http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/33099403 Tottenham have been a "major disappointment" for the last three years and are an "unexciting" team to watch, according to Harry Redknapp. The 68-year-old, sacked by Spurs in June 2012, also said the club's recent signings had been a "disaster". Tottenham have finished fifth, sixth and fifth in the Premier League since Redknapp left three years ago. "We finished fourth twice and should have finished higher in all honesty," Redknapp said. "Tottenham have been a major disappointment since I left," added Redknapp, who led Spurs to a first ever Champions League campaign in 2010. Following Redknapp's dismissal, Tottenham appointed Andre Villas-Boas in July 2012 but the Portuguese was sacked in December 2013. Tim Sherwood lasted five months before he was also dismissed in May 2014 after the club finished sixth in the table. Mauricio Pochettino then became the club's 10th manager since 2001, the Argentine steering Spurs to fifth in his first season. "I'm a big fan of the [current] manager, I like him very much, but if you look at the team this year it certainly doesn't excite you," Redknapp added on his Kicca blog. Discussing Tottenham dealings in the transfer market, Redknapp said: "All that £120m or whatever they spent from Gareth Bale and Luka Modric has been pretty much wasted really. "The signings, almost to a man, have been a disaster."
At least he admits that we should have finished higher than 4th, cant argue with much of what he says, but the signings have not all been a disaster, whilst we would all have liked them all to have been more successful. There have been successes with signings made since Harry left, Lloris, and Eriksen being the 2 biggest successes, but I dont think Dier, Vertonghen, Chadli, and even Lamela and Fazio have been disasters
Totally agree , we are dull as dishwater . From everybody's second fav team to last on match of the day. The "buy to sell' policy has been a disaster , as we have bought crap . Sid down on the farm, getting Welcome Packs ( bribes for top tripadvisors reviews )ready for our loft style holiday apartments .
I think he is right that we are much duller to watch than we were under him, but that was much more due to the players he inherited than those he signed. The only player signed by Harry who is still a member of our first team squad is Kyle Walker. None of those sold on since are playing at a high level, indeed most have disappeared from view completely.
I saw this. Redknapp was fortunate to have three players who became A list PL stars in Bale, Modric and van der Vaart. He also had a number of experienced British players, who knew the ropes (Parker, in particular, was key to the success of his team). So for a period, his team could compete at the level of the title contenders. Any team would suffer adversely from losing these players and having to rebuild the team, except for those who have the spending power to buy replacements of the same calibre - and even that is difficult to achieve. Spurs, like Liverpool (and Arsenal to some extent before Ozil and Sanchez) now can't or won't spend big, instead buying players they hope to improve and will become the next big thing. Modric and Bale were judged failures as players for quite a long time before they both blossomed. I've no doubt that Levy thinks that that he can still find diamonds in the rough. But this policy is hit and miss and as we've seen with both Pochettino and Rodgers, there is a lot of trial and error involved in finding the right formation, tactics and personnel to get results from of new group of unproven players. Pochettino has had the bonus of youth players taking big strides forward, otherwise there might be more searching questions about the standard of the players bought with the Bale proceeds and subsequently. The policy hasn't really worked and it's highly unlikely that it will produce players of the quality Redknapp had in his side, which was a match for the top sides. When all four of the sides above Spurs in the PL are spending big on established players or the best younger players, the pressure to follow suit is greater.
"We finished fourth twice and should have finished higher in all honesty," Redknapp said. And whose fault is it that we didn't finish higher than fourth in 2012, Harry?
I am one of Harry's biggest fans, was even a disciple for a while, but this is a little unworthy.He was very lucky to have Bale, Modric and VDV and any manager would have struggled to replace them. Soldado and Lamela came with high expectations and they were greatly admired in Spain and Italy and are both internationals for top International teams. So it has been very disappointing to everyone that they haven't torn up the Premiership. Harry's track record at QPR hasn't been perfect, so he should appreciate the difficulties of getting this right.
"And whose fault is it that we didn't finish higher than fourth in 2012, Harry?" Was surprised that he even said that about 2011-12. But what is the saying, the whole of Heaven rejoices when one sinner repents.
There's no doubting we've been a disappointment since he left but then when you lose King, Modric, Rafa and Bale in successive seasons, you're going to struggle - even if at the time I didn't want to admit it. The club has made some dodgy decisions in recent seasons but I think we're getting back onto the right track: Sacking Harry was a mistake. Selling Modric and Rafa in the same window was a huge mistake, especially as King retired. Hiring AVB who's tactics just aren't suited to English football was a mistake. Splashing the Bale money on all foreign talent was again a mistake (even if at the time it looked great), with only Eriksen and Chadli being the successes from that summer 7. Then things picked up, we hired a manager who seems to have a clear plan, he's benched the deadwood and under performers while getting the best out of academy players and he's managed to marginally improve the style of football with the resources he's had available, while also getting us to a cup final. I think the potential of the squad is now at it's best for a long time, I won't say that we can match or better the Harry side that had an abundance of stars but considering the average age of the squad and the fact we've finished just a place below Harry's side is encouraging, we have one world class player in Lloris and with players like Kane, Eriksen, Rose, Chadli, Bentaleb, Mason and Dier who are only going to improve (along with others) then I think we can look positively at the future. We've somewhat replaced the goals scored by Bale and Rafa in Kane, Eriksen and Chadli but haven't replaced that creative spark and the ability to control a game like Modric did, realistically we probably never will or at least for a long while we won't, there's only a select handful of players like that in the world, Modric is in a list with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Pirlo, Fabregas and Schweinsteiger, so Poch has to find a way to be more dominant in games without that stand out playmaker and midfield general, not easy but I believe he can find an alternative way to make us more formidable and intimidating.
He seems rather bitter, but when you allegedly refuse to sign a new contract when the England job becomes available, only to demand one after you have been overlooked by the FA, as well as allegedly being overheard by Spurs directors slagging off Levy while he was away dealing with his mothers passing, then you should not really have any complaint if you get the sack.
He's right about our football losing a lot of it's excitement, but he really doesn't think any of these things through, does he? We're basically the only team that he's managed where the fans don't hate him and blame him for a subsequent financial meltdown and/or relegation. Is it worth taking shots at that club for another slice of cash that he's never going to spend? Given his recent stint at QPR, perhaps he shouldn't be criticising anyone who spent money and didn't reach their targets? We've been roughly where our spending says we should be. They haven't. Having a pop at us guarantees him some headlines, I guess. Not sure why he's bothering with this stuff, though. Seems unnecessary.
Strange things happen. Its the only job i can think of where being consistently **** makes you more money than being decent.
For anyone capable of traversing the multiverses (HIAG ?? ) , can somebody tell me what the following seasons were like in the universe where Arry turned one 0-1 into a 0-0 in the 2011-12 season and finished third ?? Who did we stuff in the CL ?? Did we sign Da-meow ?? Did he score 30 PL goals a season ?? Was it full-scale Wenger out in Woolwich ??
Spurs got to the CL Final after beating Chelsea 1-0 on pens in the semis after both legs were drawn 0-0, but lost 19-0 to Barcelona in the Final after 'Arry played Walker at left back and Kaboul at right back. Damiao did score 30 PL goals. On FIFA 13. For Wigan Athletic. Wenger was sacked after the humilation of Arsenal finishing behind Spurs - shortly after Piers Morgan had jumped from the top of Tower Bridge. He was never found.
Harry did a great job for us and should, imo, be remembered for giving us the best spurs team and the best football at the lane since the early 1980s. He made some cock ups but his best bits outweigh the bad. I liked him as a manager and he signed 2 A3 sized photos i sent to him which i took at the lane for my kids and got the whole team to sign a flag for my kids and posted them back to me so i have a high opinion of him as a person too. But this interview comes across as bitter...particularly the bit about all the signings being ****e...lloris, vorm, eriksen, chadli, vertongen, dier, dembele, davies, capoue are all better than or at least on a par on a par with palacios, naughton, dos santos, bassong, corluka, kranjcar, saha...harry did make some great signings (van der vaart, defoe, crouch, brad etc.) and had a set of good players (bale, modric, lennon) which he made into a very good team. Harry has had some stupid press (particularly the crap about him bankrupting pompey, west ham and southampton) but he doesn't help himself with stupid interviews like this imo
