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HARRY'S KING OF ENGLAND
HARRY REDKNAPP was overlooked as England manager yet he is happily doing his bit for the nation by providing Fabio Capello with a Plan B at Portsmouth.
By splashing out £11million for Peter Crouch to partner Spurs reject Jermain Defoe, Redknapp is putting together potentially the Premier League's most prolific domestic strike duo.
It’s hardly a new twist in Redknapp’s Pompey regime.
He has re-invigorated David James who, at 37, has re-established himself as England’s No 1.
Then there is Glen Johnson. After 16 first team matches at West Ham, Chelsea bolstered his bank balance but sent him spinning into virtual oblivion.
Now, he’s a regular at Pompey and is the closest thing Micah Richards has to a rival as England’s right back.
Capello could look to Crouch and Defoe as a more viable alternative to any partnership involving Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and even Emile Heskey.
Basket
Providing they are fit, they will start all of Pompey’s matches at home and abroad.
I doubt if either has taken a wage cut, but it is heartening that Portsmouth can lure these players from more illustrious clubs.
But that has more to do with Redknapp than the colour of the Pompey’s money. Players love playing for him because he liberates them.
Take Sol Campbell. Redknapp rescued him from becoming a basket case at Arsenal and forced him back on the England scene.
Next on Redknapp’s buying list is Shaun Wright-Phillips and, trust me, given a few months at Fratton Park another Chelsea reject will be shunting the old England order into the sidings.
Not bad for a manager who is often dismissed by football’s intelligentsia as nothing more than a ‘Del Boy’.
This is the man who exploited the Bosman rule and bolstered an impoverished West Ham with cheap but effective imports like the sublime Paolo Di Canio.
At the same time he championed the club’s famed youth academy to bring through the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick. Not bad, eh?
People have always accused Redknapp of being a bit dodgy, or not having a trophy on his managerial CV.
Well, Redknapp’s Portsmouth won the FA Cup last season and the police have gone all softly softly over allegations of impropriety.
It’s a shame Redknapp didn’t get an England chance but if Capello is to prove he’s the real deal, he could do worse than discover the route from Soho Square to Fratton Park.
Goalie and striker are the two most important positions on the pitch and that's the area where England are desperately weak.
David James, Crouch and Defoe are mediocre by international standards and that's the reason we'll win nothing, not who the manager is.
Posted by: tracey | July 13, 2008 at 01:51 AM | Report this comment
Harry Redknapp has done it for football without all the fanfare of Fergusson and Wenger.The Little Team that Could on the South Coast of England. Redknapp has more in his bag - Everyone Watch out!
Well done Redknapp and Well Done Pompey!!!
Premier League Supporters in S E Asia (Thailand)
Posted by: Tony Restall | July 13, 2008 at 02:03 AM | Report this comment
I think he has only got silverware afetr spendinmg an enormous amoutn of money - far more than wenegr certainly last two years - keegan does more for his players and at half the price - wheres rodders?
Posted by: rob gale | July 13, 2008 at 02:32 AM | Report this comment
The tribal nature of football is bound to bring out the carpers and envious. As an Egg Chaser, through and through I get regaled by my Pompey Lass DIL about the latest news at Pompey. It does not help that I live in Gosport!
However, when all is said and done, Our 'Arry, subsidised by the Owner, may be awakening the sleeping giant.
Back in the Post War era Pompey was one of the larger Footy Clubs. It all went to pot at the turn of the 50's, when, according to my Uncle, who was a dedicated fan, they sold all their first divvy players and bought third divvy replacements. I remember my Uncle complaining that third division players meant third division football...... and he was right!
The consequence is that Pompey has mouldering facilities and a fairly small dedicated fan base. All that is changing, however. We saw a huge turnout for the FA Cup, indicating a massive fan potential and the new training facilities will be on line within a year. Add to that the prospect of the new "Bowl" at Horsea and we have the recipe for a new giant, again.
I might even start chasing a real ball!
Posted by: Old Grumpy | July 13, 2008 at 04:08 AM | Report this comment
harry is not the best ever english manager...he was managing victory at Fratton Park with great difficulty..they were having difficulty winning at home..English managers are not good ....they should change their ways of doing things..winning the FA cup is not enough to become great.
Posted by: Dhanjay Taukoor | July 13, 2008 at 05:13 AM | Report this comment
harry is god, top 4 tis season play up pompey.
Posted by: allen | July 13, 2008 at 06:58 AM | Report this comment
Look, I love Harry Redknapp for many reasons but...
Its simple folks. First I would like to say that Harry aint got nothing to prove in the english game and there is certainly no English manager in comparison with him.
Now being a manager for smaller clubs and bigger clubs or the national team for that matter is two different things altogether, just like it is diffrent playing for a big or small club. That's a fact!
Some players can handle and even excel in the big club surroundings and some crumbles or loose all their confidence. The same goes for managers. So the question should not be is Harry good enough or the best English manager. Its old news to shout his name around the block by now.....
The question should be:
-Will he stand tall or crumble on the big occassion? Is he the English National team Manager that everyone including (Platini) wants?
In the pressure of the expectations that comes with being a big club boss, will Harry Redknapp get it right or will he get it wrong?
Well he has not really been tested until the FA cup final and there his team delivered a quite solid and tactical performance and deserved the win and lift the trophy. He showed to some extent that he can get it right on the big day.
But the true answer lies ahead this season when all eyes are on Pompey and Redknapp and with European competition to add to the fixture board will he get it right?
I hope so but it takes a few more signings and some steady legs because this season you are palying with the big boys. Nothing short of a top 8 finish in the PL, a quarter final in Europe and a new domestic final in one of the cups is good enough and thats being nice. Its easy to say English players and English managers dont get the chance with all the foreign imports well here it is now go out and take it lads....
Posted by: bjorn enqvist | July 13, 2008 at 08:14 AM | Report this comment
Harry is the best English manager at the moment and is doing agreat job with Pompey. The press would wreck him if he got the England job as they do with all England managers after a while. I would sooner remember Harry as an excellent club manager. As for greatest ever English Manager look for the most successful British Manager Bob Paisley.
Posted by: stephen | July 13, 2008 at 09:43 AM | Report this comment
oh my god! a west ham fan championing an ex west ham manager. a manager who had a penchant for paying fortunes for obscure romanians and the like. when arry was at west ham there was a shortage of brown envelopes across the country. a manager who did such a great job of making southampton the force they are today. a manager who (with the help of martin atkinson and a tortune to spend) managed to scrape an fa cup win against lower league opposition. a manager who has all the aura of a used car salesman. c,mon shep, escape the confine of the boleyn ground and join the real world
Posted by: john p | July 13, 2008 at 09:50 AM | Report this comment
Harry Redknapp is not a good manager. His style is akin to a used car salesman. He is part of an old-school managers brigade like Fat Sam. Their greatest skill seems to be the multi-tasking of talking to dodgy agents, checking the Racing Post, placing an order to Staples for more brown envelopes and watching videos of unknown yet personally lucrative potential transfer targets. I'm sure he loves his mum though.
Posted by: Ryan Doran | July 13, 2008 at 10:01 AM | Report this comment
What an absolute load of Bull and an insult to BOBBY ROBSON. Redknapp has won 1 FA cup and is now the greatest manager England has ever produced???????? Robson Won allsorts with Ipswich, PSV, Barcelona etc not to mention a good run at the England job. I could think of a lot better than Harry.
Posted by: Paul | July 13, 2008 at 10:37 AM | Report this comment
rob gale.
Keean spent fortunes at Ncsatle first time arond, so too at Fulham and to a degee Man City
Posted by: shep | July 13, 2008 at 12:00 PM | Report this comment
Tracey,
Take your point about the qality required .....but good management dos have a major effect on internatioal sides .....witness how well the limited talents of Germany and Trkey did in the Euros ..........
Posted by: shep | July 13, 2008 at 12:02 PM | Report this comment
If Pompey get a new stadium soon then you are right Old Grumpy they could become a real force
Posted by: shep | July 13, 2008 at 12:05 PM | Report this comment
He's not the best English manager but he is good.
It was a disgrace that, the Wally with a Brolly got the england job over him when Erikson left. Just shows what muppets run the game in this country.
Posted by: Darren | July 13, 2008 at 12:06 PM | Report this comment
Paul
I fail to see how the piece bears any reflection on Bobby Robson who did a fine job for England.
Posted by: shep | July 13, 2008 at 12:07 PM | Report this comment
Tony Restall
Are there really Pompey fans in Thailand ? !
Posted by: shep | July 13, 2008 at 12:09 PM | Report this comment
Bjorn.
We would only find out if he got a top job
Posted by: shep | July 13, 2008 at 12:11 PM | Report this comment
Alan.
I can'tsee anyone other than the Big Four breaking into the top four.
Posted by: shep | July 13, 2008 at 12:12 PM | Report this comment
Sorry Stephen I wold but Alex Ferguson well above Bob Paisley.
Posted by: shep | July 13, 2008 at 12:14 PM | Report this comment
Hilarious claim. Redknapp has had quite a bit of money to spend at Pompey and has done a job that reflects the sums of money he's been able to spend (not English, but Hughes and Moyes have done better jobs in the league with less cash)
And Glen Johnson is the only rival to Richards for England? Gary Neville, Wes Brown?!
Anyone claiming he's better than Cloughie, or at least twenty other English managers off the top of my head, is a fool.
Posted by: Dan | July 13, 2008 at 12:16 PM | Report this comment
John,
Agree Harry did by some duffers .....Boogers, Radiciou etc ..........but also great buys at the same time ....Bilic di Canio.
Even Fergie has bought big and badly .....Veron, Forlan, Djemba Djemba .....
Wenger too ...Jeffers, Wright.....
If you asked Fergie or Wenger about Redknapp they would rate him right up there ....I know because they have both told me.....it has nothing to do with "Boleyn bias."
Posted by: shep | July 13, 2008 at 12:19 PM | Report this comment
Ryan,
And uber modern scientoligist managers in the Steve McClaren mould are all great then ?
Posted by: shep | July 13, 2008 at 12:22 PM | Report this comment
brian clough.....biggest mistake the FA ever made
Posted by: ridic shrew | July 13, 2008 at 01:27 PM | Report this comment
What a stupid question,
He isn't one 20th the manager of the greatest english manager.
BOB PAISLEY - Enough said
Posted by: Richard | July 13, 2008 at 02:00 PM | Report this comment