Hindsight

[Wandering Yid]

I wrote an article posing a couple of questions regarding Harry just before the verdict of his court case. Quite interesting to look back at the responses with respect to our current situation and the second half of the season.

http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/119140-What-if

 

[Boss]

Do I believe he could win us the title? Yes, I do. Provided he gets the necessary financial backing from Levy & the board.

Its not looking too good for Harry right now, but I for one will stand by him for what he has done for this club and us fans

He has changed our fortunes around drastically since he has been here and every year we are seeing big improvements in the team which he has built, In my opinion there are not alot of managers that could have done a better job then he has already

Thanks HD, just can't believe some people still have question marks about Harry

True. There was a time that I was convinced that he'd be taking the England role at the end of the season but I think there's a good enough chance that he'll stay so we don't need to speculate who will be our next manager.

Totally agree, no one could've got us where we are so quickly...3rd, and thats not disparaging in anyway, I'm over the moon with it.

As for who is suitable to take Spurs to the next level, do we never learn? Stability wins titles as much as anything else. It's no coincidence that since we stopped selling 10 players and buying another 10 in every season we have performed increasingly well. We learnt our lesson on how to cope with a domestic programme and CL football too. The answer to the question is, the person suitable to take us to the next level is the same one who bought us to this one.

But all in all, I wouldn't swap him for any current PL manager. The job he has done for us has been brilliant. Is this clear enough?

There are just some of the comments made just to show how quickly things change in so little time when the reality is, harry was the same manager he was then, as he was now so either as a set of fans we

A) over praised him

or

B) never fully understood who arry is

I would go with something in-between but we all had a "love hate" relationship with redknapp, in the sense all of us have slated him, praised him and he frustrated us with his tactics and stubbornness, yet I still believe he went too early and we have made a mistake by getting rid.

 

[vimhawk]

Well I was perfectly happy. I also believe it would be hard to get someone better and am very interested to hear about this "new level" and how it can be achieved under our current wage structure and in the face of competition from teams that are not attempting to (or have to) comply to any rational business model. So can someone clarify the "new level" please, is it above Man$ity, Chelski or ManU? If not I wonder how our 4th/5th place finishes in recent years (despite not paying the 4th/5th highest salaries let's not forget) are so bad, and how we are going to do better now. And if we are not going to do better, than what was the purpose of such a major change?

 

[totsfan]

as i understand it,the club want a younger Managerand have done for some time.Harry is 64 now and his health isn't great +commuting from Poole are all against him.Yes done great for us but i belive it's time for new ideas

 

[Spurm]

I was happy with Harry until his behaviour and tactics AFTER the court case. I don't think i was one those comments, but if i had been asked then i would've said he was the man.
However, if you'd asked me in april/may (before he left) what i thought then my opinion would have changed. Not due to the slump but due to a few of his comments to the media, the under-miming of the chairman, the way he handled the england speculation (saying the players didn't care who was manager) and then finally trying to force a new contract (because the players suddenly cared).

Its not the results, style of play or his ability that was my problem with Harry.

 

[Spurm]

Whatever happened between Levy and Redknapp, I doubt his dismissal was based on football reasons. The comments The Boss has quoted (above) show the level of satisfaction with him. The subsequent 10 game slump wouldn't cause you to suddenly hold the opposite view of the man, unless you were very fickle. There may have been reasons to be fickle about Ramos back in 2008 as he flattered to deceive initally, but there has always been substance to 'Arry. So his shortcomings can't have been that bad if nobody noticed them just 4 short months ago (as the comments prove)!

IMO, it was clearly:
* His big-gob.
* His "I'm bigger than the club" attitude
* Not standing by Spurs when the England job came up despite the support the club gave him through his health probs and court case
* Contradicting his chairman (Modric last summer in particular)
* Criticising fans. "You've never had it so good". Actually Harry, yes we have.
* Numerous "paper thin" squad comments despite the fact he loaned out half the population of Tottenham in january and refused to rotate anyway.
* His inability/refusal to bring through any youth players

Lets remember, Levy has to work with this chap. Levy is the big cheese, not Harry. If Levy can't work with him then it isn't going to work in the long term.

Think about your jobs. If you work is satisfactory, or slightly above (which is as far as i can go with Harry tbh) but you constantly piss off your boss then eventually you're gonna go.

 

[No Kane No Gain]

Didn't we all look young back then?!

Glad to see I was still cheerleading for Moyes even in January.

 

[Spurf]

Whatever happened between Levy and Redknapp, I doubt his dismissal was based on football reasons. The comments The Boss has quoted (above) show the level of satisfaction with him. The subsequent 10 game slump wouldn't cause you to suddenly hold the opposite view of the man, unless you were very fickle. There may have been reasons to be fickle about Ramos back in 2008 as he flattered to deceive initally, but there has always been substance to 'Arry. So his shortcomings can't have been that bad if nobody noticed them just 4 short months ago (as the comments prove)!

Rubbish Luke, are you Harry's agent? You can trace my discontent with Harry right back to the Bent handbag incident and many have been complaining about his tactics or lack of them for ever. There were a number who were on his case as soon as he arrived. As long as he got the results the rest of his crap was tolerated, once they looked iffy, that was it.

You continue to go on & on with your support of Harry. He has gone, he is history. Have you forgotten that you are supposed to be a Man U. fan, not an apologist for Redknapp.

 

[Spurm]

Yawn. His big gob made it untenable. Perhaps not from the fans point of view, but Levy has to work with him. He tried to force Levy's hand. He tried to become bigger and more important than Levy. Bye.

 

[totsfan]

harry will have his supporters and others that have seen through him and wanted him out,so he's gone we have to get on with it for the better or worse.any big names that want to leave-the new man will have to deal with them and hope fully persuade them to stay

 

[Spurf]

This issue has been raised again by the article- by holding a mirror up to many fans who made comments a few months ago, Spurf. I'm just was referring to these comments, which have been raised by others, to make essentially the same point as the others have done.

I don't think Redknapp is the best manager around (his record over 25 years is of a decent B list manager), I can see he has faults and I have no reason to champion him. But he was getting results for Spurs and had assembled a high quality group of players. I don't see (and I'm not alone from the comments quoted) how change benefits Spurs. It hasn't in the past. Yes, he's gone, but the subject isn't closed. Spurs still have to appoint a new manager and deal with more changes which will inevitably flow from that- possibly including big name players leaving? Do Spurs really want this uncertainty again when you had a manager who was doing well? I can't believe that 'Arry became such a liability in such a short space of time that his position was untenable.

Like a dog with a bone!

Well I can believe it. In fact I don't have to believe it because he no longer has a job at Spurs. The base for taking your position is that Levy does not have a clue how to run Spurs. Whereas I think he has done pretty well overall. If this turns out to be a poor decision I will forgive him, because he has always tried to act in the best interests of the club IMO. Actually whatever happens it is not a poor decision because you just can't have a man managing your club who continually puts his own interests before yours because sooner or later he will leave you in the lurch. No one is bigger than the club, not even Harry (you've never had it so good) Redknapp.

Better to change the manager in the close season than to find your are forced to in the middle of the season.

 

[Spur of the Moment]

Good to see that I predicted King Kenny's demise - HIAG would be proud of me!!!!
And didn't realise that the idiot Gaf had been around so long. How time flies!!!

 

[Spurf]

Anyway Luke when SAF retires you may well have similar issues at United. Do you remember what happened when Busby retired, I do.

Perhaps you would like Redknapp at United, he is available. Would you have him there Luke? He's younger than SAF.

 

[Spurm]

I'd love to see Utd try to compete on 3-4 fronts with Harry in charge.
I really think we might see a professional footballer die from exhaustion

 

[PleaseNotPoll]

Not convinced. He's done very well for us overall, but he never rotates the squad and that's essential if you're in Europe.

Villas-Boas can't have too much longer to go.

Sounds about right.

 

[Spurf]

I'd have him if I knew he would better the team over the next four years and meet expectations, perhaps even have the club punching above its weight.

As for Busby, I'm too young to remember, but I do know that he built the club and his successor was always going to find his boots too big to fill, especially as the star players were past their best by then. It's a different game now.
I do remember loud mouthed managers in Docherty and Atkinson. The first might have succeeded had he been persevered with- although we know why it wasn't possible to do so. United's fallow period came when the club chopped and changed managers it had backed financially. Constant change proved so disruptive and the team failed even though it often looked strong on paper. Ring any bells?

Yes the bell are ringing, but in your case just the select few, that fit your mindset. It took 17 years for Man U to find their feet after Busby in between times they tried all the top managers of the day all of whom had better records than Redknapp. Until SAF came they were no better off than Spurs. We have been trying since 1974 when Bill Nich retired and we have had 3 managers during that time with better records than Harry. Burkinshaw with 2 FA cups and 1 UEFA Cup, Venables with 1 FA CUP and Pleat with a 3rd place and 1 FA Cup final. Harry managed a top position of 4th twice but won, nothing and then tells us we have never had it so good.

Times have changed Luke, yes they have and Spurs are close to something. Something that was started in recent times by Jol and carried on by Redknapp carried on but not really bettered. We have been in around for a few years and it's quite reasonable for Levy to want to push that little bit further.

As a Man U supporter you may think Spurs have done better than they could reasonably expect under Redknapp.

Well I bloody don't, as far as I am concerned Redknapp has done an ok job with the resources available to him and not much more. Future England manager, yeah right! it just shows you the power of media hype these days. I don't ever remember an England manager with such a mediocre record as Redknapp do you? I FA Cup with Portsmouth yeah that will make him a world beater! Yes of course it will.

 

[SpursDisciple]

There are just some of the comments made just to show how quickly things change in so little time when the reality is, harry was the same manager he was then, as he was now so either as a set of fans we

A) over praised him

or

B) never fully understood who arry is

I would go with something in-between but we all had a "love hate" relationship with redknapp, in the sense all of us have slated him, praised him and he frustrated us with his tactics and stubbornness, yet I still believe he went too early and we have made a mistake by getting rid.

The last quote was mine

But all in all, I wouldn't swap him for any current PL manager. The job he has done for us has been brilliant. Is this clear enough?

I stand by that completely. No back-tracking from me.

 

[SpursDisciple]

I don't think Redknapp is the best manager around (his record over 25 years is of a decent B list manager), I can see he has faults and I have no reason to champion him

Didn't stop you tearing me off a strip for adding "but" after "he's a great manager" in the previous thread

 

[Spurlock]

cant believe i had fuk all to say in that article

 

[Spurlock]

As a fan of another club, I feel best qualified to say, in a completely dispassionate and totally unbiased way, that 'Arry was doing a damn good job for Spurs. He may not be perfect, but he may prove to be a lot more perfect than the alternative. Time will tell; I won't be smug when it comes to telling you so.

but also as a fan of another club..you cannot feel the emotions that are involved with the Redknapp sacking...the sense of betrayel,disrespect,love,hate,heartache,joy,bemusement...losing,winning whichever emotion it maybe...you will not feel what someone who loves Spurs...follows the team in it's every footstep...for many years etc, will feel.

and these are type of feelings that were involved in the Harry decision.

It was not just about the football....we can all enjoy good football..but we cant all feel the emotion unless you are a follower....just like i cant quite share your truimphs with United emotionally...but i can appreciate their football and success.