Has Harry provided Tottenham with the missing ingredients?
Tottenham’s meteoric rise from a relegation threatened club to a force in Europe has coincided with Harry Redknapp’s tenure with the club, but it’s no coincidence. Arguably the best English manager around Redknapp has transformed Spurs from a team with a multitude of flaws to one that can, on their day, compete with anyone around. They proved that last year in the Champions League and their proving it in the Premier League this season too. So what is it exactly that has Redknapp given to the north London outfit that was lacking from the previous teams? He may not be the most tactically astute manager in the world but he has other qualities that are equally as important for any team
Belief
It’s pretty clear that the belief Redknapp instils in his players is a huge factor in terms of their success. You only need to look at Portsmouth’s FA cup victory conducted by the now Spurs manager to see that he has the ability to persuade his players that they are capable of anything, and they are. Club captain Ledley King was not short of praise for his manager when speaking to Henry Winter for The Sunday Telegraph:
“He tells us we don’t know how good we are, that we are an unbelievable team. The reason we’ve gone eight [league] games unbeaten is we’ve started to believe we really do have a good squad.”
This is undeniable when you look at Spurs’ performances under Harry. Take their rivalry with Arsenal. Before Redknapp Spurs hadn’t beaten their rivals in the league for over a decade. Their 2-1 victory of the Gunners at White Hart Lane in 2009 exorcised that demon. Spurs also went seventeen years without beating the Gunners on their home soil; last year’s 2-3 comeback means that that record no longer stands either. In fact out of the eight north London derbies that have ensued since Redknapp took over at the club Spurs have come out on top overall with three victories, two losses and three draws. The performances last year in the Champions League too highlighted the belief that now courses through the Tottenham team. Their victory over Inter Milan, the defending champions, at the Lane was truly a feat to behold. To outclass one of the world’s best teams on your first appearance in the Champions League and then go on to knock AC Milan out of the tournament was the pinnacle of many of the younger generation of Spurs’ fans supporting careers.
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Transfer dealings
To say that Redknapp’s transfer dealings have always been brilliant would be a lie. He has been accused of leaving previous clubs with unmanageable debt and players that he buys are often done hastily, some times overly so. However by and large Redknapp’s forays into the transfer market have left Spurs with a squad that not only boasts a brilliant first eleven but also remarkable depth.
For the seasons previous to this one they have perhaps been lacking a world-class striker but for anyone who remembers the efforts made by Tottenham to sign such a player last January there can be no accusations directed at Redknapp of ignoring squad weaknesses.
King appeared ecstatic with the signings made b the manager this summer saying:
“Brad’s experience has been invaluable. He’s a calming influence. Scott’s been amazing. Players like David Silva and Robin van Persie play in that horrible position between defence and midfield, and that’s always tricky for a defender. But if I can just hold him up for a second or two, Scott’s always coming back to make a challenge before you get drawn too far out of position. Scotty’s also very good in the dressing room. He’s quite a quiet lad but when he talks, people listen.”
One of the main criticisms of Spurs over recent years has been that at times they resemble headless chickens chasing games with an over-exuberant air but with two inexpensive masterstrokes Redknapp has transformed the atmosphere of his team at the back.
It’s not just who he signs either, but the way he manages them. Adebayor and van der Vaart arrived at Tottenham with reputations for being difficult but King champions the Redknapp effect on such players:
“Some players come with a reputation of being difficult characters but they play for Harry. He’s a great man manager.”
Ultimately Redknapp, like his north London rival, will be judged on the consistency of his team and the trophies that he wins. So far Spurs fans have been happy to simply move up the table but the players and fans will begin to demand more. However with the squad they now have and the belief that he has given to his team you would be hard pressed to argue that some form of success is not on its way to the club.
Follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay
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