Redknapp Would Be Mad to Take Over at Newcastle

By: b-man | January 11th, 2008

I’m not one of these fans that sees their own club as the biggest in the world. I’m not one of these ignorant ‘arm-chair’ fans who believes I know more than the professionals. But what I do know is that Harry Redknapp would be absolutely insane to leave his perfectly secure job at Pompey for what must surely be one of the most insecure jobs in world football!

When you consider that Sam Allardyce was such a popular and unanimous choice for manager from not only the board, but the fans, and yet he still didn’t even last a season, you realise the extent of the trouble that any manager who takes the job will have.

I think the problem is the mentality of the fans. They would rather lose 5-4 than win 1-0. I hate to say it, but primarily, football is a results industry. If you don’t get points on the board then you won’t achieve any sort of success. However don’t get me wrong, I’m not bad-mouthing the Geordie’s, I think they’re the second best fans in the league (behind Pompey obviously!!!), they’re passionate, they’re loyal and I think they deserve a trophy.

And this isn’t a mentality shared by any manager in professional football, because managers at the top level realise that 3 points is 3 points whether you have to score in the last minute after grinding out a game or winning 5-0 with style and flair.

We’ve seen lately, even the great ambassador of free-flowing football, Arsene Wenger, has seen his team battling out results and I think deep down it brings a great pleasure as the ability to win when not on top form is the ability that brings success.

Harry Redknapp has always shared this view. He will always share this view. Maybe Newcastle fans have been fooled by the brilliant start by Pompey this year, including setting a new record for most goals in a game. Newcastle fans would have been delighted by this result. 7 goals! I don’t think that they’d be too concerned by the fact that we conceded 4 goals at home. Whereas I’d rather win 3-0, I’m sure this type of game is paradise for followers of The Magpies! Drama. Action. Goals.

Another point about Redknapp is that he likes to be seen as the underdog. This isn’t a negative thing. All great managers do it. Arsene Wenger did it a few years ago quite a bit against Real Madrid and they went on to beat them 1-0 at the Bernabeu.

He wouldn’t be able to do this at Newcastle. Because let’s face it, Newcastle is a very big club. A huge fan base with a full stadium each week, 50,000 plus. Not to mention quite hefty resources.

Also can we please not forget that Redknapp has built a brilliant squad at Pomey, has the trust of all his staff and players, and is sitting in 8th place in the league, three places higher than Newcastle.

This is a complete mismatch. While I am no-one to advise the hugely experienced, hugely intelligent Harry Redknapp; I think if Harry thinks about this long enough, he will realise that he should not move. ‘If it aint broke, don’t fix it’.