Spurs chairman Daniel Levy spends this gloomy weekend trying to reignite his club for more brighter moods as he attempts to replace Harry Redknapp in what could turn out to be his most important decision at the club.
This week, Levy called time on Redknapp’s four-year time at the club in what appears to be the result of utter disappointment at missing out on a Champions League place the previous season. Although, admittedly, their fate was decided by their London rivals Chelsea, who by beating Bayern Munich took Spurs’ place in next year’s competition.
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The parting of the ways seemed inevitable as Redknapp edged towards the end of the season with one year left on his contract and urging his chairman to secure stability for himself and the club. Levy kept a quiet counsel on the issue, and the vibe seemed to be that Spurs were reluctant to offer a contract to Redknapp and on Wednesday night, it was confirmed that Redknapp had left the club.
It brought a mixture of feelings of the morality of whether they were right to axe a manager, who had taken over in 2008 with the club at the bottom of the Premier League and guided them to three top five finishes in the past three seasons.
Redknapp’s arrival in that year helped to brush away any criticism forthcoming for Levy, who had disastrously opted to remove the popular Dutchman Martin Jol and replace him with Spaniard Juande Ramos in 2007. The latter’s reign begin brightly with a Carling Cup victory over Chelsea in 2008 before the downwards spiral began.
Ramos’ reign was at times positive but once the rot had sunk in, Spurs languished at the bottom and wasn’t helped by Ramos’ inadequacy in communicating with his players. In came the Englishman Redknapp and used his vibrant man-management to guide his side well out of danger, putting them in eighth place. Levy probably could never have imagined his decision would be vindicated so dramatically.
The manner in which Jol’s dismissal was handled – the Dutchman was on the receiving end of murmurings during a match that he was to be dismissed – had affected Levy’s reputation and it seemed, by hiring Redknapp, that he had shown he could bring in a good manager and give him the time to build something prosperous for his club.
In erasing his image as a “wheeler and dealer” in his previous fire-fighting days at West Ham for example, Redknapp used his shrewdness in the transfer window by building a side capable for a Champions League push. That goal was accomplished in 2009-10 when one of his signings, Peter Crouch, scored the decisive goal at Manchester City to put Spurs into Europe’s big table. An enthralling ride in the Champions League began and was only ended by Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid in convincing fashion.
This past season saw Spurs come out of the changing rooms flying. By the end of February, they were in serious contention for the Premier League. In the aftermath of his acquittal of tax fraud, he was then thrust upon – by the media and supporters mainly – as the lead (and in some people’s eyes) the only runner for the England job when Italian Fabio Capello resigned in protest at the FA’s decision to strip John Terry of the captaincy.
He reinforced his credentials as Spurs thrashed Newcastle United 5-0 at White Hart Lane, and the England job seemed inevitable.
The error which Redknapp made was that rather than conclusively come out and decide whether he did or didn’t want the job, he was left week after week batting away questions on the England job. He never ruled himself in or out. Some may say that was the right thing to do as he had never been approached by the FA, nor did he want to come across foolish by declaring himself in when the potential existed that he was not officially on the FA’s shortlist.
But had he decided and publicly come out to say yes or more importantly no, then it may have prevented the slump his Spurs side went through after being beaten 5-2 by their north London rivals Arsenal at the end of February.
Had Redknapp been quick and decisive to quickly decide whether he wanted to be on a shortlist for the job, then some fans and Levy may wonder, whether Spurs wouldn’t have avoided the barren run they endured.
An irreversible runs of results at times questioned whether Spurs would even make fourth now that they had lost grasp of third place to Arsenal. But to their credit, they mustered enough points to get that position. Sadly, Redknapp had to watch on as his nephew, and former player, Frank Lampard lifted the Champions League trophy in Munich and end his uncle’s chance of competing in Europe’s premier competition.
That failure, it seemed, was enough for Levy and possibly other Tottenham board members to question whether he was the right man going forward for a Spurs squad which had blended youth, pace and experience.
Levy, in his time in charge, has made some right decisions with his managers – for example giving Jol the job in the first place – but the option to replace Redknapp is his biggest choice. Failure now is not an option for a squad with the qualities of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale who, with Redknapp now gone, may sense the opportunity for newer pastures elsewhere.
Logic would suggest that Everton’s David Moyes, after a decade plus at Everton, is the right man to take over and really push his managerial abilities. But it seems, Levy wants a more bigger name in the hotseat and edges towards former Porto boss Andre Villas-Boas, who was sacked by Chelsea in March.
A gamble it would be, as the reports from Stamford Bridge suggested he alienated his players. Is that the right tone for a Spurs squad pushing for major honours? No doubt the Portuguese protégé of Mourinho has potential and he may revel in working in a more calmer environment.
But one thing is for sure. If Levy gets this next appointment wrong, then the steps taken in recent years in getting nearer to Arsenal might be dislodged.
This, consequently, may see Tottenham pushed aside down the table and back to the dark days of failing to accomplish the results that the talent their squad has.
