Ramos Sacked, Redknapp Takes Over, and Spurs Win
Just your average weekend as a Tottenham Hotspur supporter. The manager, his assistant and the sporting director all get fired - and replaced - overnight, and the team then turn around and pick up their first Premiership win of the season.
Late on Saturday night Juande Ramos - approaching his 1-year anniversary at the club - was sacked by chairman Daniel Levy. It had become almost inevitable after the club’s poor start to the campaign, and the fan’s increasing frustration at team selection and tactics - along with the role of Damien Comolli as sporting director.
The replacement is one Harry Redknapp, who is rated as one of the best managers in England. It has cost Spurs £5million in compensation to Redknapp’s former employers at Portsmouth. Tottenham fans may have been surprised at the news on Sunday morning, but Portsmouth fans were surely even more so. Despite Redknapp almost leaving the club for Newcastle in recent times, he was surely expected to stay.
Redknapp said on the clubs official website;
“I’ve gone from being in the comfort zone at Portsmouth, the club is seventh in the Premier League and into another big challenge, a real pressure-cooker situation for the rest of the season but this was a chance that I couldn’t turn down.
“Tottenham is a big, big club and this is a big opportunity for me. I thought let’s give it a go before it was too late. I could have gone to Newcastle before, didn’t take that job and many people said ‘he hasn’t got the ambition’ but this is a chance for me and let’s see how it goes.
“It was difficult to leave Portsmouth, for sure. If I hadn’t been at such a good club and enjoying my life so much, it would have been easy (to move).”
His talk of a ‘pressure-cooker’ situation is no under-statement. Tottenham had only gained 2 points from their first 8 premier league matches before he arrived. Had……
Mr Redknapp could not wait to get started, and was at the team hotel to meet the players early Sunday morning befoe their encounter with Bolton Wanderers. Clive Allen picked the team, but Harry was heavily involved throughout the day.
Redknapp said;
“I met the players at the hotel, had a chat with them at about half past 11, came in with them on the coach, went into the dressing room and got cracking straight away.
“I only joined the club on Saturday night, so Clive put the team together, it was fine and I said ‘great, let’s go with that’.
“I could have sat in the stand and watched the game but there was no point in that, we haven’t got time. I needed to get cracking so I got into it straight away.
“My first priority here is to stay in the Premier League. The record was two points from eight games and we’re in trouble, no queston. The priority is points and getting up that league table and it was a great start for us.”
The new manager’s presence helped Spurs achieve their first win of the season, beating Bolton 2-0 at White Hart Lane. Roman Pavlyuchenko scored his first league goal for the club on 17 minutes, heading in from a pin-point cross from summer signing David Bentley.
Redknapp did witness first-hand the challenges that await him however, with the defence looking particularly unstable, and keeper Heurelho Gomes continuing to look poor to say the least. Tottenham survived though, with Gavin McCann being sent off just 10 minutes after the interval making things a little easier.
With 15 minues remaining Darren Bent wrapped up a dream first match in charge for the new boss, as he scored from the penalty spot after he was adjudged to have been brought down by Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.
On a side note, Daniel Levy has published an open letter to all Spurs fans on the club’s website that all of you should read. Find it Here.
