Redknapp - time to re-evaluate?

[Beckster Von Doodle]

I was and have been critical of Redknapp for his performance as Southampton Manager, especailly his public critcism of his players. However, I have re-evaluated based on the information that has come out since he left.

 

First there was the newspaper interview in which Simon Clifford stated that Lowe wanted SCW to take over as Manager when we got relegated but then Woodward got cold feet and said he'd like to observe and learn before taking the role. To me this is credible. It explains Redknapp's comment at the time about being surprised he wasn't sacked. It explains Redknapp's comments during his Saints tenure that he was only keeping the seat warm for someone else.

 

Second, the lack of adequate transfer funds during the first season in the Championship.

 

Third, are the comments by Dave Bassett about RL always trying to get Redknapp to play the youngsters, which he always resisted (except against Mansfield to disastrous effect, presumably to make a point)

 

In the light of this information and seeing what Redknapp has been able to achieve elsewhere with a few bob I can see why Redknapp appeared so de-motivated and how we may have missed our best opportunity of getting promoted.

 

Here we go again!!

 

Redknapp only had a contract until the end of the season in the PL to be re-evaluated then.

 

I have never seen the interview with Clifford so can not comment, but why would Clifford be privvy to such information when he had nothing to do with the first team and secondly was only here for a short period?

 

If Lowe did ask Harry to play the youngsters then I am sure he did not mean en mass! This is typical of Redknapp never accepts he is wrong at anything and will not listen to new ideas proved by his comments regarding SCW and Lowe. Had he of drip fed the better players into the side or used them as impact players rather than just put out a side full of them with no preparation (Like Mansfield) then maybe we would have had a better chance to develop them with decent senior pros around them.

 

As for no money he madea bid of £1.8m for Morrison which was turned down, and Lowe has said himself that money is available, and Harry said that he wanted the right player at the right price etc. He was also given significant funding the year we were relegated, bringing in Redknapp, Bernard, Quashie, Davenport and Camara so I estimate around £5m plus wages.

 

So Harry had the means but did not have the motivation. He talked our players down every week to the media and looked totally disinterested by February.

 

For that alone I condemn the guy for what he did to us. As far as everything else goes, he has left clubs potless when he has gone, Bournemouth, West Ham, and now Portsmouth, I owuld not be surprised if the police eventually find something to nail him with as there were huge rumours about his departure from West Ham.

 

He has been very lucky at Spurs just by telling players that they are good!! Why could he not do it here?

 

I don't like him but wish him no ill.

[Beckster Von Doodle]

Henri Camera was absolute quality the rest were absolute sheite though

 

When he could be @rsed!!!

[Mr X]

When he could be @rsed!!!

 

he had his bad games but tbf he was our leading scorer in our doomed season

[St Landrew]

I've no doubt Harry is a good manager, and proves it with every club, except Saints, of course. But he is also a self promoter, and his hands were dirty when it came to relegation at SFC. He may not have been completely responsible, maybe not even partially, but he was there, and allowed it to happen. While Harry went back to his spiritual home, [that's a bloody laugh for a start], and everything was nice and dandy, SFC was left to rot, and we've never been the same since. I find that dismissive attitude quite disgusting, and now Saints have more chance of diving further than surfacing.

Edited 12 November, 2008 by St Landrew

[L1Minus10]

He took the job to stick 2 fingers up at Mandaric. Lowe gave him the job to stick 2 fingers up at Mandaric. If Lowe had even half a brain cell, he would have realised that employing Harry and giving him a **** squad and no money to deal with was a complete waste of time and yes, Harry should never have taken the job.

 

Yes he's a wide boy and yes he's probably done a lot he won't be too proud of when the day of reckoning comes but he's proved himself a very good manager when the conditions are right. If he'd been given the Burley money and been motivated then d'you think we'd be 20th in the CCC now...?

 

LOWE OUT!

[ericofarabia]

The C**T took the job of Saints manager on without thinking it through (apparently to get back at Mandaric) He has since confessed that his heart wasn't in it from the start. Oh well thats ok Harry, never mind...BOLLIX the bloke is a grade 'A' C**T for the disrespect he showed this club, and the complete disregard he had for its fans.

 

If I remember correctly (his first words as a SFC manager were along the lines 'of f*cck knows how I'm going to keep this bunch of c+nts up, I need 5 loans at least ..!

 

Meanwhile Bryan Robson who had just started at relegation doomed WBA was praisung his squad ... guess who stayed up Man mis mismagement to the fore . thanks Harry you c+nt.

 

League Cup at Mansfield (?) so many LC f*ck ups in recent times hard to distinguish ;-)) ... sends out our youth team plus an out of form and low in cofidence Rory Delap as Captain .. we lose ... ****flaps uses this as his excuse for not blooding theo/Dex etc as proof and says they aren't any good. The fact they played to his instructions and tactics is never mentioned. This was the day I realised he was a prize 1 c_nt.

 

FA Cup V Man U ... our moral low but just imagine what a good performance against Man U would do .. oh no lets send the reserve team out to get thrashed and SFC are in the Sh1te again,

 

Last day win V Man U ...leave SKP out ... we lose and are down.

 

Don't give me Redkrap is great. The truth is he just didn't give a feck whilst he was here, point scoring and self justifaction were No 1 whilst here .. and now is benifitting from inhereting one of the most expensively asmbled squads in the league. I could have done the same with that squad .. change at the top was what was needed ... sound familiar.

Last day win V Man U essential ... most important day in our history ... leave SKP on Bench.... the rest is history.

[Beckster Von Doodle]

he had his bad games but tbf he was our leading scorer in our doomed season

 

More damning about the other forwards. How many did Crouch get?

 

The problem was defensively IMO which initiated in an unfit and demotivated midfield.

[SW11_Saint]

I was and have been critical of Redknapp for his performance as Southampton Manager, especailly his public critcism of his players. However, I have re-evaluated based on the information that has come out since he left.

 

First there was the newspaper interview in which Simon Clifford stated that Lowe wanted SCW to take over as Manager when we got relegated but then Woodward got cold feet and said he'd like to observe and learn before taking the role. To me this is credible. It explains Redknapp's comment at the time about being surprised he wasn't sacked. It explains Redknapp's comments during his Saints tenure that he was only keeping the seat warm for someone else.

 

Second, the lack of adequate transfer funds during the first season in the Championship.

 

Third, are the comments by Dave Bassett about RL always trying to get Redknapp to play the youngsters, which he always resisted (except against Mansfield to disastrous effect, presumably to make a point)

 

In the light of this information and seeing what Redknapp has been able to achieve elsewhere with a few bob I can see why Redknapp appeared so de-motivated and how we may have missed our best opportunity of getting promoted.

I can imagine most of this being true. I've always thought Redknapp was a decent manager and so he had proved (before and after his stint with us). Our setup and Mr. Lowe's, ahem, 'experiments', make it almost impossible for managers to do well here.

[Saint_clark]

I have always admired Harry, I was chuffed when he got appointed at St Mary's and wasdisappointed that he left us....failed to save us etc and I always thought there were behind the scenes problems.

 

Most on here appear to hate him, people say he takes bungs, needs money to manage etc etc

 

I wondered whether any on here had changed their minds and acquired some grudging respect for the man....since his 10 points in his first 4 games as manager of Spurs. I can't believe the changes he has made at Spurs....their goalie makes saves, Bent can score goals

 

 

Well?

 

Most managers could keep Spurs up, they have a very good side. For some reason (we obviously don't have all the info) they didn't want to play for Ramos.

[Long Shot]

Here we go again!!

 

Redknapp only had a contract until the end of the season in the PL to be re-evaluated then.

 

I have never seen the interview with Clifford so can not comment, but why would Clifford be privvy to such information when he had nothing to do with the first team and secondly was only here for a short period?

 

If Lowe did ask Harry to play the youngsters then I am sure he did not mean en mass! This is typical of Redknapp never accepts he is wrong at anything and will not listen to new ideas proved by his comments regarding SCW and Lowe. Had he of drip fed the better players into the side or used them as impact players rather than just put out a side full of them with no preparation (Like Mansfield) then maybe we would have had a better chance to develop them with decent senior pros around them.

 

As for no money he madea bid of £1.8m for Morrison which was turned down, and Lowe has said himself that money is available, and Harry said that he wanted the right player at the right price etc. He was also given significant funding the year we were relegated, bringing in Redknapp, Bernard, Quashie, Davenport and Camara so I estimate around £5m plus wages.

 

So Harry had the means but did not have the motivation. He talked our players down every week to the media and looked totally disinterested by February.

 

For that alone I condemn the guy for what he did to us. As far as everything else goes, he has left clubs potless when he has gone, Bournemouth, West Ham, and now Portsmouth, I owuld not be surprised if the police eventually find something to nail him with as there were huge rumours about his departure from West Ham.

 

He has been very lucky at Spurs just by telling players that they are good!! Why could he not do it here?

 

I don't like him but wish him no ill.

 

 

Sorry this is a blinkered opinion. Had Lowe treated Redknapp with just a modicum of respect then we might, just might have flourished. As it was with Lowe's antipathy to Redknapp (don't forget he had already interviewed him for the job once before when Gray ultimately got the nod) and his inbred dislike of "****ney geezers" it was never ever gonna work and HR realised that within 48 hours of arriving. You can spout your 1.8m for Morrison argument until you are blue in your proverbial but the fact remains. The sooner your type of Lowe apologists get real the sooner this club will start to climb of its knees.

 

Oh and what was the score again tonight?

[Windmill Arm 2]

Sorry this is a blinkered opinion. Had Lowe treated Redknapp with just a modicum of respect then we might, just might have flourished. As it was with Lowe's antipathy to Redknapp (don't forget he had already interviewed him for the job once before when Gray ultimately got the nod) and his inbred dislike of "****ney geezers" it was never ever gonna work and HR realised that within 48 hours of arriving. You can spout your 1.8m for Morrison argument until you are blue in your proverbial but the fact remains. The sooner your type of Lowe apologists get real the sooner this club will start to climb of its knees.

 

Oh and what was the score again tonight?

 

You are forgetting one major factor....allow me to spelt it out for you H-A-R-R-Y R-E-D-K-N-A-P-P D-I-D-N-T W-A-N-T T-O B-E H-E-R-E F-R-O-M T-H-E M-O-M-E-N-T H-E A-G-R-E-E-D T-O S-I-G-N

 

 

You can go on about Lowes part in all this, but the underlying fact is, that saggy faced ***t took us on with absolutley no intention of doing a good job, subsequently we were relegated, He simply has to take a large slice of the blame. He has treated every Saints fan like a fool.

[Leslie Charteris]

It is a measure of Lowe's judgement that he even offered the job to Redknapp and the way he managed here is a measure of Redknapp's true character.

 

I am not impressed by either.

[pfc123]

I hope the c**t dies a slow painful death.

 

Apart from that, nice chap.

 

I think you might be taking this football lark a bit too seriously mate. :confused:

 

Once again the bottom line is that you only hate him because:

 

a) He got us up into the Premiership

b) He took you down

c) He came back to us

d) He kept us up

 

and

 

e) We went on to win the cup under him.

 

Actually, that IS quite a few reasons to hate him, but to wish painful death upon him is seriously warped.......

[AndyNorthernSaints]

If I remember correctly (his first words as a SFC manager were along the lines 'of f*cck knows how I'm going to keep this bunch of c+nts up, I need 5 loans at least ..!

 

Meanwhile Bryan Robson who had just started at relegation doomed WBA was praisung his squad ... guess who stayed up Man mis mismagement to the fore . thanks Harry you c+nt.

 

League Cup at Mansfield (?) so many LC f*ck ups in recent times hard to distinguish ;-)) ... sends out our youth team plus an out of form and low in cofidence Rory Delap as Captain .. we lose ... ****flaps uses this as his excuse for not blooding theo/Dex etc as proof and says they aren't any good. The fact they played to his instructions and tactics is never mentioned. This was the day I realised he was a prize 1 c_nt.

 

FA Cup V Man U ... our moral low but just imagine what a good performance against Man U would do .. oh no lets send the reserve team out to get thrashed and SFC are in the Sh1te again,

 

Last day win V Man U ...leave SKP out ... we lose and are down.

 

Don't give me Redkrap is great. The truth is he just didn't give a feck whilst he was here, point scoring and self justifaction were No 1 whilst here .. and now is benifitting from inhereting one of the most expensively asmbled squads in the league. I could have done the same with that squad .. change at the top was what was needed ... sound familiar.

Last day win V Man U essential ... most important day in our history ... leave SKP on Bench.... the rest is history.

Spot on Eric.

Please can you make a few more trips over like you did at Derby so we can stay up please.

[NickG]

I couldn't stand the self promoting **** when he was at WHU.

 

Loved it when Lowe turned him down when he came asking for a job and Lowe said WHU had the 3rd (I think) largest wage bills and only just escaped relegation - all seems a long time ago now!

[Thedelldays]

I couldn't stand the self promoting **** when he was at WHU.

 

Loved it when Lowe turned him down when he came asking for a job and Lowe said WHU had the 3rd (I think) largest wage bills and only just escaped relegation - all seems a long time ago now!

how ironic all this is...we are even worse and on the verge of going down to the 3rd level of football...

[sfc6mufc3]

For as long as I can remember we have been a premiership club, one man has ruined that for me - REDKNAPP.

He bought in players that did not perform or care and cost us alot of money.

 

He then was all smiles and joy as he crawled down the road, where he has a little bit of success.

 

The only light for me is that they have now appointed somebody who is clueless and they (hopefully) will go down. They are turning into a bit of a circus (quite apt with a clown in goal).

 

As for Redknapp, used to like him prior to coming to Saints and thought with time he would be good - it seems 'double agent Harry' had other plans all along.

[austsaint]

Henri Camara

Calum Davenport

Olivier Barnard

Nigel Quashie

Jamie Redknapp

 

possiblly the worst set of players SFC has ever signed

 

reason enought to hate him - let alone for his complete lack of commitment to the job at SFC - and his greed in taking the job and the money - even when he got us relegated

 

You might be right about Davenport - but to call Camara a poor player is plainly wrong...he played some great football while with SFC. I think there's been a lot of over-the-top bile and hatred directed at Redknapp; I understand why. But the fact that he is a good Manage is beyond dispute in my view.

[solentstars]

i got no problems with harry,we got relegated because we had a steve wigley reserve team coach has manager .

[Papa Shango]

Henri Camara

Calum Davenport

Olivier Barnard

Nigel Quashie

Jamie Redknapp

 

possiblly the worst set of players SFC has ever signed

 

reason enought to hate him - let alone for his complete lack of commitment to the job at SFC - and his greed in taking the job and the money - even when he got us relegated

 

What? Camara was awesome for us. Quashie was great too, one of the few players who looked like they gave a **** in our relegation season. Jamie wasn't bad at all either.

[oldskoolsi]

From reading this thread it seems Harry joined Saints on te rebound but why did we want him. Obviously he had a pretty good track record but Lowe must have known they would'nt get on. I awful memory for these things, were Saints fans pushing to get Harry as our manager?

[aintforever]

Obviously a good manager given the right resources, he clearly wasn't motivated though so has to go down as another bad managerial decision by Lowe.

 

Renewing his contract after relegation was a disaster, how Lowe and his Motivational genius friend Woodward didn't spot his lack of enthusiasm I do not know.

[gordonToo]

Renewing his contract after relegation was a disaster, how Lowe and his Motivational genius friend Woodward didn't spot his lack of enthusiasm I do not know.

 

I think his contract was only renewed when SCW decided he wanted a watching brief for a year before taking up the reins himself. It's not really surprising then that 'Arry showed a certain lack of enthusiam for the job and was ready to leave at the first reasonable offer. Maybe he should have refused the contract and left SCW to walk the talk as at least then the experiment would have been dead and buried long ago.

[ART]

Harry was and still is a great manager but we mustn't forget that the C u n t came to Saints on a mission, paid and backed up by Milan Mandarec. Mandarec was prepared to got to all extremes to destroy Lowe and consequently Saints. He also needed Redknapp out of the way to cover up all their seedy dealings. As long as Harry remained at Pompey Milan himself was in great danger of being caught red handed. The events following Strachan's departure gave them the very opportunity they previously could never have dreamed would arrive on a plate for them.

 

He and Harry knew at any time Harry'd be prepared to drop Saints and return to Pompey when things had died down.(at least that's what they wrongly guessed).

Saints relegation is and always was Milan and Harry's doing. They needed Saints out of the Premiership and were prepared to do anything to ensure Pompey became the top team in the south. Alas, they hadn't reckoned on Reading very nearly pulling one over their plans. When things got tough the tough old Milan got going and left Harry at Skateville to look after the shop whilst he went off and took over Leicester. But for all the squabbling in the Boardroom we might of ended up with Milan taking over Saints.

 

Keeping Saints up for Harry would have been a piece of cake but the way events turned out we all know he ensured we didn't. Lowe insisting on Harry playing the youngsters and he did do so the following season in the Cup matches just to prove they weren't up for it. Nowadays Harry's taking credit for discovering and blooding the likes of Walcott and Bale and Kenwyne Jones.

[gordonToo]

They needed Saints out of the Premiership and were prepared to do anything to ensure Pompey became the top team in the south.

 

Oh, I see. All those last minute goals were a result of 'Arry's direct instructions. Hadn't thought of that one before.

[yorkiesaint]

I think that apart from long shot you're all wide of the mark here. Harry didn't want to be here because of Lowe, not because he had something against saints or any other reason. I think if Lowe had treated him at all sensibly he would have done a good job for us as he has everywhere else he's gone.

[Wes Tender]

I cant stand the man and i can stand the fact that whenever his C.V. is rolled out his efforts with us are always missing. Why is he held in create esteem? Yes he get results with money but did the wheeling and dealing benefit his various clubs or the man himself. Lets face he is not an honourable man and doesn't have an ethical bone in his body. Turning up to collect to collect his freedom of the city says it all really.

 

I feel some empathy with what you say here. It is amazing isn't it that his abject failure here, getting a team of 27 years Premiership stature relegated, somehow is never mentioned, when it is still comparatively recent history as far as his CV is concerned. One wonders why it does not occur to the TV journalists when they marvel at the almost miraculous feats of turning failing clubs around how he never managed to replicate it with Saints.

 

OK, so his heart wasn't in it. But then he should be held to account for a total lack of professionalism. He was paid good money whilst here and therefore ought to refund his pay. But as you rightly say, he doesn't have an ethical bone in his body, or he wouldn't have had the bare faced affrontery to have accepted the Freedom of the City awarded to him by Portsmouth when it was known that he had deserted that particular ship too.

 

But Lowe and Redknapp was never going to work either. I suspect that Harry expected to be in the frame when he parted with West Ham and must have felt snubbed not to have been interviewed then, but whether he would have been a success then before he even went to the skates is a matter for conjecture. I don't think that the chemistry between him and Lowe would ever work, which from my point of view is as much Lowe's fault as Harry's.

[Andy_Porter]

he had his bad games but tbf he was our leading scorer in our doomed season

 

No he wasn't. Peter Crouch scored loads more, Camara only got a handfull.

[broncoboy]

I've no doubt Harry is a good manager, and proves it with every club, except Saints, of course. But he is also a self promoter, and his hands were dirty when it came to relegation at SFC. He may not have been completely responsible, maybe not even partially, but he was there, and allowed it to happen. While Harry went back to his spiritual home, [that's a bloody laugh for a start], and everything was nice and dandy, SFC was left to rot, and we've never been the same since. I find that dismissive attitude quite disgusting, and now Saints have more chance of diving further than surfacing.

 

 

YOu are right he is always the victim. Like the ****e about Pompey getting 5m for him like he negotiated that. It was just the contract that he had signed so recently that the had to buy him out of.

 

The media love him because he is great for a quote and such "a loveable ****ney geezer"

Hopefully he will get nailed over a fraud.

 

He is one of my car crash passengers that is the game where you nominate people you would liek ot be in a fatal car crash. Love able 'Arry no just a **** appointed by another ****

[AndyNorthernSaints]

Oh, I see. All those last minute goals were a result of 'Arry's direct instructions. Hadn't thought of that one before.

Harry picked a defence containing Davenport, Bernard, Delap and Jakcobsen. I'd say he was responsible for a crap defense not able to defend leads.