Spurs travel to the Eastlands tomorrow to take on the financial might of Manchester City in a match that promises to be one of the highlights of the season, and is almost certainly more important than the Champions League Final for a number of reasons.
When the two teams met last December it was Spurs who triumphed after a brace from Niko Krancjar and a neat finish from Jermaine Defoe gave the White Hart Lane outfit full points. The 3-0 defeat signalled the end of Mark Hughes' time in charge at City, and he was soon replaced by Italian schemer and fashionable scarf wearer Roberto Mancini.
The former Inter boss has continued the early good work set in motion by Hughes and, now, as expected, City stand on the brink of Champions League qualification.
Only Harry Redknapp's over achieving Tottenham team stand in their way of a potential £60 million, European and Premier League domination.
For those of you who think that will hardly be the case think again.
In the space of just 24 months Manchester City have spent something in the region of £200 million and trebled their wage bill. That has guaranteed them a challenge at the top four, should they progress one further then they will consolidate their position and spend again.
This game represents a turning point in many futures, for not only Tottenham or City, but for the other challenging teams in the league.
Victory for Spurs will push City's master plan back a year or two, while the money they could gain should take them further ahead of rivals Everton, Aston Villa, and maybe even Liverpool.
Champions League qualification for Manchester City would almost certainly see them sign better players and it is conceivable that they would surpass Arsenal and become viable title challengers with Chelsea and Manchester United.
It is a game with many destiny's on the line, but back to the match.
Both teams have goalkeeping problems.
Shay Given is out with a dislocated shoulder, which will see the Donegalman return to action next September or October. Huerelho Gomes damaged his groin, with only one minute remaining in the 1-0 win over Bolton at the weekend, and is a major doubt for the clash.
It means that both sides could potentially have reserve team goalkeepers between the posts in the biggest match either club has had in years. City's problems saw them bring in former Spurs 'keeper Martin Fulop on loan from Sunderland after they exploited a loop hole in the FA's rules governing goalkeepers, while Tottenham will probably have to make do with young Ben Alnwick.
The ex-Sunderland shotstopper joined the Lilywhites in January 2007 and has yet to make his first team debut at Spurs.
At the back both teams are likely to be without influential defenders. Jolean Lescott is out with a hamstring injury while Spurs will be without Vedran Corluka, long term absentee Johnathan Woodgate, and most probably Ledley King.
One of the best defenders in the league, King suffers from acute knee problems and can only play every six days. Whether he will take the pain and suffer through the City match remains to be seen, but it would be the ideal calling card to Fabio Capello who is sure to be in attendance.
City are at full strength in midfield where as Spurs will miss their infulential Croatian Kranjcar.
Tottenham will have the advantage as far as defence and midfield is concerned. They are a better unit at the back—Youness Kaboul has come in for Corluka without breaking stride, Michael Dawson has progressed into a real candidate for South Africa, and Benoit Assou-Ekotto is the only real weak link at left full.
Roberto Mancini's men have lacked a certain creative spark through the middle this year, and it is likely that he will bring Shaun Wright-Phillips in at right midfield in an effort to expose the Cameroonian.
However, that could be tempered by the fact that Gareth Bale is certain to start in left midfield for Spurs, and one would think that Mancini's Italian mentality might take over and go with a defensive player instead of the nippy winger.
The middle of the park is where the battle will be won and lost. Patrick Vieira will almost certainly start with Gareth Barry and possibly Nigel De-Jong.
It will be interesting to see if Redknapp starts with Aaron Lennon or if he'll keep the winger on the bench. It might be a gamble worth taking as there will be no point worrying about the match on Sunday if City win, however if Spurs can keep it tight and take a draw the advantage swings to them.
Harry Redknapp should counter City's midfield by dropping Luka Modric to the bench and starting with the highly combative duo of Tom Huddlestone and Wilson Palacios. If Spurs do go with this midfield pairing then expect City to hit their forward line early and quickly.
At the moment City have one of the most formidable strike-forces in the league with Carlos Tevez in fantastic form. He will be making his 100th Premier League start and needs just one goal to reach the magical 50 milestone. Craig Bellamy is ample backup to the Argentinian and is a handful for any defence, while Emmanuel Adebayor is a brilliant as he is contrary. If all three are on form then City can blow any team away.
Contrast their form with the attacking players of Spurs who seem to have gone off the boil at the most important time for the club.
Peter Crouch has been in and out all year, Roman Pavlyuchenko seems to be playing at a good level, but his finishing boots have deserted him, and Jermaine Defoe looks bereft of confidence.
Add everything together and it makes for a highly intriguing and entertaining match.
Both sides like to play football and the game will boil down to the individual battles all over the pitch.
Both teams will look to exploit each others defences. Bellamy and Pavlyuchenko will drop deep giving problems to the centre halves and centre midfielders causing confusion as to who should pick up who.
If Spurs can push on from the middle with Huddlestone, who can shoot from anywhere, this will make City's defenders follow their counterparts leaving gaps for the lightning quick Defoe to expose. The exact same can be said for City and Tevez, but Dawson is a better defender than Toure and the difference between winning and losing could be a fine line.
The game is almost too tight to call, but Spurs have that little bit extra through their team that could make the difference.
It is worth noting that of Spurs eight trips to the top eight teams in the league they have yet to win. However, Spurs have won 11 of the last 12 fixtures between the two clubs.
Home advantage for such a huge game cannot be underestimated and City will start as slight favourites for a match that will award the winning team more money than the Champions League Final and will shape the league for years to come.
Showing posts with label Spurs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spurs. Show all posts
May 8, 2010
Apr 24, 2010
Spineless Arsene Wenger Is Turning Arsenal into a Version of Tottenham Hotspur
As with any problem, there are a number of places to start—Is it Arsene's tactics, the players, the board, the lack of money?
Easiest place to begin is the current squad.
Arsenal has not improved enough on last season. Last year, they finished on 72pts; this year they have 71pts with three games to go. However, the Gunners title challenge was predicated on Chelsea and Manchester United's dropping of needless points, rather than their own radical improvement.
Only one player of substance joined the club last summer—Thomas Vermaelan for £10 million. Since coming in, the previously unknown Belgian international has gone on to have a fabulous debut season, but his arrival was only one baby step in the right direction.
That is because Wenger stuck with a few players who have always had questions surrounding them. The goalkeeping situation immediately springs to mind.
Since David Seaman left Arsenal in 2003, they have not had a top class 'keeper. Jens Lehmann might have been the man in goal in 2004, but he did make his fair share of mistakes in that amazing season and as the years went by, those mishaps became more and more common.
His replacement, Manuel Almunia, was another step backwards. The Spanish 'keeper simply is not good enough to win a league. He makes far too many mistakes, and it is amazing that his career at Arsenal has lasted for so long.
His current rival, Lukasz Fabianski, or "Flappyanski" as Gunners fans are beginning to call him, has enjoyed a torrid time as the net-minder on the few occasions he has managed to take to the pitch.
So if the goalkeeper problem is so obvious, then why hasn't Wenger brought in someone good?
It's not like there are no other good 'keepers out there.
Another problem is the centre of defence. Sure, Vermaelen has been good, and William Gallas has probably enjoyed his best season in an Arsenal jersey, but the flaky Frenchman is liable to self destruct at any moment.
As a good manager, Le Prof should be guarding against this by bringing in a player of stature.
Sol Campbell, but for his few man-of-the-match performances, is not the answer. Last season, Richard Dunne was allowed to leave Manchester City for a measly £5 million, and he is exactly the kind of player the Gunners need.
Then there's central midfield...
Many Arsenal fans feel there is nothing wrong with the current central midfield set-up. Alex Song is improving, Cesc Fabregas is brilliant, and whoever else slots in can play with the best of them.
Problem is, Song offers very little going forward, Fabregas offers very little going back, and the extra body offers very little when the chips are down.
Before I go any further, Cesc Fabregas is a fantastic player, a joy to watch, and one of my favourite players.
But...in building the current Arsenal team around him, Wenger has been forced to go with a five-man midfield.
Up until 2004, Le Prof usually played 4-4-2. The year after the Invincibles won the league, Cesc Fabregas became the main player in central midfield. Since then Arsenal have moved to 4-5-1 to cover his deficiencies.
It is also worth pointing out that Arsenal have not won a trophy since Cesc became the lynch-pin of the team.
For the bigger teams, Arsenal have become easier to play against. They are often out-fought in the critical area of central midfield, and that is one of the vital reasons why Arsenal are not challenging for titles.
They need to bring in a central midfielder who can do everything. An old fashioned player who can tackle, pass, shoot, and head the ball.
Song and Fabregas share these roles between them, and their partner—be it Samir Nasri, Denilson, or Rosicky—only provides support in one direction. It is such a critical area of the team, and Wenger has an eye for great midfielders.
Vieira and Petit were one of the best partnerships of the modern era, so it again begs the question, why hasn't Arsene tried to sign a similar player?
Up front, Arsenal only have one good striker. Robin van Persie is streets ahead of Niklas Bendtner, or Eduardo, or even Carlos Vela for that matter. They need to bring in a new forward badly. They won't win the league until they do.
One other problem that this current Arsenal team suffer from is that they are virgins.
They have never won anything, because they don't know how to win anything. They lack the nous, experience, and mentality needed to get over the finishing line. One competition that now deserves to be really looked at and treated with respect is the League Cup.
Back in the '70s Brian Clough took over a Nottingham Forest team that had never won a thing. During the time, there was a cup called the Anglo/Scottish Cup, the most disrespected trophy in football.
It was such an awful competition that nobody took it seriously, except Clough and Forest.
They went on to win it in 1977. That first win provided the foundation and desire to go on and win other trophies. Forest went on to win the League in 1978 and 1979, the League Cup in 78 and 79, the European Cup in 1979 and 1980, and the European Super Cup in 1979.
In short, a trophy that meant nothing provided the springboard for the most successful period in Nottingham Forest's history. Arsene Wenger and Arsenal could learn a few lessons from this alone.
Perhaps the biggest problem between Arsenal and winning the league is Arsene Wenger himself.
To win any league, the Champions must by flexible and pragmatic. Tactics must be changed on a whim to suit the occasion. In this aspect, Arsenal are unyielding.
In every season, there comes a time when the game plan has to be changed, and a new approach to the puzzle must be looked at. Arsenal do not change, no matter the opposition. Be they playing against Wigan or Stoke or Barcelona, the Gunners use the same game plan every time. In football, one size does not fit all.
Part of the reason for this is Arsene Wenger's faith in Cesc Fabregas, the 4-5-1, and the style of play they use. He has a beautiful philosophy on the game, and will not change it for anyone. It means that Arsenal will play their flowing game that appeases so many, because they and he have a certain expectation to live up to.
Fabregas deserves to have the team built around him, but Wenger must find the right players.
In 1958 the great Bill Nicholson took over as manager of Tottenham Hotspur. It was an announcement that surprised football.
He was known as a deep thinker on the game and had his own football philosophy, but he was not what you call a household name as far as management was concerned. A very similar figure to Arsene Wenger.
Nicholson had his own philosophies and beliefs and had great time for new scientific approaches to training and tactics. He revolutionised English football with this new approach he instilled in Tottenham.
Within a couple of years, Spurs went on to win the double—the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup—and challenged for the league every season. They only finished outside the top four three times over the next decade.
Tottenham Hotspur and good football became synonymous with each other, just as Arsenal and good football have done so since Arsene Wenger took over.
The problem that Spurs have is that history has dictated that Spurs play a certain way, which has resulted in them winning very little and not even challenging for years. Countless managers at Spurs have refused to become pragmatic.
While the same level of expectation is now bearing down on Wenger, and he won't go against his new beliefs, they have not won anything for the last five years. Le Prof too now believes that the game must be won a certain way.
In football, time moves quickly, far too quickly for some.
In 2004, not one person watching football would have said that the Gunners would win nothing for the rest of the decade. In 1990, nobody in their right minds would have said that it would be that last time that Liverpool would win the league.
Arsenal and Arsene Wenger are at a crossroads.
Le Prof has dithered with this experiment for far too long, and the club have accepted finishing in the top four as the height of their ambitions. Bringing money into the club through the Champions League has become the No. 1 goal for the every year, not winning trophies.
Wenger has to recognise that he has failed with this team, accept it, and move on to get their title challenge back on track. It only needs minor tweaking, and not a huge amount of spending.
Four players and Arsenal could win the league.
He needs to buy his team a strong spine; the one they currently have is too weak to win the title with.
A club with the modern history of Arsenal should not be waiting for their rivals to decline, they should be forcing them to decline, strangling the life out of them when the opportunity arises—just as Manchester United have done to Liverpool.
Arsenal should be doing that to United and Chelsea—and winning the English Premier League on their own terms.
Football is a simple game.
Le Prof is a genius of a manager. Surely he can figure this out?
Mar 13, 2010
Can Spurs Catch Arsenal And Finish 3rd In The Premier League?
Spurs strengthened their grip on fourth place in the English Premier League with their 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers. But is it too late for the Lilywhites to launch a bid to catch Arsenal and finish third?
Looking at the gap between the two teams at the moment you would have to say that the chances of Spurs pulling off a third placed finish were unlikely. However, the two teams have yet to meet and given a swing of two results it is perceivable that the White Hart Lane outfit could achieve the impossible.
Currently the Gunners find themselves in a slightly similar position to their North London rivals in that they need the two teams above them to drop points if they are to win the title. With that being said, what is to stop Arsenal from dropping the same number of points?
Arsenal as has been well documented have, on paper, an easier run in than their two title rivals. But there are a few tricky fixtures as many of the teams they are yet to play are in the middle of the battle to avoid relegation.
They also take on two teams who are chasing the Champions League positions in Spurs and before they take on Manchester City in what promises to be a spicy game considering what happened at the Eastlands earlier in the season.
The Gunners coasted into the Quarter Finals of the Champions League after demolishing a poor Porto team at the Emirates. You can only ever beat what is put in front of you and Arsenal cruelly exposed the difference in class between them and their Portuguese opponents.
Given the right opponent, they could progress to the Semi Finals, but a lot depends on the luck of the draw and avoiding Manchester United, Chelsea, and Barcelona.
As far as their league run is concerned, they have Hull, tonight, (a), West Ham (h), Birmingham (a), Wolves (h), Spurs (a), Wigan (a), Man City (h), Blackburn (a), and Fulham at home on the last day of the season.
One thing to factor in at this stage is that if Spurs beat Fulham in their FA Cup replay at White Hart Lane then the Spurs fixture will be moved to the final week of the season.
Looking at these games in a worst case scenario for the Gunners and they could take between 16 and 19 points, and that is being generous. Best case scenario and they will go unbeaten, claiming between 19 and 21 points.
Spurs need them to lose at least three games, before beating Arsenal too. Meaning that Tottenham will need the Gunners to lose four times from nine games. A distinct impossibility at this late stage.
Spurs also have a good run in, but they do have three huge fixtures in the space of three weeks right in the middle of their run in.
Stoke (a), Portsmouth (h), Sunderland (a), Arsenal (h), Chelsea (h), Manchester United (a), Bolton (h), and finally Burnley away.
From those games it is easy to see Spurs win every game bar the ones against the big three. Their record away to the big four is abysmal, having not won since 1993 against Liverpool, United, Chelsea, or Arsenal.
Their home record is better and given the right conditions, full points are attainable against the Gunners and the Blues, but it would be a tough ask.
Best case scenario has Spurs taking at least 19 points from 24.
Do the math and even with Spurs doing as well as you would hope and Arsenal doing as bad as could be expected, they will not catch the Gunners for third.
The race for fourth though, is very much in their own hands. Games in hand mean very little at this stage of the season and points on the table are all that count, so Aston Villa's and Manchester City's excess of matches to play should not be over estimated.
Looking at Tottenham the club has over achieved so far this season. While many expected them to be fourth placed contenders, few actually expect them to finish there and as the league table stands Spurs are four to six points ahead of their predicted points tally at this stage of the season.
Bookmakers had Spurs down to finish the season on between 55 and 59 points, currently they sit fourth on 52 with eight games to play, five of them highly winnable.
Before the win over Blackburn Harry Redknapp had set his team a target of 19 points to finish fourth. An achievable target.
Third place is out of bounds for this season, but fourth is very much in their own hands.
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Looking at the gap between the two teams at the moment you would have to say that the chances of Spurs pulling off a third placed finish were unlikely. However, the two teams have yet to meet and given a swing of two results it is perceivable that the White Hart Lane outfit could achieve the impossible.
Currently the Gunners find themselves in a slightly similar position to their North London rivals in that they need the two teams above them to drop points if they are to win the title. With that being said, what is to stop Arsenal from dropping the same number of points?
Arsenal as has been well documented have, on paper, an easier run in than their two title rivals. But there are a few tricky fixtures as many of the teams they are yet to play are in the middle of the battle to avoid relegation.
They also take on two teams who are chasing the Champions League positions in Spurs and before they take on Manchester City in what promises to be a spicy game considering what happened at the Eastlands earlier in the season.
The Gunners coasted into the Quarter Finals of the Champions League after demolishing a poor Porto team at the Emirates. You can only ever beat what is put in front of you and Arsenal cruelly exposed the difference in class between them and their Portuguese opponents.
Given the right opponent, they could progress to the Semi Finals, but a lot depends on the luck of the draw and avoiding Manchester United, Chelsea, and Barcelona.
As far as their league run is concerned, they have Hull, tonight, (a), West Ham (h), Birmingham (a), Wolves (h), Spurs (a), Wigan (a), Man City (h), Blackburn (a), and Fulham at home on the last day of the season.
One thing to factor in at this stage is that if Spurs beat Fulham in their FA Cup replay at White Hart Lane then the Spurs fixture will be moved to the final week of the season.
Looking at these games in a worst case scenario for the Gunners and they could take between 16 and 19 points, and that is being generous. Best case scenario and they will go unbeaten, claiming between 19 and 21 points.
Spurs need them to lose at least three games, before beating Arsenal too. Meaning that Tottenham will need the Gunners to lose four times from nine games. A distinct impossibility at this late stage.
Spurs also have a good run in, but they do have three huge fixtures in the space of three weeks right in the middle of their run in.
Stoke (a), Portsmouth (h), Sunderland (a), Arsenal (h), Chelsea (h), Manchester United (a), Bolton (h), and finally Burnley away.
From those games it is easy to see Spurs win every game bar the ones against the big three. Their record away to the big four is abysmal, having not won since 1993 against Liverpool, United, Chelsea, or Arsenal.
Their home record is better and given the right conditions, full points are attainable against the Gunners and the Blues, but it would be a tough ask.
Best case scenario has Spurs taking at least 19 points from 24.
Do the math and even with Spurs doing as well as you would hope and Arsenal doing as bad as could be expected, they will not catch the Gunners for third.
The race for fourth though, is very much in their own hands. Games in hand mean very little at this stage of the season and points on the table are all that count, so Aston Villa's and Manchester City's excess of matches to play should not be over estimated.
Looking at Tottenham the club has over achieved so far this season. While many expected them to be fourth placed contenders, few actually expect them to finish there and as the league table stands Spurs are four to six points ahead of their predicted points tally at this stage of the season.
Bookmakers had Spurs down to finish the season on between 55 and 59 points, currently they sit fourth on 52 with eight games to play, five of them highly winnable.
Before the win over Blackburn Harry Redknapp had set his team a target of 19 points to finish fourth. An achievable target.
Third place is out of bounds for this season, but fourth is very much in their own hands.
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Mar 10, 2010
Harry Redknapp: His Transfer History 1984 to 2010, The Best Record In Football?
Harry Redknapp is recognised as being the best English manager in the game today. He has always had a reputation as being a wheeler dealer. However, does he have the best transfer record in English football?
Between playing and managing, 'Arry's career has lasted over 40 years. With a playing career that lasted over 15 years and 276 games combined with a managerial career that has seen him manage in almost every division, Redknapp has seen everything the game has to offer.
Now in the twilight of his career, Redknapp is managing the biggest club of his career, Tottenham Hotspur, one of the great sleeping giants of English football.
Strangely enough, Redknapp began his career at Spurs as an 11 year old when their Chief Scout, Dickie Walker, brought him to the club. The love affair didn't last too long though as West Ham snapped the promising youngster up at 15 and away from Bill Nicholson who was just beginning to mould one of English football's greatest sides.
For the vast majority of his career, Redknapp was employed as a winger. An honest, skillful, industrious player, he played 149 times for the Hammers after making his debut at 17. From there he moved to Bournemouth for four years before a one game pit stop at Brentford, and then finally on to the NASL and the Seattle Sounders.
It was here in Seattle that Harry found the taste for management, acting as Assistant Manager for three years before becoming Bobby Moore's right hand man at Oxford United.
His first job in management was at Bournemouth, but he only got the job at the second attempt. Despite being the clubs Assistant Manager, he was overlooked when David Webb moved on to Torquay.
However, with the team floundering at the bottom of Division 3 under the new manager, Don Megson, the club were forced to act and they sacked their new manager handing the inexperienced Redknapp the task of saving the club.
Not only did 'Arry save the Cherries, but Bournemouth pulled off the biggest shock of the FA Cup when they dumped Manchester United out.
Redknapp had pulled off two major coup's in only his first season as a manager.
Even then he had an eye for a player, and his very first signing was to offer one of the games great journey men an in road into football, Steve Claridge.
Amazingly, between 1984 and 1992, Harry Redknapp only signed 19 players for Bournemouth. Spending a massive £1.12million, but earning £1.77m during the same period.
Many of the players he signed were making their first forays into professional football. Looking back we can see that Redknapp had a keen eye for potential.
Steve Claridge, Sean Teale, Gavin Peacock, Efan Ekoku, Jamie Redknapp, Vince Bartram, and Jimmy Quinn are just a few names who all went on to bigger and better things after Bournemouth.
In 1987 the Cherries romped home as Division 3 Champions, but only lasted in Division 2 until 1989, when they were relegated.
In the Summer of 1990, Redknapp was in Italy, watching the World Cup, with friends when he was involved in a car accident which killed five people. A passenger in the vehicle, Redknapp was badly shaken and escaped reletively unscathed, only losing his sense of smell. He decided to take a break from football after the '91-'92 season.
In 1994 he was coaxed back into football with West Ham who were struggling in the newly formed Premier League. Redknapp and Frank Lampard Sr. had been working tirelessly in the youth ranks at the Hammers and following Billy Bonds' resignation in August, they were promoted to first team affairs.
Again Redknapp went to work in the transfer market, except this time he augmented his work there with the internal promotion of some of the brightest talents in English football.
Between 1994 and 2001 at West Ham, he signed 58 players for the Hammers, spending £52.09 million, bringing £77.01 million into the club.
Again his work in the market can be judged by looking back at some of the 58 players he signed in that seven year period.
Mark Rieper, John Hartson, Eyal Berkovic, Stan Laziridis, Steve Lomas, David Unsworth, Paulo Di Canio, Marc Vivien-Foe, Jermaine Defoe, and Igor Stimac are all prime examples of good signings during his West Ham years.
Young players like Mike Marsh, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Rio Ferdinand, and Joey Beauchamp all broke into the team under Redknapp too.
Of course there were some spectacular failures too, but they were few and far between. The two worst signings being Paulo Futre who barely kicked a ball in anger for a whole season as one of the highest paid players in the league, and Florin Raduiciou.
It is worth knowing that at this time both of these players had huge reputations and initially looked like great deals for the club, however, the reverse was to be the case.
Those five and a half years in charge at the Irons, Redknapp guided them to finish 14th, 10th, 14th, 8th, and a brilliant 5th.
Considering the resources available to him at West Ham these results were superb, but again Redknapp was villified with being a wheeler dealer and a risk taker and it is only now that we can look back and see how much of a profit he actually made in his dealings.
He was unceremoniously sacked in May 2001 after he spoke to a fanzine over the signing of a new contract with the club, the clubs chairman extremely unhappy over comments Redknapp made at the time.
He was not out of work for long and he moved to Portsmouth as Director of Football in the summer of 2001.
Ironically, Redknapp took over as manager of the Division 1 club and guided them into the Premiership as Champions in 2002, replacing West Ham.
In just two years at Fratton Park, 'Arry signed 41 players for £7.65 million and sold 41 players for £5.4 million.
Redknapp resigned as manager of Portsmouth in November 2004 in dispute over the owner, Milan Mandaric, bringing in a Director of Football to the club.
Even though Redknapp only spent two years at the club, he did manage to bring in some real quality, namely Dejan Stefanovic, Lomano Lua Lua, and Yakubu.
He then made the contoversial move down the coast to local rivals Southampton. Redknapp had been brought in as a Fire Fighter with the job to save the club from almost certain relegation, which he was unable to do.
In just one season at the club he signed eight players for £2.57 million, but sold 18 players for £16 million as he began a clear out at the club.
That did not last too long though as Harry resigned after Southampton brought in England Rugby manager Clive Woodward in a Technical Role at the club, many felt that the Rugby supremo was being lined up to learn from the wily old manager before replacing him.
A couple of weeks later and Redknapp was back in charge of Pompey who were hurtling out of control towards the second tier of English football.
However, there was a to be a big difference at Portsmouth this time around. Alexandre Gaydamak had just taken over and made huge sums of money available to Harry in an effort to establish Portsmouth as a force in the Premiership.
Pompey finished four points above relegation that season ('05-'06), but the next ('06-'07) they finished a club record 9th. That was followed up the following season with another record season when Pompey finished 8th ('07-'08)
The club was on the crest of a wave and also won the FA Cup in 2008.
That was the beginning of the end though as Alexandre Gaydamak stepped down from the board and withdrew his backing, and all of a sudden Portsmouth were in trouble.
Backed up with Gaydamak's money, Redknapp was given permission to spend, and spend he did. £68.3 million left the club in just two seasons with only £29.07 million coming in while Redknapp held the reigns.
As with his previous record, players of a high standard were brought to the club for cheap prices.
Niko Krancjar, Sulley Muntari, Glen Johnsen, Papa Bouba-Diop, and Jermaine Defoe are very good examples of Premiership players who were brought in to aid Portsmout's cause.
It is worth noting that although Redknapp's time in charge of Portsmouth ended in a deficit of some £40 million, the club has since gone on to sell many of the players he signed while he was there, giving the club a staggering £103,940,000 million in sales in just three years. A massive profit of around £30 million for the struggling club.
In October 2008 Harry Redknapp took over relegation bound Tottenham Hotspur after Juande Ramos' ill fated reign.
Again 'Arry was quick out of the blocks as far as the transfer market is concerned, and re-signed Jermaine Defoe and Robbie Keane as well as bringing in Wilson Palacios to bolster midfield.
The new signings worked a treat as Spurs roared up the league and only missed out on Europe on the final day of the season following a defeat at Anfield to Liverpool.
Last summer saw Tottenham strengthen their squad substantially by adding Peter Crouch, Niko Kranjcar, Sebastian Bassong, and Kyle Naughton to their ranks giving Spurs a squad depth capable of challenging for the Champions League positions.
As it stands, Tottenham are in a four way fight to the death with Liverpool, Manchester City, and Aston Villa for the last Champions League qualifying position.
Harry Redknapp has had a remarkable career, over 1,000 games as manager, placing him in an elite band of men to achieve that rare milestone. While he has never managed a club that have challenged for trophies, he has become one of the best managers in the game through sheer hard work.
One thing that has really stuck with him through out his career is his reputation for spotting a bargain. Certain parts of this reputation are unfair as he has had more successes than failures and when you sit doen and look at his transfer record over his 26 years as a boss you find that he has spent £208.23 million and re-coupled £230.37 million.
A quick comparison with Rafael Benitez has the Liverpool manager spending £210 million since 2004 and only accruing £125 million in the same period.
While in almost 24 years at Old Trafford, Alex Ferguson has spent £392.44 million on 89 players and made some £244 million by selling 216 players in that same time.
Arsene Wenger's record is quite impressive given the rewards he has managed to bring the club during his 13 years in charge.
Le Prof has brought 86 players to Arsenal at a cost of £220 million, and he has sold 162 for £194 million. A brilliant record you'll agree, almost break even after 13 long years.
Given the resources available to Ferguson, Wenger, and Benitez, it is little wonder that the three clubs are constantly challenging for the top three positions in the league.
Redknapp's record stands up for itself, a quite excellent record in the transfer market since 1984. He has never had the oppurtunity to manage a club with the resources to challenge for the title, but with Daniel Levy's backing you get the feeling the club would rather challenge than sit in mid table.
Spurs' fans will be hoping that Redknapp manages to work some magic in the transfer market. He'll have to if they are going to make that huge step up and actually challenge for the Champions League positions.
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Between playing and managing, 'Arry's career has lasted over 40 years. With a playing career that lasted over 15 years and 276 games combined with a managerial career that has seen him manage in almost every division, Redknapp has seen everything the game has to offer.
Now in the twilight of his career, Redknapp is managing the biggest club of his career, Tottenham Hotspur, one of the great sleeping giants of English football.
Strangely enough, Redknapp began his career at Spurs as an 11 year old when their Chief Scout, Dickie Walker, brought him to the club. The love affair didn't last too long though as West Ham snapped the promising youngster up at 15 and away from Bill Nicholson who was just beginning to mould one of English football's greatest sides.
For the vast majority of his career, Redknapp was employed as a winger. An honest, skillful, industrious player, he played 149 times for the Hammers after making his debut at 17. From there he moved to Bournemouth for four years before a one game pit stop at Brentford, and then finally on to the NASL and the Seattle Sounders.
It was here in Seattle that Harry found the taste for management, acting as Assistant Manager for three years before becoming Bobby Moore's right hand man at Oxford United.
His first job in management was at Bournemouth, but he only got the job at the second attempt. Despite being the clubs Assistant Manager, he was overlooked when David Webb moved on to Torquay.
However, with the team floundering at the bottom of Division 3 under the new manager, Don Megson, the club were forced to act and they sacked their new manager handing the inexperienced Redknapp the task of saving the club.
Not only did 'Arry save the Cherries, but Bournemouth pulled off the biggest shock of the FA Cup when they dumped Manchester United out.
Redknapp had pulled off two major coup's in only his first season as a manager.
Even then he had an eye for a player, and his very first signing was to offer one of the games great journey men an in road into football, Steve Claridge.
Amazingly, between 1984 and 1992, Harry Redknapp only signed 19 players for Bournemouth. Spending a massive £1.12million, but earning £1.77m during the same period.
Many of the players he signed were making their first forays into professional football. Looking back we can see that Redknapp had a keen eye for potential.
Steve Claridge, Sean Teale, Gavin Peacock, Efan Ekoku, Jamie Redknapp, Vince Bartram, and Jimmy Quinn are just a few names who all went on to bigger and better things after Bournemouth.
In 1987 the Cherries romped home as Division 3 Champions, but only lasted in Division 2 until 1989, when they were relegated.
In the Summer of 1990, Redknapp was in Italy, watching the World Cup, with friends when he was involved in a car accident which killed five people. A passenger in the vehicle, Redknapp was badly shaken and escaped reletively unscathed, only losing his sense of smell. He decided to take a break from football after the '91-'92 season.
In 1994 he was coaxed back into football with West Ham who were struggling in the newly formed Premier League. Redknapp and Frank Lampard Sr. had been working tirelessly in the youth ranks at the Hammers and following Billy Bonds' resignation in August, they were promoted to first team affairs.
Again Redknapp went to work in the transfer market, except this time he augmented his work there with the internal promotion of some of the brightest talents in English football.
Between 1994 and 2001 at West Ham, he signed 58 players for the Hammers, spending £52.09 million, bringing £77.01 million into the club.
Again his work in the market can be judged by looking back at some of the 58 players he signed in that seven year period.
Mark Rieper, John Hartson, Eyal Berkovic, Stan Laziridis, Steve Lomas, David Unsworth, Paulo Di Canio, Marc Vivien-Foe, Jermaine Defoe, and Igor Stimac are all prime examples of good signings during his West Ham years.
Young players like Mike Marsh, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Rio Ferdinand, and Joey Beauchamp all broke into the team under Redknapp too.
Of course there were some spectacular failures too, but they were few and far between. The two worst signings being Paulo Futre who barely kicked a ball in anger for a whole season as one of the highest paid players in the league, and Florin Raduiciou.
It is worth knowing that at this time both of these players had huge reputations and initially looked like great deals for the club, however, the reverse was to be the case.
Those five and a half years in charge at the Irons, Redknapp guided them to finish 14th, 10th, 14th, 8th, and a brilliant 5th.
Considering the resources available to him at West Ham these results were superb, but again Redknapp was villified with being a wheeler dealer and a risk taker and it is only now that we can look back and see how much of a profit he actually made in his dealings.
He was unceremoniously sacked in May 2001 after he spoke to a fanzine over the signing of a new contract with the club, the clubs chairman extremely unhappy over comments Redknapp made at the time.
He was not out of work for long and he moved to Portsmouth as Director of Football in the summer of 2001.
Ironically, Redknapp took over as manager of the Division 1 club and guided them into the Premiership as Champions in 2002, replacing West Ham.
In just two years at Fratton Park, 'Arry signed 41 players for £7.65 million and sold 41 players for £5.4 million.
Redknapp resigned as manager of Portsmouth in November 2004 in dispute over the owner, Milan Mandaric, bringing in a Director of Football to the club.
Even though Redknapp only spent two years at the club, he did manage to bring in some real quality, namely Dejan Stefanovic, Lomano Lua Lua, and Yakubu.
He then made the contoversial move down the coast to local rivals Southampton. Redknapp had been brought in as a Fire Fighter with the job to save the club from almost certain relegation, which he was unable to do.
In just one season at the club he signed eight players for £2.57 million, but sold 18 players for £16 million as he began a clear out at the club.
That did not last too long though as Harry resigned after Southampton brought in England Rugby manager Clive Woodward in a Technical Role at the club, many felt that the Rugby supremo was being lined up to learn from the wily old manager before replacing him.
A couple of weeks later and Redknapp was back in charge of Pompey who were hurtling out of control towards the second tier of English football.
However, there was a to be a big difference at Portsmouth this time around. Alexandre Gaydamak had just taken over and made huge sums of money available to Harry in an effort to establish Portsmouth as a force in the Premiership.
Pompey finished four points above relegation that season ('05-'06), but the next ('06-'07) they finished a club record 9th. That was followed up the following season with another record season when Pompey finished 8th ('07-'08)
The club was on the crest of a wave and also won the FA Cup in 2008.
That was the beginning of the end though as Alexandre Gaydamak stepped down from the board and withdrew his backing, and all of a sudden Portsmouth were in trouble.
Backed up with Gaydamak's money, Redknapp was given permission to spend, and spend he did. £68.3 million left the club in just two seasons with only £29.07 million coming in while Redknapp held the reigns.
As with his previous record, players of a high standard were brought to the club for cheap prices.
Niko Krancjar, Sulley Muntari, Glen Johnsen, Papa Bouba-Diop, and Jermaine Defoe are very good examples of Premiership players who were brought in to aid Portsmout's cause.
It is worth noting that although Redknapp's time in charge of Portsmouth ended in a deficit of some £40 million, the club has since gone on to sell many of the players he signed while he was there, giving the club a staggering £103,940,000 million in sales in just three years. A massive profit of around £30 million for the struggling club.
In October 2008 Harry Redknapp took over relegation bound Tottenham Hotspur after Juande Ramos' ill fated reign.
Again 'Arry was quick out of the blocks as far as the transfer market is concerned, and re-signed Jermaine Defoe and Robbie Keane as well as bringing in Wilson Palacios to bolster midfield.
The new signings worked a treat as Spurs roared up the league and only missed out on Europe on the final day of the season following a defeat at Anfield to Liverpool.
Last summer saw Tottenham strengthen their squad substantially by adding Peter Crouch, Niko Kranjcar, Sebastian Bassong, and Kyle Naughton to their ranks giving Spurs a squad depth capable of challenging for the Champions League positions.
As it stands, Tottenham are in a four way fight to the death with Liverpool, Manchester City, and Aston Villa for the last Champions League qualifying position.
Harry Redknapp has had a remarkable career, over 1,000 games as manager, placing him in an elite band of men to achieve that rare milestone. While he has never managed a club that have challenged for trophies, he has become one of the best managers in the game through sheer hard work.
One thing that has really stuck with him through out his career is his reputation for spotting a bargain. Certain parts of this reputation are unfair as he has had more successes than failures and when you sit doen and look at his transfer record over his 26 years as a boss you find that he has spent £208.23 million and re-coupled £230.37 million.
A quick comparison with Rafael Benitez has the Liverpool manager spending £210 million since 2004 and only accruing £125 million in the same period.
While in almost 24 years at Old Trafford, Alex Ferguson has spent £392.44 million on 89 players and made some £244 million by selling 216 players in that same time.
Arsene Wenger's record is quite impressive given the rewards he has managed to bring the club during his 13 years in charge.
Le Prof has brought 86 players to Arsenal at a cost of £220 million, and he has sold 162 for £194 million. A brilliant record you'll agree, almost break even after 13 long years.
Given the resources available to Ferguson, Wenger, and Benitez, it is little wonder that the three clubs are constantly challenging for the top three positions in the league.
Redknapp's record stands up for itself, a quite excellent record in the transfer market since 1984. He has never had the oppurtunity to manage a club with the resources to challenge for the title, but with Daniel Levy's backing you get the feeling the club would rather challenge than sit in mid table.
Spurs' fans will be hoping that Redknapp manages to work some magic in the transfer market. He'll have to if they are going to make that huge step up and actually challenge for the Champions League positions.
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Mar 2, 2010
I Hate...A Rant By An Angry QPR Fan
This rant appeared on a forum for QPR, classic.
I take more pleasure in seeing Chelsea lose than I do in seeing QPR
win at the moment.
I sat through so many matches when we were absolute dogs**t under the
likes of Ray Harford and with people like Paul Bruce, Matthew Brazier
and Mark Perry in the squad and I never felt like this.
The club isn't ours anymore but moreso than that - football is just
properly gash these days.
I mean really gash.
football generally.
I hate nearly everything about it these days....
I hate the Prem and the myth that it is exciting this year. Man City
breaking into the top four isn't exciting. They spent loads of money.
It's no more exciting that Nameless C*** getting to number 1 in the
charts after winning the X-Factor.
I hate the myth of Arsene's kids. Buying some French kid when he's
17, playing him in the League Cup and then selling him when he's 20
after about 3 appearances in the league is NOTHING SPECIAL.
I hate hearing about Liverpool/Man Utd's debt but nothing ever
happening about it. A club needs to go to the wall for the money
thing to change but it doesn't happen. Why the **** are Charlton,
Leeds and Southampton still in business?
I hate Frank Lampard's stupid f'ing face. I hate John Terry being
England captain when he's CLEARLY AN OAF.
I hate the England team.
I hate young exciting wingers who have nothing but pace. Tony Scully
had nothing but pace.
I hate the FA Cup. There may be little shocks like last night but for
the most part you know who's going to win it. Unless a team throws
away all their financial security to win it a la Pompey.
I hate Harry f'ing Redknapp. And Jamie Redknapp. And Louise Redknapp.
And the Wii.
I hate James Nesbitt, Eammon Holmes and f***ing everyone.
I hate Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.
I hate Garth Crooks.
I hate Garth Brooks for that matter.
I hate Sky Sports.
I hate that when a lower league player beats 10 players and chips the
keeper it doesn't matter but if Rooney scores from more than 20 yards
it's amazing.
I hate that everything football related has to have 'Club Foot'
playing behind it.
I hate that female sports journos are now mandatory.
I hate Mark Lawrensen for not coming out. 'I do like a big man at the
back'. I bet you do.
I hate any advert that portrays football to be about anything other
than pain and disappointment.
I hate any advert that mentions pies at football.
I hate Lee Hughes and the fact that he makes a living from the game.
I hate Marlon King and any team that signs him when he gets out. I
hate that it'll probably be us.
I hate Phil Brown.
I hate 'well the ball is a lot lighter now and will cause goalkeepers
real problems this summer' before EVERY F'ING TOURNAMENT.
I hate that Kieron Dyer earned more in the time I took to write this
post than I'll earn this month.
I hate Adrian Durham, Ian Wright and Alan Brazil.
I hate Gazza. Either die or shut up. Stop f'ing lingering.
I hate hearing about Hillsborough more than I hear about Heysel or
Bradford.
I hate that a comeback from 4-0 down at half time (TWICE) means
nothing because we aren't f'ing scouse.
I hate Leeds.
I hate Roy Keane.
I hate grown men wearing football shirts of their team whilst
shopping on a saturday when their team is playing at home.
I hate that I don't hate Roy Hodgson.
I hate Jermaine Beckford and any player who has neck tattoos.
I hate songs being inappropriately taken as club anthems and then
sung in a manly way. 'I'm forever blowing bubbles....'. Gaylords.
I hate Danny Dyer and anyone he's ever interviewed.
I hate the book 'Cass' by Cass Pennant. It is honestly the stupidest
thing I've ever read. Chapter 1: Millwall. 'Yeah we took 50 to
Millwall. They had 1000 in their mob but we ran 'em up and down the
street'. Chapter 2: Liverpool. 'Yeah we took 50 to Liverpool. They
had 2000 in their mob but we ran 'em up and down the street'. Fk
me... Jade Goody's autobiography is probably better. Even her
non-ghost written one.
I hate that all good youngsters end their careers at Spurs before they start.
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I take more pleasure in seeing Chelsea lose than I do in seeing QPR
win at the moment.
I sat through so many matches when we were absolute dogs**t under the
likes of Ray Harford and with people like Paul Bruce, Matthew Brazier
and Mark Perry in the squad and I never felt like this.
The club isn't ours anymore but moreso than that - football is just
properly gash these days.
I mean really gash.
football generally.
I hate nearly everything about it these days....
I hate the Prem and the myth that it is exciting this year. Man City
breaking into the top four isn't exciting. They spent loads of money.
It's no more exciting that Nameless C*** getting to number 1 in the
charts after winning the X-Factor.
I hate the myth of Arsene's kids. Buying some French kid when he's
17, playing him in the League Cup and then selling him when he's 20
after about 3 appearances in the league is NOTHING SPECIAL.
I hate hearing about Liverpool/Man Utd's debt but nothing ever
happening about it. A club needs to go to the wall for the money
thing to change but it doesn't happen. Why the **** are Charlton,
Leeds and Southampton still in business?
I hate Frank Lampard's stupid f'ing face. I hate John Terry being
England captain when he's CLEARLY AN OAF.
I hate the England team.
I hate young exciting wingers who have nothing but pace. Tony Scully
had nothing but pace.
I hate the FA Cup. There may be little shocks like last night but for
the most part you know who's going to win it. Unless a team throws
away all their financial security to win it a la Pompey.
I hate Harry f'ing Redknapp. And Jamie Redknapp. And Louise Redknapp.
And the Wii.
I hate James Nesbitt, Eammon Holmes and f***ing everyone.
I hate Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer.
I hate Garth Crooks.
I hate Garth Brooks for that matter.
I hate Sky Sports.
I hate that when a lower league player beats 10 players and chips the
keeper it doesn't matter but if Rooney scores from more than 20 yards
it's amazing.
I hate that everything football related has to have 'Club Foot'
playing behind it.
I hate that female sports journos are now mandatory.
I hate Mark Lawrensen for not coming out. 'I do like a big man at the
back'. I bet you do.
I hate any advert that portrays football to be about anything other
than pain and disappointment.
I hate any advert that mentions pies at football.
I hate Lee Hughes and the fact that he makes a living from the game.
I hate Marlon King and any team that signs him when he gets out. I
hate that it'll probably be us.
I hate Phil Brown.
I hate 'well the ball is a lot lighter now and will cause goalkeepers
real problems this summer' before EVERY F'ING TOURNAMENT.
I hate that Kieron Dyer earned more in the time I took to write this
post than I'll earn this month.
I hate Adrian Durham, Ian Wright and Alan Brazil.
I hate Gazza. Either die or shut up. Stop f'ing lingering.
I hate hearing about Hillsborough more than I hear about Heysel or
Bradford.
I hate that a comeback from 4-0 down at half time (TWICE) means
nothing because we aren't f'ing scouse.
I hate Leeds.
I hate Roy Keane.
I hate grown men wearing football shirts of their team whilst
shopping on a saturday when their team is playing at home.
I hate that I don't hate Roy Hodgson.
I hate Jermaine Beckford and any player who has neck tattoos.
I hate songs being inappropriately taken as club anthems and then
sung in a manly way. 'I'm forever blowing bubbles....'. Gaylords.
I hate Danny Dyer and anyone he's ever interviewed.
I hate the book 'Cass' by Cass Pennant. It is honestly the stupidest
thing I've ever read. Chapter 1: Millwall. 'Yeah we took 50 to
Millwall. They had 1000 in their mob but we ran 'em up and down the
street'. Chapter 2: Liverpool. 'Yeah we took 50 to Liverpool. They
had 2000 in their mob but we ran 'em up and down the street'. Fk
me... Jade Goody's autobiography is probably better. Even her
non-ghost written one.
I hate that all good youngsters end their careers at Spurs before they start.
Share
Nov 30, 2009
Wilson Palacios' Brother Murdered By Kidnappers
Bill Shankly once said “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.”
It's something he eventually became quite ashamed with, and after the recent death of Wilson Palacios' brother, football can be seen for what it really is for many, a simple distraction.
Wilson Palacios left Spurs hotel in Liverpool at 07.00am an Saturday as his team prepared to meet Everton in a crucial match for the club. He received a phone call from his mother at 01.00am, telling him about the death of his 16-year-old brother Edwin.
He calmly packed his bags and then went down to the lobby to wait for his team to wake for their early morning meeting. He did not want to wake anyone, in case they did not get their required rest or in case they became distracted.
After meeting Harry Redknapp and then explaining his situation, he then asked permission to travel back to London so he could go home to Honduras.
Redknapp immediately contacted club officials and they organised as quick a departure as they could, giving Palacios an unlimited time off so that he can grieve with his family.
Kidnapping of sports-stars family members has become all too often a facet of life in South America. The kidnapping business has become a huge income earner for gangs and para-militaries over the past couple of years, and Colombia is now recognised as the kidnap capital of the world.
Kidnappings involving soccer players number at around 10 a year at the moment, and perhaps the highest profile one so far has been the kidnap and release of Robinho's mother in 2004.
In August 2007, Wilson Palacios, one of Honduras' most well known faces, travelled to England for a trial with Arsenal. His family had kept the move secret for fear of what might happen, but the ploy backfired somewhat after newspapers actually began reporting that Wilson Palacios had been kidnapped.
In the end his father had to contact the relevant papers and tell them where his son was, and this probably tipped off some members of the local 18th Street Gang that Wilson was looking for a big money move to Europe.
Steve Bruce then snapped him up for Birmingham City after Arsene Wenger's glowing reference, but then left for Wigan.
Unfortunately for Palacios, it was in October of 2007, that Edwin was kidnapped after five armed men broke into the family home and tied his parents up. With the kidnappers demanding ransom money, the Palacios family handed over £125,000 but Edwin was never released.
Wilson left Birmingham during this period and stayed with his family, but news that Steve Bruce wanted to sign him for Wigan meant that he had to go back to England.
It wa around this time that many false stories about Edwin's release began to surface. None of them true.
With Wilson impressing during his time with Wigan, it only became a matter of time before a bigger team came in for him. In January 2009, Tottenham under the guidance of Harry Redknapp payed £14m for the midfielders services.
In an attempt to seek Edwin's release, his mother Orfilia went on national television begging for her sons release, in case the impending transfer of his older brother strengthened their resolve.
They never received any more communications from the kidnappers or from Edwin who had been allowed the occasional phone call to reassure his parents, but hope remained.
Last week, Police in El Paraiso arrested two members of the 18th Street Gang, and following a confession, they unearthed the body of a young boy.
The body had been there for some time so it will have to undergo forensic tests before the identity is confirmed, but the body is believed to be Edwin's after his older brothers recognised his clothing.
The news will come as heart breaking for the family, Ofilia had only left London on Friday, after her first visit to England, and her family had been unable to contact her with the tragic news.
Bill Shankly's famous saying is used often. But when it really comes down to it, sport is far from being all important.
Moments like this bring home the truth, that life and family matter, and that sport should be treated in the manner for what it actually is. An un-important distraction.
Nov 4, 2009
EPL Review: Red Mist, Red Cards, Rafa's Red or Dead, and False Dawns
It was a red letter day in Week 11 of the Premiership in more ways than one.
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