Redknapp's article from Sunday's Sun newspaper The night before I led Portsmouth out at Wembley in the 2008 FA Cup final, we had an evening of karaoke. Hermann Hreidarsson did a mean Elvis and while it was unusual, it was the ideal preparation for the game which we won against Cardiff. I'm not sure what we've got planned for this Friday night before the Championship play-off final against Derby, but I'm totally relaxed about the whole thing. It will be a tense day, of course. But what I am blessed with in my QPR team is leaders. Richard Dunne, Clint Hill, Joey Barton, Robert Green - players who have been there and seen it all in big matches. There isn't a great deal more I can do other than make sure my lads are ready. I won't have to give much of a team talk, either, as who needs remining about what we need to do? The day of the game is weird. We will get the lads out for a walk at about 11am and have a team meeting 15 minutes later. Time can drag before kick-off and the worst part is the 20-25 minutes before the game starts, when the squad is out on the pitch warming up with the physios and the coaches. Then you're left all alone in the dressing room to go over everything and it crosses your mind about your preparations - do all the players know what to do at set-pieces? Do they know who to mark? Its quiet and you ponder. The adrenaline is kicking in and you just really want the game to get going. I've never been a manager at a play-off so this will be a new experience but one I am looking forward to immensely. A lot of times the match itself is not a magical spectacle. It's fraught and it's fractious. But we try to play football the right way and so do Derby - and there's no way either team will stray from their philosophy. Above all else, though, the result is what counts. I watched West Ham beat Blackpool a few years ago and Crystal Palace come up last year. The occasion is always exciting. I trust my players. I have watched Joey Barton closely this season and there is a bloke who is destined to go into management. Sometimes he or Clint or one of the other senior boys will give a team talk and Joey is a great motivator. Considering this time last year he was playing for Marseille, he has handled the Championship brilliantly. No one loves football more than him. He is a big student of the game and is far more intelligent than people who don't know him give him credit for. He was an outcast in the mould of Luis Suarez at one point in his career, but like the Liverpool striker, he has turned things around for himself. Joey has been a great player for us, as have the other older lads. Greeny is going into his third play-off so is a great man to have around at a time like this. There has been lots of debate about the finances at the club but really we have had to start again. A lot of players have gone to reduce the wage bill and it's been pretty much from scratch. My concern is the job on the pitch - and I'm banking on my lads to get us through.
Thanks swords... I said id judge him at the end of the season and TBH he's done the job.....ALMOST ! Cant agree with his haterz but eveyone has thier own opinions.... I wonder if his haterz want us to win or not......? I know Stan, DT and prob flyer do...but what avbout the others... It would be a very uncomfortable place to be right now !
I think harry has done a great job. He has manage to stabilize a very **** squad. Some could say some of that was from his own making. If we don't win on saturday and he leaves. i think he will be leaving the club in a good place. I think he has made mistakes. The biggest one being he got the transfer window in January wrong. But for all we know, that might have been to do with how Tony wanted to take the club forward. I know the football has been **** but come Saturday we might not even give a ****!
If we win on Saturday it's Harry's choice, he'll have earned the right to lead us into the PL and it'll be his squad from then on in. I have no problem with him leading us in the PL. If we lose I do think he'll probably retire if his knees are as bad as we are led to believe. It may be he'll retire anyway even if we win, it would be a good place to go, a Wembley winner. In all honesty Saturday is solely about winning and not how...
Agreed mate and (this may be a bit contraversial) but if we do go up we will be in a beter position than when Colin took us up We'll have a team, not just be a one man team our big wage earners will be almost gone We'll have the nucleus of a decent squad & the ability to attract good decent players. When we went up before, Tarbs (and therefore the team) were found out. Now, we can change almost any player in our team & still perform the same. i understand the frustration from those paying hard earned cash every week, but this has always been about promotion i promise you, our stadium and development has al hinged on us going up. its D-Day for Harry & TF on sat. David cameron will also be watching with some intrest...trust me !! #We CAN do this !
Of course I want us to win, and Redknapp did a good job across the two legs against Wigan. That doesn't change my opinion that his personal performance has been atrocious this season. Some truly dire performances.
Straight from the horses mouth. It's what I've been saying all season. Here's hoping that we can keep it up for one final Championship fixture. COYRs!!!
Maybe so Wats, but what other manager would have or could have, dicected our team, got rid of wasters, kept team sprit, turned Barton around and kept us top 4 despite having more long term injuries than the top 5 teams put together.? I just dont see anyone out there who cpould have done that. Forget the PR **** about our wage bill v ther bundesliga and all the other rubish...WHO would you suggest could have done a better job? We've been asking this all season of Flyer, now is your turn to say what you think mate......I for one, cannot name another..can you ?
I certainly don't want to lose but Harold and this team should IMO already be promoted Is has made a wonderful finale for sure and if nothing else it has reunited our fan base maybe there will be a silver lining? But that won't IMO be because of Harold History if we go up will be mainly about Harold but I will never buy into that It's just plain logic and I will never suck spin lads
It's ridiculous to suggest that any Rangers fan would not want us to win on Saturday. I am no fan of Redknapp and believe that we should have got automatic promotion, but I will be as delighted as anyone else on here if we win at Wembley, even if it means another year of HR.
I would disagree there mate. If we lose on Saturday Redknapp has failed and he'll have to go. If we win he's done fantastic and hopefully he'll stay. It sounds a bit simplistic but this season was simply about promotion. EVERYTHING hinges on this game. If I were a Leeds fan I'd be tempted to say its MASSIVE...
