Concerning this unique and somewhat divisive man, it is necessary to first address the cliches and stereotypes of which several came attached with Harry Redknapp across a long and eventful managerial career that took in seven clubs, three leagues and an ever-so-brief stint coaching Jordan. The country, not the model.
The former Spurs and Portsmouth gaffer was a character, a personality, and possessing such charisma made him – to borrow from his own parlance – a ‘top, top’ man-manager.
Tactics? He could give or take them. Tactics were over-rated. His skillset lay in instilling confidence and belief in players and getting them to perform. To enjoy their football.
Not exactly shy in the transfer market, he was also cast as a ‘wheeler-dealer’, a description that Redknapp once took great exception to when it came up during a post-match interview. Quite right too.
When Harry Redknapp put Sky's Rob Palmer in his place for calling him a wheeler dealer...😂😂 pic.twitter.com/7awNO1DBqY
— Funny Footy Quotes (@FunFootyQuote) October 7, 2016
The term always stunk of classism, attributed to him as much for his background as for his propensity to sign Niko Kranjcar wherever he went. They may as well have called him a ‘barrow boy’ and be done with it.
Regardless, these are the personality traits that accompanied Harry Redknapp throughout his thirty-plus years in the dug-out and subsequent lucrative second-wind as a celebrity.
And though they may not seem so at first glance, they are also the traits that would have made him a ‘triffic’ England manager.
Which he so very nearly was, once upon a time. With Fabio Capello out of the picture the FA swiftly narrowed down their options to replace the Italian disciplinarian to a shortlist of two and it was the people’s champion ‘Arry who was the hot favourite in the online betting, a shoo-in appointment it seemed at one point for the then Spurs boss.
To the annoyance of many however, he wasn’t even interviewed, with the job going to Roy Hodgson, a supposedly steady hand on the tiller.
Only history has told us since that Hodgson was anything but a calming influence, as he veered the Three Lions towards calamity and when an underwhelming period came to an ignominious end with a Euro exit to unfancied Iceland it shook the football betting community to the core.
It was the nature of the defeat that depressed as much as the result. England looked broken.
Which leaves the tantalising question as to how Redknapp would have fared instead and though it feels a touch unfair to hypothesize, what we can state for sure is that it would have been infinitely more fun, with the team more vibrant and on the front foot.
'Every year it's just amazing.' ⚽️
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) June 8, 2021
Harry Redknapp will be returning to @socceraid where he will manage the World XI team.
Meanwhile, @EmileHeskeyUK tells @susannareid100 and @richardm56 about who he would like to see manage the England team. pic.twitter.com/z1PCqGbt0r
Furthermore, the odd rigours of international football would have suited Redknapp to a tee, with one of the hardest challenges lying in quickly rousing players to a new cause after several months in club mode.
The future I’m A Celebrity winner would have revelled at this. He was a master of man-management.
As for the constant churning of squad personnel, based on form and availability – an aspect of the job that has unseated other national bosses – Redknapp would have been in his element, his wheeling-and-dealing instincts kicking in hard.
Presently, England are widely tipped to do very well in Qatar under Gareth Southgate, while Redknapp has retired.
Yet it’s still good to think on from time to time, recalling Brian Clough and Harry Redknapp. The two greatest England managers that never were.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 20th September 2022
