So Harry Redknapp departs with my sincere gratitude but no tears. Tottenham Hotspur goes on, first, last and everything, as ever it will be. Those good players are still Spurs players. Daniel Levy is in charge, and he always was.
As news of Harry’s dismissal leaked out last night, the social media debate raged over the rights and wrongs. Much of it focussed on the end of last season – basically, 4th/5th/4th versus ten points clear of Arsenal. Spurs fan, author Adam Powley lamented on twitter: “before theinterweb did football fans of the same club endlessly argue the same arguments over and over and over again?”
It is and always was something more fundamental. It’s about the future of our club. In this regard, Redknapp gets all the publicity, Levy holds all the cards. The two seem never to have got on especially well but I doubt that matters unduly. In football and in any business personal relationships are of secondary importance to the main goal, success. My view has always been that Levy made Redknapp a better manager because he reined in his excesses by seeking medium to long-term value in any purchases. Our success is based on a steady stream of young players and players for whom Spurs is a genuine step up the ladder. Redknapp complemented them by finding value in experience – Parker and Van der Vaart the best examples, Adebayor on loan, Pienaar at £2m – which turned us into one of the best sides in the country and for a precious, magical time title contenders.
The media concentrates on the players wheeler-dealer ‘arry was not permitted to buy but the primary issue here is the value to the club of the manager. Redknapp took his eye off the ball at the end of last season. The England job was a profound distraction whatever Redknapp claims to the contrary and I strongly believe the court case took much more out of him than anyone is willing to acknowledge. People assumed it’s over, now he can move on: rubbish. That’s not how the human mind works. Relief is the overriding emotion. Mind and body relax and although it feels good, it dulls the senses. Football managers have to be on top form all the time. They have no chance, no room, to relax, yet this phase of letting go then rebuilding and planning ahead has to be worked through from beginning to end. Inconveniently for us, unavoidably for Redknapp, that coincided with the climax to our season. His decisions were consistently poor and by the time he was ready, our time had passed. I doubt he had a full understanding of what was happening to him.
Now he’s looking to the future and he’s restless. He wanted assurances more permanent than either a three/four year or 12 month rolling contract allow, the shark agent no doubt whispering in his ear how much other clubs will pay for his restorative powers. Levy however is made of different stuff. Levy sorts out the club’s future whilst sitting shiva for his late mother. He has no time for those who are distracted. He kept a grip. Eye on the ball, eye on the prize.
Levy saw weakness and fatally it tipped the balance. Redknapp has accomplished a hell of a lot for this club but that’s in the past. Levy showed sentiment as he grieved. In business, he’s as cold as ice. He calculated the future to Tottenham Hotspur of a man who inspired the side to the quarter finals of the Champions league, whose players dazzled the league. Value. Redknapp wants more money but he’s 65 and his powers may be on the wane. When the going was tough, he didn’t get going. It’s not about the odd hundred thou, it’s tying Spurs into compensation of anywhere between £4m and £12m if it doesn’t work out, never mind the cash for Harry’s pals in the dugout. Not worth it, on balance. Harsh, perhaps not fair, but on balance, correct.
My view? Covered in the post before this one. Just scroll down a bit, it’s OK. Not a Harry lover but I supported another year provided Redknapp had but a single thought on his mind – the glory of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. If he was focussed and motivated, he should carry on. I don’t think he is. If another season managing this group of wonderful players for a great club at £4m a year is not sufficient ambition, then he should go elsewhere.
He won’t care a jot but he goes with my abiding thanks. The best football for over thirty years, the shimmering brilliance of a flowing, attacking, passing game – he did that, and to me whilst I won’t forget the dross, the missed opportunities, those memories burn brighter. Praising his achievements isn’t to say that someone else won’t be able to do it better. And dross and missed opportunites I can deal with. I’m a Spurs fan.
Consistency is what we crave, a man to stick by us, maybe someone who pays more attention to the heritage of this club that is held is trust by us, the fans. Daniel, we’re looking to you, because everything at this club, you make it happen. You’re better with balance sheets than you are with managers, so be careful. Be honest, Redknapp was a short-term appointment that in fact has endured remarkably well.
Tread warily. The media will be after you, because you’ve done down their mate. Two seasons running, we collapse at the end of the season, not a murmur. The players were tired, act of god rather than being Harry’s fault. Now, one slip and they’ll be on us. A start to the season where we are, heaven forfend, outside the CL places, and it will be a crisis, mark my words. So be careful and do your best. Don’t waste this squad. We’re counting on you.
TOTTENHAM ON MY MIND 
Harry was gone last summer.
The only reason he was not sacked was court case and England either way he was never spurs manager next a
Season.
All recent signings are short term only Parker whom every manager would want anyway.
I expect a new manager within a week and Harry to turn up at lower epl side.
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………we are goin all the guns blazing to land Pep Guardiola as the man to take Tottenham forward otherwise we would not have let Arry go in a “mutually agreed sacking” and he still gets his 3 million quid “bung” that SHOULD HAVE BEEN next years salary!!!! So, Fact no 1 is we still pay the bent phukka off because WE ARE MAKING A BOLD STATEMENT TO PEP GUARDIOLA that we will not phuk about if HE TAKES ON THE PROJECT of putting Joe Lewis money to good use at WHL……he will have a brand new Stadium and European football to take his “Extra Special” brand of play to the real home of North London football, not the bunch down the road at the Emptycrates who STILL cant find their way back to Woolwich!!!! I mean how stoopid can you be with satnav or the London A-Z!!!!?
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Harry will not have got £3m unless he is prepared to not work for year. Most likely £1m and he can work for whoever
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I hope youm are right and he only gets 1 million compo,,,,thats an extra 2 mill bung we can give to Pep as a signing on fee as OUR NEW MANAGER!!!! yeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!
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love it, i,ve heard some puka names for the SCUMMERS! ground but love ur 1. I mean its got others like , the termites, squatters stadium, gypsy caravan site, but love urs. C O Y S!
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Not a Spurs fan and no axe to grind but think you’re way off the mark. HR who I never really liked has completely won me over with what he achieved at Spurs. You played great football and consistently achieved, embarrassing the likes of Man City and Chelsea with far more generous chairmen along the way. Remember how well you did with your previous few managers who were considered top drawer appointments and achieved nothing.
So what Harry was considered for the England job – that would be difficult for anyone. Many teams have a slump towards the end of a season and that is particularly true of “pretenders” to a throne. The truth is that good as they are Spurs do not yet have quite the quality to go all the way. Nevertheless you have performed well overall for the last few seasons and I think you will soon come to wish Harry was still around.
And if anyone thinks he’s bigger than Spurs its Levy. No idea why he’s so popular.
Good luck next season
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Thanks for dropping by, Steve. Interesting perspective from fans of other clubs. Many of us feel the same as you – this could haunt us for decades.
I’ve written a lot about HR this past year – see my last piece where I wrote a lot about him after saying I didn’t like to write a lot about him. So I didn’t go over it all again here, but in essence I would have given him another year at least for the reasons you said and I don’t subscribe to the view that he has been a negative influence on the club. He’s not as good as the media would have the public believe, a feeling shared by fans of most of the clubs he’s been at.
Harry’s briefing to the contrary but I’m not sure his heart was at Spurs. He engineered this confrontation, hiring Stretford the shark to help him. Put himself before the club. Remember the club stuck by him over the tax case that rumbled on for many months before it reached court.That hurts.
Regards,
Al
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This is exactly what I am dreaming last night. Pep wants to “Illuminate the Project” that could and should be the future in a NEW Stadium and a new era. He knows what it takes to win, hes been there, seeen it, got the T-Shirt, but success is not even what I want from Pep Guardiola…..I just want him to be the man who brings REAL STABILITY to the club for the next 10-15 years and stays and gives us good football because HE WANTS TO!!! Lets not start thinking we will be CL winners in 3 years like I said somewhere earlier, I think his style and character would be perfect at Tottenham even without any huge success, but winning seems to be a habit for him if hes happy where he is. Only Pep coming to Spurs will shut Luca and Gareth up right now, because they will realise how vital they will maybe figure in his plans. Anyway, I go to bed trying to dream the dream as someone said. Was it Lewis Hamilton or Susan Boyle, I cant recall……….#:) Long live Pep……….come to Spurs!!!
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Would be amazing!! We should defiantly try to get him!!
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A beautifully written article, truly from the heart of a real Spurs supporter. One of us. I agree, the next managerial appointment by Levy will be massive. Seriously huge. He must get it 100% right.
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Thanks. Agree, this is a tipping point for the club.
Regards, Al
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to all of u fellow yids out there, this is not a dig to any of u. BUT b careful wot u wish 4!. ok i can see harry,s mistakes, but do any of u REALLY believe that all the managers we,ve bin linked wiv are any better than harry?, maybe i,m the only 1 out there who feels that this is a backward step, i mean put asside levy and lewis,s differences wiv harry, and look wot harry did 4 us in 3 1/2 yrs, 4 once we had the glory hunters from west london and the pikey,s from sth of the river (at last) seeing us as a real threat. now they will b laughing at us, 4 shooting ourselves in the foot. i,m sorry boys but 4 me its a huge step backwards. in my opinion bale, modric, vdv, and any 1/2 descent player we av will b thinking , do i wana stay at a club with out ambition?. and can anyone honestly see a top player coming to spurs now?, i am not a fly by night supporter, ive been goin” home and away since 1985. for me this is the best spurs side for a f*****g long time. and i,m gutted. do u really think moyes, martinez, or god forbid villas boas will do any better? moyes wont play our style of football, martinez is being touted because of 6 games at the end of last season. and villas boas was kicked out of chelscum!.so like i said b careful wot u wish 4, i,ts time to b afraid if ur a spurs fan. ps. sorry if my views upset my fellow spurs fans, i love u all. KEEP THE FAITH WERE ALL IN IT TOGETHER…. C O Y S.
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Oh dear oh dear, Pep Guardiol How Delusional can you get, or what medication are you on?
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But seriously – it’s not going to happen and I can’t see why anyone thinks it will.
*Thinks – here’s hoping these turn out to be famous last words*
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Not really a committed supporter of any team. Just impressed by Spurs contribution to the local community when I worked in the area. But please let the next manager look more handsome and less grumpy.
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Interesting – I’ve written a couple of pieces here and on When Saturday Comes where local people have been critical of the lack of involvement in the immediate N17 area.
Thanks for dropping by,regards, Al
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Pep Guardiola ? Please don’t make me laugh. Some Spurs fans are so delusional. I suppose years without ever reaching the true heights (like being serious championship/premiership) contenders) might have some effect on the grey matter. I hope you will all be just as excited when David Moyes or Roberto Martinez is appointed from the middle/lower echelons of the table.
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I love your positive writings. The mighty Spurs will go on and we will find someone to take us to the next level. We have the players. With the addition of a top goal scorer and the retention of our better players we will compete for the top. Watch out Manchester clubs those Spurs are coming. COYS.
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Heh heh, thanks very much but not sure I feel that positive! But the club goes on regardless, guess that’s what I’m trying to say.
Regards, Al
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People are expecting me to be shocked, I’m not, I’ve always thought that Levy could give Harry a lesson or two in having a flint hearted dedication to your club. I think he’s seen the things that some others have seen – Harry wants the right sort of football, and he gets on well with some players (but not all), but sometimes he can be completely clueless, and he never takes the blame for anything. And because the press drop on his every torpid uttering like a flock of mangy one toed pigeons descending on half a Gregg’s steak bake on the ground outside a mainline station, he never will be prone to even the slightest self doubt. Confidence, yes. Pigheadedness, no thanks.
Guardiola is just some sort of wet dream, and away from his team, his academy, his homeland, who knows how good he is? I’m sure most of us could get a result managing Barcelona 😉 I’d bite your hand off for Moyes.
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Given their differences over length of contract, I think Levy’s is the right decision. It would be as hard for Harry as it will be for the new manager to maintain a top 4 finish next season. You have to think one or two of Arsenal, Chelsea and even Liverpool will not give us half a season start again and the failure to make the CL again, after a second successive run in collapse (more Harry’s than anyone’s), will weaken us in terms of playing staff.
A mid to longer term view is therefore required, which puts the increasingly short termist transfer policy and squad management of Harry (esp a Harry with a one yr rolling contract) in a worrying light. The benefits of this decision will be clearer in 2-3 seasons I think, even if there is a slight slip this coming season. I think such a slip would occur even with Harry, who has done a good to very good job in his time at Spurs. But his job is done. We may miss him but by the same token he may well miss the best job he’s ever had or likely to have now and perhaps choose his friends/agent better. There was a very good deal on the table, he didn’t want it.
The T shirt is great thanks Alan, if you didn’t get my email, and I wore it proudly yesterday.
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Good riddance!
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I am getting mightily sick of the press coverage from Harry’s mates in the media who seem to want nothing less than relegation for us next season as some sort of punishment for getting rid of their mate. John Cross’s Venkeys comparison being particularly odd. Their view appears to be that it would be fine for Redknapp to leave us for the England job, but how dare we dispense with his services, we were lucky to have him don’t you know. For me, the death warrent was signed when he said last week that he would have taken the England job if offered. That was akin to saying that Spurs were second choice on his list of positions. Thanks Harry, it was good while it lasted but things move on as you would have liked to. For me it would be AVB (never stood a chance at Chelsea) or Martinez (battled against relegation because he refused to compromise his footballing beliefs in order to achieve safety) . Sorry for rambling ….goodnight
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