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An OPEN letter to Harry Redknapp
Date: 27th February 2010 at 10:08 pm |
Filed under: Football Blogs, Tottenham | Author: Matt Wright | Tags: Harry Redknapp, White Hart Lane | image
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Dear Harry,It is not often I feel the need to write an open letter, however on readingyour comments in the Daily Mail, with regards to Roman Pavlyuchenko, I
had to say something. You seem to have this inability to admit when you
are wrong; a trait that hasn’t bode well for Tottenham this season.Before
I get into the crux of my moan, I have to concede that you have done a
fine job at the football club and I would have taken sitting in 5th
place in the league and in the quarter finals of the cup at this stage
of the season, in a heartbeat. I know there are some supporters who
won’t be as generous in their praise for you, but we are all entitled
to our opinions.In terms of performances on the pitch, it is
hard to argue, however your arrogance at times gets the better of you
and isn’t doing the team, or the way you are perceived among supporters
any favours. You certainly wouldn’t be the first Tottenham manager to
fail to admit when you are wrong with team selections, judgment of
players, but at least have the decency to come out with your hands up
and concede you have got it wrong. It is a fatal flaw in your armoury
and one of the reasons that I believe certain sections of the support
are turning against you.
I suppose there is a certain irony that in the
past few weeks that Bale and Bentley have been our most consistent
performers, especially with the disdain you have shown them in the
past. It would be refreshing to hear you come out and shower them with
some compliments, instead of suggesting that Bale now has a fight on
his hands given the return to fitness of Assou-Ekotto. Pavlyuchenko is
another player who unlike the other two has actually come out and
fought his corner about his treatment by you and at the moment the
Russian is more than answering any doubts you may have had about him. I
have to admit the look on your face when Roman scored told its own
story and it was hard to understand whether you were delighted or
gutted that he had proved you wrong by doing in 10 second half minutes,
what your favourite Crouchy has failed to do week after week upfront.
Another two goals in midweek has seemingly failed to soften you in
anyway and I found it rather churlish in the way you are still
questioning the player and his work rate:“Pav has struggled to
establish himself at Tottenham but this is a great chance for him to
have a positive influence. He needs to work harder to utilise his
undoubted talent. Technically he is a very gifted player.“When
someone is scoring goals you don’t notice their work-rate so much – but
it is an area he needs to improve, without a doubt.”
I suppose in a
way there may be a compliment in there but I can’t help feel it is a
backhanded one. You may think he has struggled to establish himself,
but surely he needs game time for that which it appears you are
begrudgingly giving him at the moment, largely influenced by the crowd
I think. Why not come out and put a positive slant on his performances
and concede you may have misjudged him, rather than coming across that
you are trying to save face. It takes a big man to admit when you are
wrong and with Bale, Bentley and now Pavlyuchenko, showing some honesty
and humility would go a long way in winning some credibility with
certain sections of supporters. As far as I am concerned you are doing
a great job and long may it continue; however this is one area that
lets you down constantly and it is becoming somewhat irritating hearing
your comments of late. You are known in the game as an excellent
man-manager; but I have to admit I find myself questioning that at
times with some of your public comments and outbursts.RegardsMatt
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