A PLEA to Harry Redknapp
Football FanCast guest columnist David Hilton wants Harry Redknapp to stop all this top four talk.
I don’t think there was a press conference that passed last season where Harry Redknapp failed to tell those gathered of the plight the club was in when he took over. ‘2pts from 8 games’ was the famous quotation and why he had every right to boast of his achievements, as it was one hell of a turnaround, after a while it did start to grate and have little relevance with every passing week. This season however has gone full circle and where last year he was highlighting the achievements of the football club, he is now putting an unprecedented amount of pressure on himself and the team to perform.
The buzz word from Harry is that Tottenham have the quality and potential to be a top four side this season. I ask what the logic of making such statements are and who he is attempting to kid by saying them, because I believe it is only him and a handful of players who actually believe it is possible. I don’t know many supporters who are in agreement with Harry, or believe that this current squad is capable of it; therefore we are equally baffled to hear this continual theme in the press whenever he speaks. Why is Redknapp putting himself and the team on such a pedestal to achieve this season, I mean, shouldn’t he be playing down expectations?
I’m surprised with Harry if I’m honest and felt he has been around the game long enough to know it doesn’t benefit to put pressure on your players. The reason we were so successful, when he arrived last season was partly down that the players had nothing to lose and they could go out there with freedom to express, especially in the second half of last season. This year early results raised expectations among neutrals, but surely Redknapp would have been wise to dispel the pressure and the hype that was being showered on us by the media, instead of jumping on their bandwagon?
It has left me all bemused quite frankly and even if we had a top four squad (which I don’t think we have), the last thing you do is put pressure and expectation on the players. I think the performance against Arsenal was a classic example of a rabbit caught in the headlights and a week of top four talk, by the likes of Keane, King Crouch and Harry himself, took its toll on the players as they just didn’t turn up. Even after the defeat, Redknapp continued his belief that we can break into the top four. I don’t know why Harry doesn’t let it go, I mean the last thing supporters expected this season was us to be in the Champions League come May and why it would be a dream come true, realistically we are about 12months short, before we are in a position to mount a serious challenge.
So my message to Harry is to stop all this top four talk, take the expectation away from the players and allow them to relax. With every given interview you seem to be putting us more and more on a pedestal and one which the media will be happy to kick down and pour scorn on us, with every given defeat. As far as us supporters go we are not expecting anything, after the last two seasons, so don’t feel like you have to impress us with your ambitions. We know what the big picture is and what you want to achieve, but we also know that these things don’t happen overnight and believe me we are prepared to wait.
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maybe he thinks that the players need to believe in themselves a bit more. and by telling them they have the quality to mount a challenge for a top 4 place, then maybe they’ll play with a bit more confidence. or do you think constantly telling them they ain’t good enough is the way you get the best out of a player? just a thought.
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chill winston. Have faith, were as good as any as the top four on our day. Were better then liverpool now on any given day.
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I Disagree, the players had everything to loose if they ended up in the championship last season and if we don’t set the bar high we will just fade into mid table week in week out been there done that football. Have faith, halloween has come and gone. Come on ye Spurs!
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If Harry cant say it i will we will be back and when my Campain to stop energy chetas starts to work and the delayed new testing laws come in to play we will be back were we belong and chelsea and arsoles will be were thy belong ones to young and false the others two old and false . there i have said it for Harry its not is tactics but what is being used before and at half time thats causing shocking results like Stoke 1 spurs 0 stoke 2 wolves 2 the outstanding Goaly leaked four to pompy so much for is manager saying he has earned is place he got dropped is replacment leaked two oh well they do have a great defnce dont they and dident arsenal get beat by city 4-0 and dident city lose a two goal lead to a tired fulham .So yes HARRY SHOULD SHOUT ABOUT OUR TOP FOUR .It could be Arsenal getting beat bt wigan or blacburn or fulham because with the right stuff any team can win and does.stop cheats and leave Harry to crow .
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I agree totally. All you can do on matchday is win the game – that’s it. Talking about where you’re going to finish in the league is totally counter-productive in my opinion.
For years, journalists tried to pin down managers and players about what they thought they were going to achieve and were constantly sidestepped with a dull but effective ‘we’re justing taking it one game at a time’.
Even after all his success, Gary Neville still trots this one out – and with good reason.
We’re getting ahead of ourselves. All Harry and the players should be thinking about right now is ‘how do we go about beating Sunderland?’ – that’s it. Forget aspirations and hopes and dreams. When you concentrate on winning matches (one at a time), trophies and league placings take care of themselves.
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Agree and disagree. Yes, stop the top four talk – but STILL aim for it. Everton acheived it not so long ago – with not a strong squad. A quarter of season gone, and we have only dropped off 4th place – due to a bad run. I am not a dreamer, we just need to get back to what we were doing at start of season. We do have a good enough squad – Defoe, Lennon, Modric will come back, and it will happen. Liverpool will lose more, a space is up for grabs – Arsenal starting to motor away, and Utd and Chelsea too good. Seriously guys, you need to learn to ignore what Redknapp says. Most of it is tripe. Remember when he was asked on camera if we were signing Cudicini? He said that there was nothing in it – 2 days later he was at Spurs. I am not saying he lies, he just says the first thing in his head.
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We will finish no higher than 6th, anyone who believes otherwise is a total div. We have shown against the 3 teams sitting above us that we cannot compete with them for 90 minutes….let alone a whole season. Lets just be happy that we are no longer relegation candidates. Stop this top 4 b0llocks once and for all and just enjoy the season. Robbie Keane can f*ck off to Celtic too, how that prat can shout his mouth off about Arsenal after the performances he continues to put in week-in week-out is pathetic, concentrate on your own game Captain (!) as you are nowhere near as good as you obviously think you are! MUG
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What a rubbish article! Harry is right to put pressure on the players, they are professionals after all not school kids! A little bit of belief can go a long way! If you dont think you can win the league whats the point in turning up! complete belief! go for it! on our day we can beat anyone, we just need to have a few more special days and we will never have that unless we have complete belief!
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