Kristian writes about how Harry Redknapp has overseen the decline of football clubs then jumped ship – http://www.cherwell.org/content/8249. Certainly, Harry left Pompey at a good time. The financial situation at the south-coast club is disastrous, and will, unless Gaydamak sells or prioritises the club over his other businesses, end up relegating the F.A cup holders. You simply cannot sell Lassana Diarra and hope Richard Hughes will fill his boots.
However, Kristian seems to skip over several large portions of Redknapps illustrious career. In recent years he had spent a lot of money at Portsmouth, but not without delivering the F.A cup, and several top ten finishes. He also, it is important to remember, brought them up from near the bottom of the second tier to the Premiership, playing attractive football, and scoring for fun. Mandaric helped, but how often have we seen teams scrap their way out of the Championship only to collapse in the Premiership (if not in their first season, then definitely in their second). Harry created a stable Premiership football club, who played attacking, pacey football. Every side, including the top four, did not enjoy visits to Fratton Park. It is also important not to forget the miraculous relegation survival when he rejoined the club from Southampton. It really did seem an impossible challenge. But title-winning form towards the back end of the season meant a poor Portsmouth side stayed up.
As for the pattern of financial instability that Redknapp has apparently left behind at clubs, people should not overestimate the role of the manager. It seems somewhat unlikely that Gaydamak, a Russian billionaire who made his money in the murky business world of Russia, and who has an arrest warrant from him in connection with illegal arms-dealing and tax evasion, would be forced into transfer dealings that could not be afforded by good old Harry Redknapp. Harry is a charming cockney, but not that charming.
The only criticism that does seem to stand against Harry, is that he does leave when the going gets tough. Portsmouth were in for a long hard season when he joined spurs, and he left Southampton half-way down the championship. Hopefully, it will never come to this at Spurs. And if he keeps making tactical and motivational decisions like he did on Tuesday against Burnley, then Harry should have a long, successful career in North London.
