According to Stan Collymore, “you’ve just got to like Harry Redknapp”. Collymore was ‘writing’ in The Mirror, but The Sun‘s editors presumably share his estimation of their columnist’s popularity. Redknapp sells papers, he is the red tops’ darling, but the ‘Arry cult leaves a slightly bitter taste.
Firstly, there is a xenophobic flavour to the idolisation of Redknapp. The repeated veneration of his straight-talking, what you see is what you get, man of the people shtick works implicitly to vilify the aloofness of the intellectual, Armani-clad Jonny Foreigners, like those currently in charge of Arsenal, Real Madrid and, most pertinently, England. Redknapp has been compared favourably to each of these managers (occasionally by himself) in The Sun recently.
This week it ran the headline “Harry is Better than Jose” above an interview in which Rafael van der Vaart praised Redknapp’s style of management. That should probably read non-management, as van der Vaart enthused mainly about the lack of training and tactical instruction under the Redknapp regime. He didn’t actually mention Mourinho or his methods (he couldn’t really, since he was only with Mourinho in Madrid for a few weeks). As much as this is an outspoken piece in praise of Redknapp in The Sun, it contains an implicit rejection of Mourinho’s murky and mysterious ways.
A preference for one type of manager over another is fair enough, really, but the type of manager preferred by this newspaper coincides neatly with its agenda in other areas, perhaps best discussed elsewhere.
What I really want to take issue with is the shameless self-promotion that has become Redknapp’s stock in trade. ‘Arry has become a sort of ideal journalist, simultaneously creating and reporting stories - stories which just so happen to present him in a positive light.
Last weekend’s North London derby is a case in point. The media build-up to the game was dominated by William Gallas’ return to the Emirates. On Friday, Redknapp joined Wenger and Bacary Sagna’s appeal that the Arsenal fans be lenient with their former captain. Redknapp witnessed firsthand the abuse that Sol Campbell used to receive when he played against Spurs for Portsmouth, and he was quite right to try and defend his player.
Bizarrely, having appealed for clemency for Gallas he then named him captain and therefore the first Tottenham player to emerge onto the pitch. That was unfair on Gallas and disrespectful to the Arsenal fans; he was thrust to the forefront and the fans were goaded. Imagine if Campbell had ever led Arsenal out at White Hart Lane. But it granted a coherent story to the weekend, which Redknapp was happy to narrate to its conclusion when he named Gallas as his Man of the Match (in spite of van der Vaart’s goal and brace of assists).
Gallas himself became a secondary protagonist in a drama penned and performed by his manager. This sort of behaviour is ridiculous, especially when we are repeatedly being told that Redknapp’s great (and, if van der Vaart is to be believed, his only) strength is his man management, and it’s not a one-off.
Not long after arriving at Spurs, Redknapp directed his now infamous “My missus would’ve scored” jibe at Darren Bent. I guess we’re supposed to like this because it’s the sort of thing that we fans are supposed to say. It’s nonsense when people in the pub say it, but at least it’s ineffectual nonsense. When a manager says it it’s disrespectful and undermining to a player’s confidence and, as a result, damaging to the team and therefore to the manager himself. It is hardly the sort of thing that you can imagine Carlo Ancelotti, Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger (none of whom, you’ll notice, are regular tabloid contributors) saying about one of their charges is it?
Having seemingly learned his lesson, Redknapp has adapted his motivational methods. This season Aaron Lennon has been subjected to Redknapp’s newly adopted, subtler brand of megalomania. In an interview with The Mirror in September, Redknapp “vowed to transform Lennon’s form”, saying that “clever coaches will get the best out” of talented players. The implication of this is clearly that Redknapp is a clever coach. Reluctant to leave his cleverness implied though, ‘Arry tries to make it explicit by explaining exactly how he is going to transform Lennon.
Basically his plan was to trick confidence back into the winger by lining him up against a youth-teamer in training matches. This isn’t actually a bad idea, especially if all the ex-pro pundits through whom our football viewing is filtered are to be believed and confidence really is a tangible and important part of an effective player’s makeup. But isn’t telling a newspaper what you are up to undermining it a bit?
Redknapp seems to have accepted that Tottenham are as big a club job as he is likely to get. He is not as young as he was and probably thinks that he has got one big job left him in. Certain outlets appointed him heir apparent to the England job a long time ago, and now he’s taken control of the campaign.
This is a guest post from Calum Mechie, the man behind Good Feet for a Big Man.
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Tags: Harry Redknapp, Tottenham Hotspur
What an embittered personal opinion piece this is as well also being devoid of any point.
Harry’s proud to be English, yet here it’s painted as an insidious and odious crime.
Harry’s always been larger than life, as have all the great managers over the years, although surprisingly it seems this fact eludes the writer, why?
His entertainment value is simply top-drawer as often are his comments on the state of the game and it’s over-paid, over-priced players. So who gives a damn that he ‘manages by media’ how else do top managers deal with multi-millionaire players these days.
He tugs at the emotions of every football loving fans, loath him or love him his thoughts in the media are like a breath of fresh air compared to the drivel we have to endure from football ‘journalists’.
British managers are few and far between, so let’s enjoy this one whilst we can without the insipid snide remarks that so often characterises the efforts of our wannabe hacks as they seek some form of reflected glory in demeaning all that the average fan longs for; a successful English Football manager.
I’ll never understand the desire to belittle our icons, the moment they stand out is the moment the underclass seek to prove they have feet of clay., why!?
Before I respond I want to make it clear that I didn’t write this post. However, it is pretty moderate when compared to my personal view on Redknapp.
“What an embittered personal opinion piece this is.”
Yep. And? It is an opinion piece. And so is your comment, which I disagree with almost in its entirety despite the fact that you appear to believe you speak for the majority.
Harry Redknapp is an icon? Of what, bankrupting clubs?
To the two commenters who’ve had comments rejected:
I agree 100% with your sentiment, but as the publisher I am not willing to risk litigation for views that will be held to be - and indeed are identical to - my own. Sorry about that.
I like the idea that Redknapp says what he says in the media for entertainment value - ho ho ho, that’s a good one. He’s not Tommy Cooper! His reaction to being harmlessly called a “wheeler and dealer” by a Sky interviewer shows how much of a fan Redknapp is of light-hearted banter and jocularity. Lovely, cuddly ‘Arry - go on, pull his leg, he’ll love it.
He says what he says to try and further his own ends, eg. pimping himself for the England job, or telling the world that Joe Cole wanted to leave Chelsea before the player had chance to do so himself. Classy.
I think he was well within his rights to have ago at darren bent - hes turd.
I’d like to know when Harry became an icon. Marks will be given for accurate referencing and good quality examples.
Harry’s Oscar bleeding Wilde compared to most of the dullards who inhabit football. And I don’t think he’d claim to be cuddly, like a lot of people from his background he’s a hard bastard and hardly tries to hide it does he?
The fact that Redknapp has qualified more easily from a much harder group than coaching genius *cough* Wenger should make some people rethink their attitudes, but it won’t. The sterotypes are much too comfortable and suit people’s prejudices.
“shameless self-promotion” Hmmm, that doesn’t remind you of any other managers does it?
It’s more likely the press love people who are good value or who schmooze them, English or no. Hence the popularity of Houllier, Ranieri, Mourinho, Wenger or even the odious Grant and the unpopularity of Benitez.
You could just as well argue that the media’s veneration of Wenger is about the middle class’s loathing of the English working class who they largely regard as chav scum (JT, Redknapp, pretty much any footballer).
Hence the overlooking of Wenger’s classless bleating, fights with other coaches and vilification of officials like they never happened (that’s out of character behaviour for Wenger, er NO).
Clough was dodgy, he’s venerated, Bobby Robson was over-rated because of his Englishness too, albeit a much different type of Englishman than Harry represents. There’s as much evidence for Wenger being a philanderer as John Terry, ie ABSOLUTELY NONE. Maradona is a possible sociopath but that’s OK he’s Argentinian, let’s worship his noble savage ways.
Not just the Sun who have double standards is what I’m saying.
I can’t speak for Calum, but I personally don’t like Wenger either (for the reasons you outline). Doesn’t get Redknapp off the hook.
Come on now ‘kt’, Bobby Robson over-rated? He won trophies in four different countries. What other English managers have proved so adaptable?
Ronaldo (the Brazilian one) once called Robson one of the greatest in the world. Redknapp does not go remotely in the same category unless he wins the Champions League or Premier League.
So, we’re all agreed. All managers are irritating self-publicists, and quite possibly overrated ones at that. (Although Harry is probably the one that irritates me the most).
Bring back Jimmy Hogan, I say.
Although that may involve a spot of exhuming.
I feel a tiny little bit like those guys that used to be on ’999′ who ‘just popped out’ for 5 minutes while the chip pan was burning…
Bob Todd: You’re quite right, it is an embittered piece of personal opinion.
“I’ll never understand the desire to belittle our icons, the moment they stand out is the moment the underclass seek to prove they have feet of clay., why!?”
Because I don’t accept that he is an idol, and I don’t think I should have to accept that, for the reasons outlined above.
kt: You certainly could write a similar piece on Wenger’s veneration being a consequence of middle-class prejudice. It would probably be pretty interesting too, doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with Redknapp though.
Gary Andrews: Agreed, apart from Owen Coyle.