Those that know me know that I was always incredibly split with Redknapp. If I had to make a choice though, I was definitely more in favour of him than not; *Que thousands of page closes at this point.* For me, it was always about maintaining a motivated and settled squad with Harry drawing a vast level of respect from the playing staff. But yet, I remained sat on a large rustic fence, contemplating most weeks how I felt about the man leading Tottenham.
The fact that Redknapp split most opinion was unhealthy in itself. After most fixtures had passed us by, the post-game discussion amongst us - I found - was that the subject of Redknapp would eventually rise and the inevitable question of "has he taken us as far as he could?" would always worm its way into conversation. If Redknapp genuinely believed we could win the league, it wouldn't ever have happened under his leadership. A great man manager, as Redknapp showed, can get you very far. It did us wonders. But a title winner requires a tactical prowess for when things aren't going right; turning a draw into a win. Taking us to 'the next level.' Sometimes it may require "long boring tactical speeches," sorry Rafa.
Of course, one of Harry's major downfalls was his mouth. Aside from it being a saggy and wrinkly old thing, he didn't know that, sometimes, it's best to leave some questions unanswered. His recent grilling from Lineker when on the BBC panel illustrated this and Harry failed to cover himself in any glory when answering. I admired his honesty to some extent, but rolling around with the old England girl again really didn't do us, or himself, any good. It's almost like having your missus getting close to another bloke only for the bloke to reject her and for the old tart to come crawling back to you with her tail
So, who to draft in? Opinions remain just as split over who we want to take the reigns and guide the Tottenham horse back into the top 4 places next year, so to speak. I'm playing with a double-edged sword, but here goes.
I must be brutally honest and say Moyes isn't my number one. Moyes has done a fantastic job building an organised Everton side and, no disrespect to him, but I feel we need someone with experience in handling 'bigger' players, large egos and is used to battling for Champions League places. If we can, we should look to maintain the momentum and seek to continue progressing as a club otherwise we could find ourselves stuck in another few years of transition. Everton organise themselves impeccably, but I feel putting defence first may impact our flair going forward. Just my opinion. It's also no hiding away from the fact that Everton are susceptible to a usually slow start to their season.
Another name (or initials) touted has been AVB. An obvious long-term solution but my fear and reservations with this appointment would be whether we'd realistically be willing to stick it out with him if he had a similarly slow start with us as he did with Chelsea. I couldn't see it. Capello's age will probably halt any deal which leads me to Benitez. Once more, very split. The Liverpool side under Benitez was a sound force to be reckoned with. A far-cry from what Liverpool fans are having to witness of late. He bought well and was known for getting a great deal out of his squad. 2 La Liga's, a Uefa Cup, a Champions League and an FA Cup marked a fairly successful spell in England. Although, his dismal spell at Inter may have dented his reputation and one does have to question why he's been out of work since December 2010.
Of course, as fans, we'll remain incredibly split. Opinions do this, naturally. The line between hope and expectation will become more of a grey area as new names are flung into the frame with every passing day. I can't help but feel Levy will have someone more or less lined up. But, whoever it is, they'll have our full backing and, you never know, they may even turn down an interview here or there.
Onwards and upwards.
In the end, it's all John Terry's fault.
Regards.