Why Harry Redknapp is not the right man for England (From The Northern Echo)

Why Harry Redknapp is not the right man for England

9:53am Friday 10th February 2012 in Scott Wilson By Scott Wilson

NEXT ENGLAND BOSS?: Harry Redknapp

SO there we have it then. Harry Redknapp walked free from Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday lunch-time and straight into the arms of an adoring national media who simply cannot wait to anoint him as Fabio Capello's successor as England manager.

By avoiding a conviction for tax evasion, Redknapp has overcome by far the biggest hurdle that could have prevented him from leading his country. Thanks to the jury's verdict of not guilty, he is quite literally free to replace Capello now that the Italian has decided to resign his position on a point of principle.

Loveable Harry is back where he belongs, the nation's champion in the face of overseas imposters who have taken the FA's money and given English football precious little in return. The only shame, shout his army of supporters, is that he wasn't appointed sooner.

Excuse me while I resist the urge to throw up. In the last few years, Redknapp has established a cult of personality that would make most Communist dictators blush and when it comes to criticising him, you're always wary of being sent to a Gulag somewhere north of Watford Gap.

Yet beneath the avuncular image that he professes to detest, but which come every transfer-deadline day he does precious little to discourage, what is there to make him such a stand-out candidate for managing his country?

A magnificent ability to improve players? Hardly. Redknapp's Tottenham side have been a pleasure to watch this season, but their success has been bought in, something that is rather difficult to do at international level.

Who have been the stars of their season? Scott Parker, bought from West Ham last summer. Emmanuel Adebayor, loaned from Manchester City at the start of the season. Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart, bought for a combined fee of £25m. Redknapp is rightly respected for his success in the transfer market, but it hardly took a genius to work out that those four players could improve a mid-table Premier League side.

Similarly, when he previously had success at Portsmouth, his model was based around paying top dollar for proven, established stars.

You can't do that with England, you have to work with what you have got. Gareth Bale is arguably the only player in the current Tottenham side to have improved out of all recognition under Redknapp, but given the natural talent he clearly possesses, it could be argued that his development would have occurred anyway.

Perhaps, as some have claimed, it is Redknapp's masterful man management that gets the best out of his players? Given the limited time available for international managers to work with their squad, an ability to establish a strong bond is to be desired.

Redknapp's players appear to like him, although speak to Darren Bent and you will get a rather different view of his ability to motivate people, but haven't we been down this all-for-one-and-one-for-all, chest-beating route before?

Kevin Keegan was given the England job because his passion and enthusiasm was supposed to be perfect for international level. Within 18 months, he was admitting he was not up to the task and leaving with his tail between his legs.

International football has moved on and now demands more than an old-fashioned cheerleader coaxing and cajoling while willingly mucking in with his players. If you thought Steve McClaren was too over-familiar with some of the so-called bigger names in the England squad, wait until you see Redknapp, a person who was keen to re-sign David Beckham as recently as 13 months ago lest we forget, in a tracksuit embroidered with the Three Lions.

The history books show that England are not a footballing powerhouse who have fallen on hard times in the last few years. They are a middle-ranking nation who have to perform above themselves if they are to achieve genuine success in a major competition.

That means razor-sharp tactics, an ability to change things during the cut-and-thrust of a match and maximising all the improvements and innovations that have subtly transformed the game in recent years.

Is Redknapp an advocate of a progressive approach? Hardly. Listen to this from van der Vaart earlier this season: “There are no long and boring speeches about tactics, like I was used to at Real Madrid. There is a clipboard in our dressing room but Harry doesn't write anything on it.

“It's not that we do nothing (in training) - but it's close to that. For instance, last weekend Gareth Bale scored a header against Blackburn from my corner. But we didn't train one minute on it, it was pure luck. Good kicking, good heading, nothing more.”

Pure luck, brilliant. So let's not bother with a tactical discussion this week lads, eh? 'Stevie, you give it to Frank, Frank you cross it for Wayne and we'll go from there. The Brazilians can take care of themselves'.

Is this the man we want to be in charge of England? And that's before we even get to the revelations that have been exposed in court this month.

Barely literate, exceptionally laissez-faire when it comes to money, almost boasting about his refusal to grasp or utilise modern technology.

I am pleased Redknapp was innocent because, deep down, I think he is probably a nice enough man. Plenty of journalists who know him far better than I do enthuse about the quality of his company.

But being a decent bloke and good for a soundbite are insufficient qualities to become England manager. There are better candidates out there, some at home, some abroad. Whether the FA hierarchy are forward-thinking enough to consider them, remains to be seen. But they should not allow themselves to be carried away on the tidal wave of emotion that was unleashed on the courthouse steps earlier this week.