Is Redknapp the Right Man for the Toon?
So Harry Redknapp is the latest Toon target for what has become the poisoned chalice of the Premier League, the Newcastle United manager’s job. After so many recent failures would wheeling, dealing Harry be the right man for a job that arguably brings with it more pressure and expectation than any other Premier League club?
The Geordies have had an exciting cocktail of managers in the last 20 years, yet only Kevin Keegan can be said to have come close to winning the League after finished runners-up in successive seasons. There are a few tried and trusted routes Premier League clubs follow in employing a new manager, unfortunately for Newcastle they seem to have tried them all and failed.
They tried the foreign sexy football route with argie World Cup winner Ossie Ardilles and Dutch dreadlocked master Ruud Gullit. The experienced English old head steeped in the British game in the shape of everyone’s favourite granddad Bobby Robson and the Bald Eagle Jim Smith. The hard-nosed Scottish managerial approach (after all it worked at United, Arsenal and Liverpool in the past) in television interview friendly Kenny Dalglish and hardman Graeme Souness. Then there was Sam Allardyce, a proven Premier League manager who believed in state of the art training techniques, a man who brought lowly Bolton into the top division and kept them there and seemingly possessed all the ingredients to repeat his previous work on a much bigger scale with the Toon, unfortunately 8 wins in 24 games was enough to see him depart from Tyneside. Oh yes, I almost forgot, they also employed Glenn Roeder, a great choice he was, the man who had relegated his only 3 other clubs in Gillingham, Watford and West Ham. Former Newcastle chairman Fred Shepherd excelled himself with that choice!
So is Harry Redknapp the man the Toon faithful have been crying out for? Let’s examine the facts. Newcastle haven’t won any silverware for 39 years, since they picked up the now defunct Fairs Cup. The whole of Tyneside would erupt if Harry could bring home a trophy; expect statues, street parties and a huge baby boom with school classrooms full of children called Harry or Harrietta 5 years later. Unfortunately the slight drawback to these pipe dreams is Harry hasn’t actually ever won a major trophy in his managerial career. Despite a quarter of a century in various hotseats, the East end wide boy has not actually got his hands on any silverware, so hardly fits the usual Geordie bill for immediate success does he?
Could 60-year old Harry break the big four’s monopoly on England’s trophies? Well he has enjoyed relative managerial success after winning an old division 3 title with Bournemouth and a Division 1 title with Portsmouth. But that’s hardly going to have the Toon fans drooling at the prospect of his appointment and certainly doesn’t guarantee any success against the Premier League big guns. However, he did lead West Ham to a 5th placed finish back in 1999 and Portsmouth’s 9th placed finish last season was the club’s best placing since 1955 so his achievements are certainly not to be sniffed at.
It is lucky Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has a few quid as Harry won’t come cheap after recently signing a 4-year deal with Portsmouth back in October that was set to keep him at Fratton Park till 2011. However, replica kit wearing Ashley is a Billionaire, so is certain to have wads of cash to throw at Pompey to get the man he wants to St James’ Park. Its also been reported that a private jet will be thrown into any offer so Harry can even commute from his south-coast home, Premier League management is not such a bad a life after all.
Redknapp certainly has a good eye for a player after bringing Premier League successes such as Yakubu to our shores as well as resurrecting the careers of players such as Paolo Di Canio and Sol Campbell. He also blooded most of the England squad when West Ham manager with Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick and Glen Johnson thriving under him so his track record in this area is very good or as Harry would more likely say ‘different class’.
Whether Harry is the man to deliver success to the Toon hordes is debatable but after trying nearly every managerial route known to English football, why not give a East end wide boy who has the experience of taking charge of 1,068 games, his chance at the Newcastle poisoned chalice. Word of advice Harry my old mucker, if you take up this role don’t get too comfortable as this is the hottest of Premier League hot seats!
Tags: harry Redknapp, manager, Newcastle United, Portsmouth, Premier League, Sam Allardyce
January 11th, 2008 at 11:57
Why are we going for a man who has won nothing when there is a World Cup winner with no club at the moment available in Marcello Lippi????
January 11th, 2008 at 12:01
I am pleased Big Sam has gone but as you have written what has Redknapp ever really done? Two promotions in 25 years is hardly a proven track record, great article, sums up his average career!
January 11th, 2008 at 12:02
No goals in his teams’ last 6 home Premier League games. 5 goalless draws at Fratton Park this season.
Bet the Newcastle fans can’t wait to rush to St James’ Park to witness a feast of entertaining football that Harry has been producing.
January 11th, 2008 at 12:15
The fact is Newcastle have not won anything for years and that status quo will remain for many more to come.
The problem is the supporters have too high expectations. 11th in the Premier League is not bad for Newcastle.
I’m fed up of the notion that Newcastle fans ‘derserve success’ because they’re ‘the best fans in the world’.
They’re not. They’re the same as any other supporters.
No club or its fans deserve success they just have to work hard to achieve it.
They may get Harry but he’ll be gone in a year, much like whoever replaces him.
Until the mentality up there changes, Newcastle will always be that ‘poisoned chalice’.
January 11th, 2008 at 12:20
i’m not sure he’s the right guy. his heart and family are all on the south coast which is a long way from ….wallsend.
i fancy ince with some support. all the arguments back at the blog
fpb
http://www.pastapaulie.wordpress.com
January 11th, 2008 at 12:26
Redknapp is the man he will make them top six and get the best out of the players they have a decent squad and his teams always play good football
January 11th, 2008 at 12:39
Ha ha ha ha… Why is it that Newcastle always messes it up! No one in their right mind would take that job at the moment - Think they will REALLY struggle to get any one of merit in there - can see a wait till after the Euros for the usual international manager merry-go-round to begin - Big Phil any one?!
January 11th, 2008 at 14:28
MONEY MONEY MONEY!! ‘Arry is no spring chicken, possibly looking for retirement in a couple of years time. His salary would presumably treble, at least, and what has he got to lose on the footballing front, look at all the names before him who have tried and failed.
Newcastle may be the poisoned chalice but if I was ‘Arry i’d snap up the job. Win some silverware and you’ll go down in Magpie folklore or follow the current trend and after 9 months you’ll be sitting in your luxury villa abroad courtesy of NUFC.
January 14th, 2008 at 19:25
Well i know he doesn’t want it ,or have the experience at the moment, but for my money there would be no better person than Alan Shearer! Home grown motivation is worth more than any multi-million pound European signing.Throw in Keagan in the background, who lets face it hasn’t got the bottle but does have the experience, and you’ve got the perfect partnership to change things around. Personally, i don’t care if they drop like a stone. Up the Potters!!!
January 17th, 2008 at 18:31
Newcastle, dont make me laugh! They deserve Keegan, wasnt he involved in some kind of football circus, well he hasnt changed jobs then, as he will again be performing with a load of clowns, this time dressed in black and white shirts. Newcastle, they think they are a big club, with the best fans, they certainly arent either of those, but give them their due, there fans arent the best but they are the most fickle people you could ever meet. After getting fat sam, the man they all wanted, no sooner than 2 home defeats against Pompey and Liverpool they are calling for his head, what difference will Keegan make? In my opinion none what-so-ever, an average bunch of players, no hope of ever winning the league, or qualifying for the champs league, and they certainly wont be tasting any kind of success at St James’s Park in my lifetime!