IS IT JUST ME ? - PART 2..
It`s almost as if the most important things going on in the world today relate to Harry Redknapp`s acquittal on charges of tax evasion, Fabio Capello`s resignation as England football manager, whether John Terry will ever play for England again and whether Redknapp or some other manager will succeed Capello and lead the England team into a glorious future.
And amid all the sound and fury that seems to be catapulting Redknapp into the poisoned chalice of FA headquarters a few things are perhaps being overlooked. For example, there were doubts about the way he took over from Billy Bonds as West Ham manager, an episode that caused a distant relationship with West Ham legend Trevor Brooking who is now, as Sir Trevor, the FA`s Director of Football Development. A role reversal with interesting possibilities. After seven years at West Ham, Redknapp fell out with his Chairman who was uneasy about Redknapp`s personal involvement in the 134 transfers that took place during that period.
In his management of other clubs it seems pretty clear that his stewardship of Bournemouth led them to the brink of financial meltdown; when he left Portsmouth they were also in dire financial straits, from which they have never recovered; his short time at Southampton led them to relegation and it is only at Tottenham, where money seems to grow on trees, that any real success has begun to materialise. But even at Tottenham scarcely a day goes by without a report of the club being `interested` in yet another player and the merry-go-round of Redknapp inspired transfers never seems to stop. Except when he was at Southampton, where despite the prospect of relegation turning into reality, the chairman at the time would have none of it.
Now, something that emerged from yesterday`s courtroom acquittal was the business of Mr. Redknapp having a contract at Portsmouth by which he pocketed a percentage of the `added value` of players being sold on at a profit and this makes me wonder whether the England job, where no transfer dealings take place, is as attractive to `Arry as his other jobs have been.
But in the end, it comes down to what the FA expect of the England manager. Winning games is important, but so too is the way the manager represents not just the Football Association but also the country. And my Corinthian mind suggests that we might do a little better than someone with a checkered history and modest success who confesses on oath to be the most disorganised person in the world, can`t write, can`t spell, doesn`t know what an e-mail is and can`t work a computer.
Is it just me, or does anyone else hope the Football Association, admirably led by the urbane David Bernstein, will look elsewhere?
And amid all the sound and fury that seems to be catapulting Redknapp into the poisoned chalice of FA headquarters a few things are perhaps being overlooked. For example, there were doubts about the way he took over from Billy Bonds as West Ham manager, an episode that caused a distant relationship with West Ham legend Trevor Brooking who is now, as Sir Trevor, the FA`s Director of Football Development. A role reversal with interesting possibilities. After seven years at West Ham, Redknapp fell out with his Chairman who was uneasy about Redknapp`s personal involvement in the 134 transfers that took place during that period.
In his management of other clubs it seems pretty clear that his stewardship of Bournemouth led them to the brink of financial meltdown; when he left Portsmouth they were also in dire financial straits, from which they have never recovered; his short time at Southampton led them to relegation and it is only at Tottenham, where money seems to grow on trees, that any real success has begun to materialise. But even at Tottenham scarcely a day goes by without a report of the club being `interested` in yet another player and the merry-go-round of Redknapp inspired transfers never seems to stop. Except when he was at Southampton, where despite the prospect of relegation turning into reality, the chairman at the time would have none of it.
Now, something that emerged from yesterday`s courtroom acquittal was the business of Mr. Redknapp having a contract at Portsmouth by which he pocketed a percentage of the `added value` of players being sold on at a profit and this makes me wonder whether the England job, where no transfer dealings take place, is as attractive to `Arry as his other jobs have been.
But in the end, it comes down to what the FA expect of the England manager. Winning games is important, but so too is the way the manager represents not just the Football Association but also the country. And my Corinthian mind suggests that we might do a little better than someone with a checkered history and modest success who confesses on oath to be the most disorganised person in the world, can`t write, can`t spell, doesn`t know what an e-mail is and can`t work a computer.
Is it just me, or does anyone else hope the Football Association, admirably led by the urbane David Bernstein, will look elsewhere?
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