Tag Archives: Redknapp

Redknapp reveals City snub

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Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has effectively ruled Manchester City out of the Premier League title race this season (City 13/2 – 2010/11 Premier League Outright).

The Spurs chief saw his side held to a goalless draw at White Hart Lane by the Blues in the first game of the campaign and he is not convinced they have enough about them to finish above Manchester United (9/4) or reigning champions Chelsea (6/4f).

City’s mega investment since the takeover of the Abu Dhabi United Group has seen them lavish money on their squad with big-name players like Robinho, Emmanuel Adebayor, Shay Given, Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry just some of the arrivals under Mark Hughes and Roberto Mancini.

But, according to Redknapp, it is not enough for City to be classed as credible title candidates at this moment in time.

“I wouldn’t tip City from what I’ve seen,” said Redknapp. “I wouldn’t say they’ll win the championship.They have a long way to go. Chelsea are a team, Man United are a team.

“They are fantastic teams with people who have been there, done it all and won everything, Champions League winners.

“So I wouldn’t see City finishing above them.”

Spurs’ season continues with a trip to Switzerland for the first leg of the Champions League play-off round against Young Boys on Tuesday night.

Redknapp has been quiet during the summer transfer window in terms of signing players as he looks to get into the Champions League before adding to his squad.

If successful, Spurs will be able to be more ambitious with their targets although they have again been told not to bother bidding for West Ham captain Scott Parker.

Hammers co-owner David Sullivan told the Daily Mail: “I made a promise that I will not sell Scott and I will not, for any amount of money, break that promise to West Ham supporters.

“This is a new era. We are building a bigger, better West Ham and when we make a promise, we honour it.”

The Hammers entertain Bolton on Saturday looking to bounce back from their opening-day mauling at managerless Aston Villa (West Ham 1/7 – To Stay Up).

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Redknapp considers City raid

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Tottenham Hotspur (3/1 to finish in the top four) boss Harry Redknapp could look to Manchester City in a bid to add to fresh faces to his squad ahead of the Premier League season.

Spurs could have a busy campaign if the club manage to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League and a big and competitive squad will be key to his team’s chances of success this term.

Redknapp has had attempts to sign West Ham United captain Scott Parker and former Chelsea playmaker Joe Cole fail in this transfer window.

The former Hammers manager believes that he could pick up a couple of good players from City this summer.

The Eastlands club continue to be the big spenders in the Premier League as they push for Champions League qualification themselves having been beaten to fourth spot in the top flight by Spurs last season.

With a growing squad the Blues (9/2 to win the Premier League) will be looking to offload player no longer required at the Manchester club and Redknapp will be looking to capitalise on this.

He said in The People: “One or two walk through the door and it gives everybody a lift. I hoped Joe Cole would have done that if he’d come here but I think there are one or two out there who would do the same – maybe from Manchester City.

“I reckon there’s two or three players out there where you don’t have to spend any real money on. I think there will be a lot of loans about, because teams are going to loan people out just to get them off the wage bill.

“City look like they might have to do that with one or two because they’ve got a big squad so it will be interesting,” he added.

Stephen Ireland could be one of those player who will be service to requirements at Eastland but Redknapp believes that players valuation of around £11m is too much for Spurs to spend on that kind of player.

The manager at White Hart Lane is dealing with problems in the club’s defensive personnel with Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate both dealing with long term injury issues.

He said: “At the moment Jonathan Woodgate is struggling, Ledley’s come back but his knee’s not great, so we’ve got to be careful.”

Spurs will begin their Premier League campaign against City at White Hart Lane on August 14 in one of the big matches from the opening day of the season.

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Redknapp in for the long-term

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Harry Redknapp has agreed a new contract to keep him at Tottenham (33/1 – Premier League Outright) until 2013 and then revealed that he could stay at White Hart Lane for ‘many more years’ beyond that.

The 63-year-old was about to enter the final year of his contract with the north Londoners, but the club moved swiftly to exercise the option to keep him for a further two seasons following a fantastic campaign in which he guided them to fourth spot and a place in the Champions League.

However, Redknapp feels he could continue working beyond 2013 and would like to emulate the achievements of top managers such as Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and England coach Fabio Capello, who are still working in their sixties.

He said: “You never know what is around the corner and, while I have the energy, I think I will carry on for as long as I can. I feel as though I have a good few years left me in yet.

“When you see how long [the 68-year-old] Sir Alex Ferguson has lasted, and then look around at some of the guys of the older generation that keep on going like Fabio Capello, Arsene Wenger and Roy Hodgson you think ‘I could do the same’.”

Meanwhile, Redknapp is now focused on the new campaign which Tottenham start with a home game against last term’s top-four rivals Manchester City at White Hart Lane (Spurs 5/4, City 7/4, draw 23/10 – 90 Minutes). And he is hoping to have Joe Cole in his starting XI following the players’ departure from Chelsea at the end of last season.

“I managed Joe before, and I signed him when he was 11,” added Redknapp.

“We have always had a good relationship. I know what makes Joe tick and it’s his love of the game and his need to be playing it. That is what I am offering him.

“I would like Joe here with me but it is now up to the club and up to Joe, his agent and his dad and our chairman. He is talking to them to try to do a deal. If it is beyond us in financial terms I can appreciate that but I am hoping other factors will come into play to make up Joe’s mind.”

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Redknapp keen on England post

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Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has indicated he may be interested in the England job – should current boss Fabio Capello leave the post. (Tottenham 50/1 to win Premiership)

Capello’s position has come under scrutiny following a disastrous World Cup campaign, which culminated in a last-16 exit at the hands of Germany on Sunday afternoon.

Many pundits had tipped England to go all the way this time but they showed a lack of ambition and drive and looked devoid of ideas in the final third of the pitch in Bloemfontein.

Despite the Germany defeat, Capello insists he “absolutely” wants to stay on as manager but the FA have said they will take up to two weeks to decide his fate.

Redknapp has been one of the most successful English managers of the last 15 years, enjoying spells at West Ham United, Portsmouth and Southampton, before making the switch to White Hart Lane in 2008 and would certainly be on the shortlist of candidates to replace Capello, should he leave.

The 63-year-old appears to have the Midas touch and transformed Spurs from a side fighting relegation to a Champions League outfit in under two years.

And now there have been calls for the popular tactician to be handed the England reigns, with many feeling it is high time an Englishman was in charge of the national side once again.

It is yet to be revealed whether Capello will be sent packing but Redknapp has made it clear that, if asked, he would not turn down one of the most prestigious and high-pressure jobs in the whole of sport.

“They (the FA) have got a manager and until he’s not the manager it’s difficult to talk about it,” he told Talksport. “But I’m English, who wouldn’t want to manage England.”

“There’s not an Englishman – whether it’s me, Roy Hodgson or Sam Allardyce – who would turn the job down because it’s our country and we want to manage our country. No-one is ever going to turn that job down.”

The Spurs boss is currently preparing for the new Premiership season, which kicks off for Tottenham in August with a fixture against Manchester City (Spurs 5/4 to beat City), but his thoughts are never far away from the national side and he has strong views on the type of person who should success Capello – whenever that might be.

“When he finally moves on, in four years or whatever, surely there has to be a young guy or somebody in this country,” he added. “Surely we have to find a manager from England, an English manager.”

And Redknapp took time to have a dig at the two foreigners who have failed spectacularly at the two past World Cups.

“We should be able to produce someone who can manage the England football team and let’s be honest, they can’t do any worse than what they’ve (Eriksson and Capello) done,” he concluded.

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