day at Villa - We've beaten Villa before with 10 men so why didnt we do it again ??
Cos Harry played "Dan Dare-n't" rather than "Dan Dare" and settled for a bloody point rather than living up to the club motto - "To Dare IS To Do" !
Enter Mr (I'm Gonna get my revenge on you Spurs) Fulop on the last day - and even though we beat FULHAM - that(utterly incomprehensibly) meant that we finished 1place and 1crucial point behind a club that had accepted for 90% of the season that Spurs finishing above them that year was very simply an "inevitability" - which it was until the entry of the "Poisoned Chalice" and its effect on Mr Redknapp and our club.
Drogba's penalty was the Final - Desperate-P*ss taking - Gut wrenching - Soul Destroying action that finally torpedoed.........
Our Season - Our well earned place in the E.C.L. - Mr Levi's extra £45 Million Quid for 2012 - 2013 season - Luca Modric's Spurs carreer (Plus maybe Gareth and Rafa + Others??).............But above all - Harry Redknapps Job !
Spurs TRULY LOVED Harry Redknapp -(WE told him unequivocally against Newcastle - About every 5 Minutes as I recall)
The/HIS Players TRULY LOVED Harry as they showed him that factin a performance that was one of Skill - Devotion and Passion by the players as "their act of love" to and for HIM at that same match....... And EVEN .......The Chairman (at that point I truly believe) "Totally Wanted" Harry to stay - He had meetings with Jaimey his Son to try get him to stay.
Equally Harry LOVED Spurs.
Moral of the Story - When Two People LOVE EACH OTHER "TOTALLY" - DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES F**K ABOUT "WITH LOVE" - For "if" you "DO", you might just wake up and find that the LOVE YOU HAD JUST AINT THERE ANYMORE - AND HAS JUST WALKED OUT OF THE DOOR!!
And "That" my Dear Tottenham Brothers (and Sisters) is "exactly" what has gone on here to leave us where we are today - Numb - Sad - Uncertain - Angry - Betrayed and ..... and ..... Well "uncertain" seems to sum it all up Guys ?? Un (very) Certain!
Only future days will tell us whether this "Bold Move" by Levi will lead us onwards and upwards or whether in fact like a once half decent "Charlton" side - "This" kiddies is "OUR" -"We can do better than"- Alan Curbishley - Moment ??
I DO HOPE NOT Good People ? How do YOU Feel ?
No - Surrender - Spurs Til' I Die! - Mike
Yeah, such a little club with our traditions and history and money and flair players and iconic moments and 25k season ticket waiting list and...
...yeah, such a little club. Wait until we're a big club. We'll be asking FIFA to allow us into the World Cup Finals.
Sunderland away
Norwich home
Wovles home
Swansea away
Everton away
Stoke home
Qpr away
Aston Villa away
Liverpool away
Cheatski away
Anymore for anymore? Take your pick.
Buy one, get one free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I fully understand the surpirse expressed by outsiders popping in here and can even forgive them for mistaking our ingrained sense of irony for genuine delusion.
However I can`t for the life of me understand those Spurs fans who continue to weep for Redkrapp.
Yes he was called in to do a job and yes he exceeded expectations. But we found as suspected all along and as previously discovered by W**t H*m, Pompey and Soton, that this is not a man to be trusted.
Big picture is an ongoing project, incorporating a stadium developement. Required is a manager to totally buy into that project.
That`s not Redkrapp, at 65 with health issues and willing to take up a better offer at the drop of a hat.
His only mitigation? 4th 5th 4th. In the light of those stats, this week`s events may seem harsh, but I don`t blame Lewis / Levy for not trusting the man.
Who knows, maybe they have sounded out a bigger than expected name for the job, with assurances on transfer budgets. Maybe they have changed tact and now consider the playing side of things as priority number 1, creating a team that will fill a new bigger stadium. I know there`s a huge waiting list for season tickets, but that may not remain the case if the best players leave and no quality signings are made.
We the fans deluded? No we`ve been through too much adversity over too long a period to be in danger of joining the `God given right` brigade.
But standards - at least we no longer have to endure a toe curling spiv of a manager posing for the camera.
So sad to see/hear a lot of the so called "Harry lovers", now praying for Spurs to fail.
No one is bigger than the club. Loving how the media are going mental over this.
I think the Villa game has been over-analysed.
The real 'scene of the crime', would be the listless home performance against Norwich, or the following surrender to QPR.
Villa were terrible this season, no two ways about it. However they had one shot on target for the day- a long range, heavily deflected shot- that gave them something to hold on to. That's not Machiavellian, that's just plain bad luck
Of course Rose went and got himself sent off. Whatever Harry's failings, I don't think he could legislate for that either. He was going to bring Defoe on, then we score. 25-30 minutes to go, Harry has a decision to make. Was one point better than none? Would it be easier to play for three points with a more defensive 'sucker-punch' style?
I wouldn't say Harry made the right decision. I can however see there being a logic to his choices that day other than deliberately sabotaging our season. We had 10 men. Arsenal's final day victory at WBA was not a fait accompli. Chelsea's fluke in Munich had not yet happened. We still needed to make sure we didn't finish 5th behind Newcastle.
Fulop happened. Gomez happened. Cech happened. It sucks. It really, really sucks. I don't think a point away with ten men against Villa could have been the tipping point however. The split was probably already final before that point.
I support unequivocally the decision made by the the chairman this week to relenquish Redknapp from his post as manager, I never really understood why he was often viewed by some as the best manger we've had in a few decades considering that he never actually won us any silverware. Granted, he was at the helm when we were fortunate enough to finally qualify for the CL and I am thankful to him for that, but that is as far as my gratitude will extend I'm afraid. From the time he made the, "We've never had it so good" statement I realised then that the man is a self centered, deluded egotist. So happy that we can now appoint a manager that is prepared to fully commit to the club and truly take us where we need to be. Who that person is remains a conumdrum I know, but I have faith in DL's ability to identify the correct person required. COYS!!!
so after a your work was panned you decided to cut and paste someone elses - good plan - ffs
Why have you posted under a different user name this time? Bit scared to just come out and tell us your real name? Bless. That's the thing about trolls. Always hiding in the shadows, taking pot shots. Ping ping.
Work panned? Yeah, because I copy and paste every single day don't I? Keep on bringing the lols 'mate'. Or jog on. Either way is good.
@aspurusual - sign of the septic age of football we currently reside in I`m afraid. Qualification for the Champions League - the vast majority of participants in which are no such thing as champions - is considered more important than winning things. Ask the scum down the road, they`ve made an art of consistantly `achieving` top 4. So because Redkrapp took us into that competition once, binning other cups along the way, some regard him as the best thing since Bill Nic sliced some bread.
The point at which Redkrapp was confirmed to me as a complete arsewipe was following the league cup final defeat. His post match interview was along the lines of `well we enjoyed our day out, never really expected to win it. I will accept the fans` adulation for getting us to the final though`.
Not what fans or players wanted to hear and during our capitulation last season, those words echoed around my head. Because from the day of that final, it was clear that this man did not have the wherewithall to grasp the bollocks of success when it came knocking at the door.
Get the feeling tommorows papers are gonna kill us........?
@moe- Excellent comment my friend, "The sceptic age of football of we currently reside in"... I concur wth that 100%. When a club has been able to secure a spot in the CL not as champions of their domestic league but as runners up, I find it mind boggling to see that supporters deem that as achieving great success. As you rightly say, look at Le Arse as an example, I'll most definitely leave that mindset to that lot. Funny how times change indeed. COYS!!!
@moe- Excellent comment my friend, "The sceptic age of football of we currently reside in"... I concur wth that 100%. When a club has been able to secure a spot in the CL not as champions of their domestic league but as runners up, I find it mind boggling to see that supporters deem that as achieving great success. As you rightly say, look at Le Arse as an example, I'll most definitely leave that mindset to that lot. Funny how times change indeed. COYS!!!
When asked by an interviewer after his sacking whether the distraction of the England job vacancy had been detrimental to the teams lost of form and subsequently failure to secure CL football. Redknapp cut in and categorically stated that this had not been the case. My god, even now, he didn't have the decency or guts to admit that maybe, just maybe, he took his eye of the ball.
You lot really do love yourselves, Redknapp brought you to heights that you could only dream about a few years ago, and now it's good riddance? If anything it's Levy's fault for getting too involved, should have let Redknapp do his own thing.
If Redknapp was left to do his own thing he'd be managing England.
Well, I just hope we can get a good manager - van Gaal PLEASE!
I just wish to briefly remind the Toon supporter of the fact that his club gained promotion from the Championship to the PL with one of our ex players as manager. I do recall that Ashley soon dispensed with Chris Hughton following his achievment for no apparent reason. The phrase, stone and glass houses springs to mind on this one mate.
ToonToon.... Newcastle, right? Newcastle-on-Tyne, up north, yes?
TonyBlue - At the moment they`re oop narth but they could relocate any moment - Sports Direct Arena? Could be anywhere really couldn`t it? Supporters of sell -your -soul clubs telling us what`s right and what`s wrong? (let`s milk this one until naming rights effect us!)
Out of the names being mentioned as the next manager such Blanc, AVB, Deschamps, Martinez etc, the one who I'd have most confidence in is David Moyes.
We're not looking for revolution here, which has often been the case in the past when we've had to search for a new manager.
Virtually everything is already in place, it just needs someone to come in and organise the team sensibly. AVB I think would be looking for solutions where there aren't any problems, as he did last season. Martinez is still too inexperienced, Blanc and Deschamps have fine pedigree but are obviously unproven in England, and they would take time to acclimatise.
During the run-in, when things started to go wrong, most supporters were left perplexed by Redknapp's tactics, whether that be the formation, line-up , unambitious substitutions , or simply playing Bale or Modric in positions where they aren't at their most effective. We were simply in need of a back-to-basics approach.
David Moyes , even if he has the cliched characteristics of a dour scotsman, will get the best out of our players, while also introducing that vital element that any football team needs in order to succeed, basic tactical nous.
He'll get the fundamentals right.