Harry Redknapp - How Does He Get Away With It?

Charlie

Am I the only one who is shocked that Redknapp gets such an easy pass from the press. Aside from the fact that they never seem to call him out on questionable decisions and results (worse start than Ramos), it's how he conducts his transfers (and how no one calls him out on it) that irks me the most.

I saw in his press conference after the United game, he was talking up Kenwyne Jones, who by my recollection, is a Sunderland player, one who Redknapp has no business to talk about as if he were one of his own. In this window alone, he has publicly courted and unsettled the likes of Jermaine Defoe, Craig Bellamy, Wilson Palacios, Stewart Downing, the aforementioned Jones, and probably a few more that I am forgetting.

It's clear that the chap lacks any class, but how is it that not only do the press let him away with this, but seem to do their very best in sticking their proverbial head up his backside.

We will see what coverage he gets when spurs go down this season

eagle eye

Probably because he is the most successful English born manager in the Premier League over the last decade.

LuckyLloyd

The majority of people working in traditional (and non - traditional) football media are retarded.

Charlie

eagle eye wrote: »

Probably because he is the most successful English born manager in the Premier League over the last decade.

Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan disagree, as I am sure the likes of Sam Allardyce and Alan Curbishley do.

JPA

He gives them something to write about so they give him an easy ride.
Also he's from Laandan. And they love one of their own.

Charlie

Charlie wrote: »

Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan disagree, as I am sure the likes of Sam Allardyce and Alan Curbishley do.

what have they won???

dantes74

english press always love the cheeky chappy cokney
remember how much the loved el tel he could do no wrong either

Charlie

But it's not only the press. The FA seem to do sweet fcuk all about him and his wandering eye either.

Regarding Bellamy, Redknapp said:

Someone has told me he wants to come here and play. If we can do a deal, good

David O' Leary was charged by the FA with making an illegal approach for James Beattie for the following:

I think there's a player there who definitely wants to join us

Charlie

rarnes1 wrote: »

what have they won???

In the premier league, nothing, like Redknapp has neither, but they have achieved much greater success in it than steptoe.

Read over exactly what Eagle Eye wrote.

eagle eye

Charlie wrote: »

Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan disagree, as I am sure the likes of Sam Allardyce and Alan Curbishley do.

He won the FA Cup and won the Football League with Portsmouth, West Ham had their highest ever PL finished in 5th under him. Portsmouth have had all their highest finishes in the PL under him.

Of course I'd love to say Big Sam has been more successful over the last decade but he has not. I hope that changes shortly and I consider Big Sam as good if not a better mananger than Harry Redknapp.

But the facts are he has won things and the rest of those you mention have won nothing in the last ten years. I think between them they have a Football League title and an Intertoto Cup and Redknapp has both of them as well as the rest of the stuff.

I'm just saying that the English Media don't have many homegrown managers to work with so they are always going to be friendlier towards them.

Charlie

eagle eye wrote: »

He won the FA Cup and won the Football League with Portsmouth, West Ham had their highest ever PL finished in 5th under him. Portsmouth have had all their highest finishes in the PL under him.

Of course I'd love to say Big Sam has been more successful over the last decade but he has not. I hope that changes shortly and I consider Big Sam as good if not a better mananger than Harry Redknapp.

But the facts are he has won things and the rest of those you mention have won nothing in the last ten years. I think between them they have a Football League title and an Intertoto Cup and Redknapp has both of them as well as the rest of the stuff.

I'm just saying that the English Media don't have many homegrown managers to work with so they are always going to be friendlier towards them.

I'm not disputing any of the above, but if we are talking about success in the Premier League, as your original comment alluded to, then those that I mentioned have been more successful.

eagle eye

Charlie wrote: »

I'm not disputing any of the above, but if we are talking about success in the Premier League, as your original comment alluded to, then those that I mentioned have been more successful.

Well give us the stats then, last ten years I said.

All their final positions under those managers. I'd imagine its tight enough between three of them maybe, and KK would not be there over the last decade. He would have been before that, and you know I like the guy.

Charlie

eagle eye wrote: »

Well give us the stats then, last ten years I said.

All their final positions under those managers. I'd imagine its tight enough between three of them maybe, and KK would not be there over the last decade. He would have been before that, and you know I like the guy.

Robson most certainly.

Allardyce I would imagine consistently finished better than Redknapp.

Curbishley would certainly be on a par, if not higher than Redknapp.

KK, if you exclude what he did with Newcastle in the 90's, it becomes tighter, but factoring in what he with Fulham and City (establised them back in the EPL, and brought them European football) then it's within margins, but like I said, that factors out what he did the 90's.

I'd do stats and sh/t, but meh, i'm tired, and it's only teh internetz.

Overall point though, is that Steptoe certainly doesn't hold claim to the title of the most successful English manager in the Premier league over the last 10 years.

Mgoraf

Weren't Fergie and Benitez reported for tapping up after declaring interest in Berba/Keane?

Snake Plisken

back on subject Brian Reade called it as it is here, as a Spurs fan I am yet to be impressed by Twitchy Harry, but read on here I have to agree with Mr Reade's Column http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/columnists/reade/2009/01/24/harry-redknapp-can-t-blame-the-players-as-he-looks-anything-but-classy-115875-21067120/

ArmaniJeanss

Snake Plisken wrote: »

back on subject Brian Reade called it as it is here, as a Spurs fan I am yet to be impressed by Twitchy Harry, but read on here I have to agree with Mr Reade's Column http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/columnists/reade/2009/01/24/harry-redknapp-can-t-blame-the-players-as-he-looks-anything-but-classy-115875-21067120/

Similar by Neil Farrington.

http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/columnists/neil-farrington/2009/01/11/press-are-playing-harry-s-game-79310-22664955/

LET’S get this straight: football journalists love Harry Redknapp.

No, let’s get it straighter still: football journalists south of Watford love Harry Redknapp.

And so the rest of us — Middlesbrough FC included — must suffer him.

You see, few managers talk a better game than ‘appy ‘Arry. Or talk more often.

His mobile number is never out of circulation. His mobile is rarely switched off, but often engaged. Engage him, and few subjects are off limits.

This Cockney sparra sings like a canary — and in a way which gives even hardened hacks a warm, fuzzy feeling inside . . .

By making them feel like they’re his mates.

Needless to say, that’s a sensation few sportswriters are used to in an age when they are routinely — some might say deservedly — given the cold shoulder.

So the next time you wonder why Tottenham’s manager gets such a fair hearing in the national Press, think on.

Thing is, in giving the papers what they want, I and more than a few other people reckon Redknapp gets a lot more in return.

A lot more, like Jermain Defoe and, possibly, Stewart Downing.

Middlesbrough don’t appreciate Spurs’ open pursuit of their player. Despite Harry’s protestations of innocence, I can’t say I blame them.

Last week, as Boro accused Spurs of unsettling Downing, Redknapp was at pains to stress that an increasingly rancorous saga had little to do with him.

“The way it works with transfers here is that I tell the chairman, Daniel Levy, we need to get players in and here’s the name of someone I want,” he said.

“I ask him to ask if the club are interested in selling and if he would make an enquiry and ring them to see if there’s a deal to be done.

“I don’t get involved any more in any shape or form . . .”

The only words missing were “honest, guv”.

Thing is, his chairman isn’t always the only person that hears about Harry’s transfer targets.

Who was it that told the papers on October 26 that “if he ever came back up for sale then I’m sure we would be interested”?

The who was Rednapp.The he was Portsmouth’s Jermain Defoe. October 26 was the day after Harry arrived at Spurs.

Downing? Why, before Spurs made a bid for him eight or nine days ago — almost a week before, in fact — Redknapp said: “I like Downing but I don’t know whether Middlesbrough want to sell him.”

By pure coincidence — how could it be anything else? — Defoe was linked with Tottenham throughout November and December before, er, joining them on Tuesday gone.

Oh, and Downing, pictured right handed in a transfer request at Boro last Monday.

“We can only make an offer and it is up to the clubs if they want to accept it or not,” pleaded Harry.

That’s fine, as long as you do only make an offer.

But Redknapp discusses in public what other managers seek to keep quiet, and the upshot in the case of Defoe and Downing was two unsettled players.

A not unprecedented upshot.

I wish Boro luck as they try to keep hold of Downing. They’ll need it.

And yet Harry goes on his merry way, buying favour with the media via the rentaquote business.

Speaking of which, let me take you back to the summer of 2005, and a comment directed at Gordon Strachan.

‘’I’m sick of it. It’s time for Celtic to come up with money for my players or keep out of my affairs. Is Gordon trying to unsettle my entire team?”

I kid you not, Redknapp said that . . . after Celtic had the temerity to approach Southampton (his then club) for a player at boardroom level.

All of which begs the question: just what is Harry’s game?

It’s a shame so few journalists see fit to ask it.

Charlie

The article in the Sunday Sun is spot on, but doesn't surprise me as it is a regional paper for the North East. It's Mr. Reade's piece in the Sunday Mirror which is surprising, given how (as it has been pointed out), 'Arry can seem to do know wrong with the press (i.e. those based in London).

It will be interesting to see if this catches on, and if the tide turns on old Steptoe.

Don't get me wrong, Redknapp is a decent manager, but the love in he gets, and the slimy tactics he gets away with, needs to be addressed.

Aidric

He's always good for a quote and plays up the cheeky wide boy image. He's a decent enough manager but the fawning by the press is always ott.

Karmafaerie

What Tottenham in an illegal transfer attempt.
Quick, somebody tell Levy.
I'm sure he'll go straight to the FA with it, like he did 6 months ago!

therecklessone

Redknapp has been getting a free ride from the media for most of his career, he got it at West Ham, he got it at Pompey (x2) and he got it at Southampton.

He gets it because he has a little bit of charisma, and mainly because he's always worth a quote. Journos of all hues love a quote, that's why the meida loved Martin Jol and gave Juande Ramos such a hard time. It's why if Jose Mourinho had made the same rant that Rafa did last week they'd have lapped it up, but because it was Benitez, and because he sounds a bit more awkward in his presentation, they all took the piss.

I'll give credit where it's due on this board, Xavi and JoeSoap appear to be the two most consistent posters who showed a dislike for Redknapp regardless of where he was managing.

I also wish Redknapp would shut the fcuk up right now and get on with the business of keeping us up, right now my priority is the club over any moral objections I have to his behaviour in relation to other clubs, but he's not doing his own squad any favours with his public comments about their failings, and it's incredibly rich of him given the big show he made of highlighting the lack of team spirit under his predecessor.

Finally:

anonymous_joe

Harry Redknapp is basically Del Boy.

Sleazy, sneaky and dishonest. Likeable too.

He's got a very cleverly managed persona - that of a likeable London lad wheeling and dealing his way through football, and making sure his good signings are rememberd and his bad ones forgotten. He's also the best manager in England at blaming other people for things. The genius here is that it preserves his reputation no matter what.

Imagine doing an exam, where you're asked 10 questions, and you answer 5 right. What Harry does is have an excuse for the each of the other 5. And because the 'examiner' is a press that loves him, they listen to his excuses.

As has been said before, he's good for a quote, he'll talk to journalists, and he's a great one for clichés. Football journalists of a certain type love a good cliché because a certain type of football fan in England cannot understand the game without them. Harry thus becomes the prophet of football as England/God intended. Again, lapped up by a fawning press.

ctrl-alt-delete

He's talking about Robbie Keane now

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_4852832,00.html

Quint

Some good articles there. Read Mediawatch on football365 every day. In fact, it should be posted on the soccer forum daily! Here's a few bits regarding harry over the last few days:

---

"There's a lot of quality players there that obviously haven't done as well as they should have done...So they need to start performing as I know they can. Whether it's confidence or whatever, it's up to me to go in and try to get the best out of them players" - Harry Redknapp, shortly after being appointed as Tottenham manager, October 26.

"It's a hard job I have on here, believe you me. I keep saying that we need stronger players in here because we're not mentally or physically strong enough...It's a mish-mash of players with people playing where they want to play. It's scary. I have to go to Old Trafford with that group of players" - Harry Redknapp, January 21.

---

"When I see it devalued like a couple of years ago when teams suddenly didn't want to get involved, like Manchester United did, it's very disappointing. As far as I'm concerned I've always had a go at the FA Cup wherever I have been. I've never been at a club where we weren't interested in winning the FA Cup. We start the season in two cup competitions where we have a chance of winning - the FA Cup and the Carling Cup - and we go for it. We're not going to win the Premier League at Portsmouth, so we need to have a go at the cup competitions" - Harry Redknapp, April 13.

"I can't risk Woodgate on Saturday because we've got Stoke on Tuesday and I will go to Old Trafford with the weakest team I can possibly find" - Harry Redknapp, January 21.

---

January 18, 2008: Wigan sign Wilson Palacios for around £1million from Honduran side Deportivo Olimpia.

October 26, 2008: Spurs chairman Daniel Levy places great emphasis on Harry Redknapp's knack for picking out talent in an open letter to Spurs fans. 'Harry's experience of the UK and international transfer market will be of critical importance and I shall be looking to Harry for clarity on our priorities.'

January 20, 2009: Spurs sign Wilson Palacios for around £14million from Premier League side Wigan.

---

glenjamin

Its an absolute disgrace what Redknapp does. And whats worse is he sees nothing wrong with it. It seems like every Press Conference he has he is declaring an interest in a player. To me that is the first step of tapping up a player. The way he has conducted himself in trying to buy Stewart Downing sickens me. We are in a relegation battle worse than previous season and need everyone to be giving 100% to the club on and off the pitch. But then HR comes out and fcuks everything right up. He unsettles the lad by telling the press how much he wants to sign him even though we have made it clear so many times that we don't want to sell our best players especially at this time of the season but yet he just can't let it rest there. He goes on and on and doesn't give a sh!t about who he pisses off. I wouldn't mind it if Downing goes in the summer but not to Spurs after the way they have conducted themselves thus far. And when the shoe is on the other foot with United wanting Berba and Liverpool Keane, Levy threatens to report them to the FA. I mean WTF!?

therecklessone

glenjamin wrote: »

And when the shoe is on the other foot with United wanting Berba and Liverpool Keane, Levy threatens to report them to the FA. I mean WTF!?

Small correction, it was the Premier League Levy reported both clubs to.

And I hope someone makes a complaint about Redknapp so he might finally shut the hell up.

glenjamin

therecklessone wrote: »

And I hope someone makes a complaint about Redknapp so he might finally shut the hell up.

Good to see a Spurs fan saying that.

Charlie

therecklessone wrote: »

And I hope someone makes a complaint about Redknapp so he might finally shut the hell up.

Would this be the general concensus of most fans?

You'd have your ear fairly close to the ground, how is Redknapp and his actions perceived by the majority of Spurs' fans.

therecklessone

Charlie wrote: »

Would this be the general concensus of most fans?

Consensus among Spurs fans?

AhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhhhhahahahahahahhhhhahahahahHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_qHP7VaZE

*Ahem*

A sizeable portion of our support were pissed off at Levy during the Summer for making an issue of Berbs/Keane and the tapping allegations, felt that since everybody was guilty of it to a greater or lesser extent that no good could come from complaining. they might feel vindicated right now, as we are so open to criticism with 'Arry twitching away on SSN every evening.

Others feel that we got ridden rock solid by United for Carrick and Berbatov, and by Liverpool for Keane, but accept that's the way of the football world. We are nowhere near the stature of either club, and they will always be able to turn heads at Spurs. Conversely, they would tend to feel that what Redknapp is doing now is perfectly fine, given the hierarchy that exists within the game in England. As an aside, the simple fact that Levy/ENIC had their particular business plan at Spurs only supported bigger sides trying to poach our players, as there was no doubt in the players minds that the club had a price on their heads, and perhaps more salient that once the players were deemed surplus to requirement they could be shown the door.

Personally I think it's embarrassing, and it undermines our efforts to attract players as we've pissed off so many other managers/chairmen. I do feel 'Arry is playing a number of games with his public statements, a lot of it is to put pressure on Levy to loosen the purse strings, quite a bit more is to lay the ground work for his excuses if he fails to keep us up (wasn't my squad Guv', wasn't given the support I needed to change things me 'aul flower). I also think the strain of this job is showing with his recent outbursts aimed at certain players in our squad, and I'm afraid for the club's sake that he might not have the composure to extract us from the mess we are in. Only time will tell.

kinaldo

On a side note, Joe Kinnear and Harry Redknapp would make a cute couple. Just imagine both of them managing their respective clubs in The Championship next season... there's a scary thought!

Charlie

therecklessone wrote: »

A sizeable portion of our support were pissed off at Levy during the Summer for making an issue of Berbs/Keane and the tapping allegations, felt that since everybody was guilty of it to a greater or lesser extent that no good could come from complaining. they might feel vindicated right now, as we are so open to criticism with 'Arry twitching away on SSN every evening.

Others feel that we got ridden rock solid by United for Carrick and Berbatov, and by Liverpool for Keane, but accept that's the way of the football world. We are nowhere near the stature of either club, and they will always be able to turn heads at Spurs. Conversely, they would tend to feel that what Redknapp is doing now is perfectly fine, given the hierarchy that exists within the game in England. As an aside, the simple fact that Levy/ENIC had their particular business plan at Spurs only supported bigger sides trying to poach our players, as there was no doubt in the players minds that the club had a price on their heads, and perhaps more salient that once the players were deemed surplus to requirement they could be shown the door.

Personally I think it's embarrassing, and it undermines our efforts to attract players as we've pissed off so many other managers/chairmen. I do feel 'Arry is playing a number of games with his public statements, a lot of it is to put pressure on Levy to loosen the purse strings, quite a bit more is to lay the ground work for his excuses if he fails to keep us up (wasn't my squad Guv', wasn't given the support I needed to change things me 'aul flower). I also think the strain of this job is showing with his recent outbursts aimed at certain players in our squad, and I'm afraid for the club's sake that he might not have the composure to extract us from the mess we are in. Only time will tell.

Cheers for that.

I would tend to agree with yourself, the 3rd para. The only part though I would question is that you say 'Arry is looking for Levy to loosen the purse strings. Has he not already spent the guts of £30 million this window. That's roughly treble of what Fat Ash has outlayed since he arrived at SJP.

But you're right about him going off the boil a bit. I wouldn't say it's case of the job being too big for him, but I think he underestimated it a bit, and certainly overestimated his own ability. For the most part, he has managed in very small ponds, where he had things totally his own way, and tbh, the only press attention he got was the one which he courted, as the written press don't usually 'follow' teams like Pompey or West Ham. That's not the case at Spurs, and I think he is beginning to feel the proverbial heat from the spotlight of the press, for which he no longer has control of where it shines.

Charlie

kinaldo wrote: »

On a side note, Joe Kinnear and Harry Redknapp would make a cute couple. Just imagine both of them managing their respective clubs in The Championship next season... there's a scary thought!

That's certainly not impossible, but believe me, both will have long jumped ship like the fleeing rats that they are.

eagle eye

A few points in his defence.

He is the most successful English born manager in football over the last decade. He has won the FA Cup, and now his team are in the final of the League Cup.
The last English Manager to win the FA Cup before him was Joe Royle in 1995.

Its very clear that a lot of players like playing for him. Defoe returning to Spurs is clear proof of that. The signing of Cudicini is another sign that he is popular among Premier League players.

He left West Ham and they had one decent season after he left but then got relegated the very next season.

He left Portsmouth over the hiring of Zajec who took over until Alain Perrin arrived. His stint at Portsmouth was disastrous and Redknapp returned to once again improve the club.
He is responsible for their highest Premier League finish.
He is responsible for West Ham's highest Premier League finish.

So he is the most successful manager of both clubs in recent history. He had a bad stint at Southampton. He is only a short time at Spurs, lets see how that goes, I'd expect him to bring them their best results for a long time too.

therecklessone

Charlie wrote: »

The only part though I would question is that you say 'Arry is looking for Levy to loosen the purse strings. Has he not already spent the guts of £30 million this window. That's roughly treble of what Fat Ash has outlayed since he arrived at SJP.

When he took over, it was intimated from within the club that belts would need tightening given the current state of the economy, particularly with plans for a new stadium due [at that time]

Redknapp has waged a PR battle to highlight how unbalanced a squad he took over, and how he needed Levy to splash the cash if we were to stay up. The fruits of that are Palacios and Defoe especially. I should also add that in the eyes of Levy and his minions, the squad that was assembled prior to Redknapp's arrival was good enough to be challenging for the top 6 on a regular basis, indeed one of Martin Jol's biggest mistakes was to suggest that the players at his disposal were not quite good enough for a sustained assault on the CL places. It's taken quite a bit of politics to get Levy to allow Redknapp spend more cash given that.

That said, I have a funny feeling that Levy does not see the signings of Defoe and Chimbonda as expensive, given a lot of their nominal value will have been written off against outstanding debts both clubs owed us for their transfer (and others besides). Indeed, knowing how he operates, there's probably some book-keeping upside to us signing recently departed players, which is why Redknapp has been allowed to sign 4 players and is sill in the market if the press are to be believed.

glenjamin

eagle eye wrote: »

Theres no doubts over his talents as a manager, its just the way he conducts himself as manager is terms of declaring an interest in a player is the problem.