Harry says we've sealed two big deals

[Ted Hughes]

Manchester City set to 'blow our brains out', bemoans Harry RedknappTottenham's manager heads to Eastlands seeing little way of ever again beating City to a Champions League place


David Hytner guardian.co.uk, Monday 9 May 2011 22.30 BST

Harry Redknapp feels Tottenham could have made the top four had Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart maintained their early season form. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images
Harry Redknapp did his best to sound optimistic. The Tottenham Hotspur manager made the right noises about his team being so close to a top-four finish. He even suggested that they had thrown away a golden opportunity. The door has been pushed shut by Manchester City and it will be locked tight on Tuesday evening if Tottenham fail to win at Eastlands. Redknapp said that with a few clever tweaks his club could be back again to challenge next season.

Yet the devil on his other shoulder had plenty to say, too. And the scenario that it painted felt apocalyptic for a club such as Tottenham. "I know people in the right positions [at City], who have said: 'The one thing we couldn't offer was Champions League football,'" Redknapp said. "But they tell me that they've got one or two players signed already who'll blow your brains out. They're not going to stop until they win the championship and even the Champions League.
"They don't need the money. The man from Abu Dhabi has got so much money ... I mean, it isn't like money to him, is it? City can be a real force next year. They've got a strong squad which is only going to get better because they've got unlimited funds to buy anybody they want and they can pay the wages. They've got players there now earning £200,000 a week. It's crazy. It's another world."

Redknapp's mathematics were not overly stretched when he assessed the long-term make-up of the top four. "As I've said a million times, who is going to drop out?" he said. "I don't think Manchester United or Chelsea are going to ... Arsenal have been there every year. Who is going to come out? Man City are going to spend another £200m, probably, this summer, Liverpool are going to improve, so it's very hard to get into that top four ... very, very difficult."

Do not talk to Redknapp about where it has gone wrong for Tottenham. To him it has been another richly encouraging season, underpinned by exciting football. He is fond of pointing out that Tottenham have not exactly been perennial Champions League contenders in the past.

In terms of the demise of their top-four hopes – even if Tottenham win at City, they would remain big outsiders – Redknapp has his theories. They include the mental and physical demands of the club's Champions League debut; the strikers' lack of Premier League goals; the frustration in the January transfer window and the failure to see off the teams at the foot of the table.

But Redknapp feels that the key has been the inability of Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart to maintain their sparkling form from the first part of the season. Bale will now miss the final three matches with the ankle-ligament injury he suffered against Blackpool on Saturday. The damage has been confirmed as a rupture but, according to a club statement: "The player is expected to be fit for the start of pre-season." Ironically the setback may benefit Tottenham in that the big clubs circling Bale will have to maintain their holding patterns.

"We had our chances but we haven't been able to win games, we've been drawing them," Redknapp said. "That spark we had from people who were winning games for us ... Gareth and Rafa in particular ... we were relying on that. But we've lost that spark that makes the difference. I'm not blaming Gareth or Rafa, I'm just saying that they were so good.

"Gareth was the key. He was flying and, suddenly, we lost him for quite a long time [for six weeks from 22 January]. He hasn't really come back in the same form. In the last couple of months he hasn't got over the injury that he had before and it's taken a toll on him. Rafa has done great for us but, in fairness, he's tapered off after a hard season. In the main he hasn't been as good as he was early on."

Redknapp will seek to add "one or two players that can make the difference" in the summer and he added: "You don't always have to spend big money." United have proved that, he said, with the signing of Javier Hernández for about £7m before this season, while Redknapp also lauded his Bosman capture of William Gallas. There is little doubt, however, that the big bucks would help.

[Dameerto]

It would be funny if Mancini replied by dropping hints about Modric and Bale

[carl_feedthegoat]

Why does this twitching cunt always talk about us.....he needs to see a fuckign shrink.

I bet KAKA is one of the players we have bought (If this HR shit is true).

[Dameerto]

Anyone would think we played them soon, the way he's going on

[Blue Toy]

Clever boy 'Arry.

If he's heard whispers, chances are our players have too. If he then publicly spouts them as done deals, whoever's places are under threat may just not perform the same tomorrow.

Cuntish thing to do, full on straw-clutcher.

[Ted Hughes]

Clever boy 'Arry.

If he's heard whispers, chances are our players have too. If he then publicly spouts them as done deals, whoever's places are under threat may just not perform the same tomorrow.

Cuntish thing to do.

Tbh if those players had anything about them they'd perform better. All the players have been told by Khaldoon that there are big plans if we get to the Chumps Lg. It's why most of them signed in the 1st place.

Harry doesn't do this kind of stuff to benefit Spurs, it's to benefit him. If he beats us, it reminds everyone what a poor underdog he is & how fantastic he's done, even if he misses 4th, if he loses, it's understandable as we're big & rich. If he's fucking nowhere near us next season, he's already laid the groundwork to explain why. It's all about boosting his own reputation.

[Blue Toy]

Clever boy 'Arry.

If he's heard whispers, chances are our players have too. If he then publicly spouts them as done deals, whoever's places are under threat may just not perform the same tomorrow.

Cuntish thing to do.

Tbh if those players had anything about them they'd perform better. All the players have been told by Khaldoon that there are big plans if we get to the Chumps Lg. It's why most of them signed in the 1st place.

Harry doesn't do this kind of stuff to benefit Spurs, it's to benefit him. If he beats us, it reminds everyone what a poor underdog he is & how fantastic he's done, even if he misses 4th, if he loses, it's understandable as we're big & rich. If he's fucking nowhere near us next season, he's already laid the groundwork to explain why. It's all about boosting his own reputation.

It all depends if the player(s) in question interpret the pressure as negative or positive.

I don't believe we've signed anyone at this stage - we may well have some firm targets in place - so there is therefore more to his comments than his apparent transparency would suggest.

[Ted Hughes]

Clever boy 'Arry.

If he's heard whispers, chances are our players have too. If he then publicly spouts them as done deals, whoever's places are under threat may just not perform the same tomorrow.

Cuntish thing to do.

Tbh if those players had anything about them they'd perform better. All the players have been told by Khaldoon that there are big plans if we get to the Chumps Lg. It's why most of them signed in the 1st place.

Harry doesn't do this kind of stuff to benefit Spurs, it's to benefit him. If he beats us, it reminds everyone what a poor underdog he is & how fantastic he's done, even if he misses 4th, if he loses, it's understandable as we're big & rich. If he's fucking nowhere near us next season, he's already laid the groundwork to explain why. It's all about boosting his own reputation.

It all depends if the player(s) in question interpret the pressure as negative or positive.

I don't believe we've signed anyone at this stage - we may well have some firm targets in place - so there is therefore more to his comments than his apparent transparency would suggest.

I don't think the players will be worried about it, they already know, Khaldoon has told them.

[Original Dub]

I'd say we do have two huge signings ready.

And I can't wait to find out who they are.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I'd say we do have two huge signings ready.

And I can't wait to find out who they are.

Sanchez plus Schneider

[Ted Hughes]

I'd say we do have two huge signings ready.

And I can't wait to find out who they are.

Sanchez plus Schneider

I recon you may be right.

I wonder if that involves Tevez going to Inter ?

[Original Dub]

I'd say we do have two huge signings ready.

And I can't wait to find out who they are.

Sanchez plus Schneider

Schneider would blow your brains out, but Sanchez?

Hmmm... we'll just have to wait!

[Nigels Tackle]

I'd say we do have two huge signings ready.

And I can't wait to find out who they are.

Sanchez plus Schneider

Schneider would blow your brains out, but Sanchez?

Hmmm... we'll just have to wait!

signings that might blow your brains out?

ashley cole?

[DoomMerchant]

I'd say we do have two huge signings ready.

And I can't wait to find out who they are.

Sanchez plus Schneider

Captain Obvious i would reckon is your new title, kind sir. ;)

let's hope that's the case...we could do a fuckload worse.

cheers

p.s. also slip a J into Wesley's surname here or there just for good measure.

[Original Dub]

I'd say we do have two huge signings ready.

And I can't wait to find out who they are.

Sanchez plus Schneider

Captain Obvious i would reckon is your new title, kind sir. ;)

let's hope that's the case...we could do a fuckload worse.

cheers

p.s. also slip a J into Wesley's surname here or there just for good measure.

Schneiderj

[Ted Hughes]

I'd say we do have two huge signings ready.

And I can't wait to find out who they are.

Sanchez plus Schneider

Captain Obvious i would reckon is your new title, kind sir. ;)

let's hope that's the case...we could do a fuckload worse.

cheers

p.s. also slip a J into Wesley's surname here or there just for good measure.

Schneijer ?

[Lee_R]

Harry after putting the phone down to his (alleged) contact at City..

"ffs.." *sits and stares at the phone in stunned silence*

[Blue Since 76]

so we missed out on top targets because we didn't have CL, but they've already signed this season despite us not qualifying yet?

Yep, makes perfect sense.

[Ted Hughes]

so we missed out on top targets because we didn't have CL, but they've already signed this season despite us not qualifying yet?

Yep, makes perfect sense.

When asked about our chances of winning the league next season, Bob said something about it depending on what happens in the next few games. Imo, that means we get 'A' list players coming in if we get 4th. Last season when we were all hearing about David Silva going to rags & Chelsea, he had already agreed to come to City. This will be the same kind of thing.

[DoomMerchant]

Harry after putting the phone down to his (alleged) contact at City..

"ffs.." *sits and stares at the phone in stunned silence*

is there a Hitler video named "Twitchy Hears about City's summer signings" in our future here?

cheers