Where is our Harry Redknapp?

[JJ-AV]

Also wouldn't call it a tactical problem. Playing Bale on the right when a) his preferred angle is the left and b) Marcelo was always just going to drive him back was a tactical mistake.

Eh? Bale played wide left against Real.

From what I saw he started wide right, with Modric left. But Redknapp soon switched it around and put Jenas right, Modric in the middle and Bale left wing.

[not3bad]

Not really the time or place for this discussion right now, let's save it till the seasons over, right now we need to get fully behind the manager and players and get out of this mess and then see where we are in the summer and where we go from there.

Agreed

[KevinGage]

The only one who comes close to a similar profile that Redknapp had pre Tottingham is Moyes.

Admittedly he hasn't moved about as much as 'arry. But he's been in the topflight for years, battling against the odds with a relatively unfancied side.

Redknapp is an interesting character, in so far as he was appointed manager of West Ham in 1994 and sacked in 2001. That's seven years at the club and -it's fair to say- none of the big clubs were beating a path to his door despite that length of time and experience in the game. In fact as recently as 2006- when he rejoined Pompey- he was rarely (if ever) linked with the better jobs. He was synonymous with relegation struggles and managing on a budget.

Who out of the current bosses of the perennial strugglers looks like they have enough about them to still be managing in the topflight in 10-12 years? And will they be actually managing bigger sides by then?  If you think of the candidates - McCarthy, Mcleish, Martinez, Pulis-  I'd probably say the middle two would be a decent bet.

As to who could possibly do a better job than GH, I think the latter three + the usual candidates like Hughes and Moyes would be more than capable. In fact, I genuinely can't think of too many top flight or even Championship managers who would have made more of a balls of it than the current bloke.

[Fasth56]

The press have perpetuated this myth about Redknapp. At Bournmouth and then West Ham he didn't pull up any trees, Portsmouth in his first spell did nothing in the premier. Southampton overpaid the players and left them in the crap. Portsmouth overpaid for better players above and beyond what they could afford, won them the cup  but left them in the crap. Tottenham, he took a better squad of players than O'neill left and got them playing with a bit of luck on players, ie bale and Pavulychenko (SP) and he changed the training schedule. His ability to spot a player meant he bombed out the current English centre forward.

The difference between Redknapp and Houllier is that whilst Redknapp inherited a squad of players who could play a passing game and then stole back players Tottenham had previously sold. Houllier was left with a squad assembled to play a certain way and of which only a limited number were ever likely to play. Every team in the country knew the players were unfit. Rumour has it that after the match at the weekend the players didn't train again until the Wednesday, when they would play 5 a side. This meant that the beer swilling, oil tanker circling, ball hoofing defence didn't have any stamina. This isn't a knock at O'neill, this is pointing out what Houllier inherited. So what did he try to do, he instigated extra training which the above mentioned beer swilling etc obviously didn't fancy therefore dissent in the camp. We are now trying to play a passing game which obviously is going to take time to sort out given the players and systems they were previously asked to play.

[Shrek]

Totally agree

[ROBBO]

Take a close look at where Rednap left his previous clubs, as soon as he smells trouble he is off like a shot. Houllier is well connected and can bring us players that the likes of Coyle can't. As long as we avoid the drop he will be given enough time to revamp the squad and get the wage bill down.

[Steve R]

'Our Harry Redknapp' left in 1994.

If we look for someone other than Houllier, it is a risk whichever name you come up with. If we avoid relegation and he has a half convincing plan for team development, I'd go with Houllier for another year.

I've never rated Dunne, Collins and Warnock as anything other than competent. Our impressive defensive record last season owed much to the fact that we often used 10 players to defend.

If Houllier sorts out some proper wouldn't-give-you-a-sniff-of-their-fart defenders and deals with replacing Ashley Young successfully in the summer, he could be worth a proper shot at the job.

[Nirog72]

Poyet

[midnite]

From the rumblings I've heard, It's not houllier that's the problem. All the players, especially the younger ones really rate him. It's mcallister that everyone has beef with. That's the real reason the fight started on the team bonding exercise.

I still think houllier can do something with us. But he does need to shake up the coaching staff. mcallister wasn't houllier's first choice and I think that come the summer as long as we're ok, still up and houllier still in the job, mcallister won't be.

[Mellin]

That thread title makes me feel sick.

[Greg N'Ash]

Agree that jabba the hut is over-rated. At west ham he benefitted from the best youth system in the country and still managed to buy loads of lemons and struggle. at portsmouth he spent a fortune - won a pot but nearly bankrupted the club. well to be fair the club let him spend it. At spurs he's done a sound job, certainly better than MON but has still spent a lot and he inherited a half decent team which MON did not.

[mrbrightside]

The press have perpetuated this myth about Redknapp. At Bournmouth and then West Ham he didn't pull up any trees, Portsmouth in his first spell did nothing in the premier. Southampton overpaid the players and left them in the crap. Portsmouth overpaid for better players above and beyond what they could afford, won them the cup  but left them in the crap. Tottenham, he took a better squad of players than O'neill left and got them playing with a bit of luck on players, ie bale and Pavulychenko (SP) and he changed the training schedule. His ability to spot a player meant he bombed out the current English centre forward.

The difference between Redknapp and Houllier is that whilst Redknapp inherited a squad of players who could play a passing game and then stole back players Tottenham had previously sold. Houllier was left with a squad assembled to play a certain way and of which only a limited number were ever likely to play. Every team in the country knew the players were unfit. Rumour has it that after the match at the weekend the players didn't train again until the Wednesday, when they would play 5 a side. This meant that the beer swilling, oil tanker circling, ball hoofing defence didn't have any stamina. This isn't a knock at O'neill, this is pointing out what Houllier inherited. So what did he try to do, he instigated extra training which the above mentioned beer swilling etc obviously didn't fancy therefore dissent in the camp. We are now trying to play a passing game which obviously is going to take time to sort out given the players and systems they were previously asked to play.

I don't buy into this type of thinking though, a good manager builds a tactic and style of play around what he has at his disposal. So if Houiller has a team who are not capable of playing his way then why carry on with it, when it clearly will not work. I don't particularly think Redknapp is a genius tactician but what he is very good at is getting the very best out of the players at his disposal and he knows very clearly how to set up a team to win Premier League matches.

[Chris Smith]

The answer to the question is he's probably doing 10 years in Winson Green.

[darren woolley]

Good post MrBrightside i agree with you but the players we have are not bad players they haven't become bad players overnight i think we will be ok and hopefully come back stronger for this next season.

[villasjf]

Not really the time or place for this discussion right now, let's save it till the seasons over, right now we need to get fully behind the manager and players and get out of this mess and then see where we are in the summer and where we go from there.

Exactly Easie lets stay up then talk about it if there was a change after this season ends where would the pressure be, he has spent a fortune and look where we are, staring down a barrell.