Harry Redknapp Leaves Tottenham Hotspur: 10 Things His Departure Means for Spurs

The breaking news this Wednesday night (via BBC Sport) was the departure of Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp after almost four years at White Hart Lane.

As recent as last week, Redknapp, who had just a year remaining on his contract, was still publicly urging Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to resolve his future, which had become up in the air following an uncertain end to the 2011-2012 Premier League campaign.

An inspired appointment by the Spurs hierarchy back in October 2008, Redknapp has guided the North London club to consecutive top-five finishes in recent seasons, including a first-ever Champions League campaign.

But his public flirtations with the vacant England post after Fabio Capello’s resignation and Spurs’ alarming slide in form that ultimately cost them a place in next year’s Champions League have brought a premature end to his Tottenham career.

Here are 10 things that Harry Redknapp’s departure means for Spurs—and, as usual, feel free to have your say in the comments below.

That Was the Pinnacle of Harry Redknapp’s Career

Redknapp arrived at White Hart Lane in October 2008, when Spurs were only four points from the bottom in the Premier League under Juande Ramos, but guided his new club to an eighth-place finish at the first time of asking.

His subsequent league finishes of fourth, fifth and fourth have seen European football a constant feature at White Hart Lane in recent seasons, with their first-ever Champions League campaign yielding exhilarating results against such renowned sides as Internazionale and AC Milan.

Never mind his impressive FA Cup win with Portsmouth—Harry Redknapp’s career will forever be associated with Gareth Bale’s marvelous performances against Internazionale, signing Rafael van der Vaart from Real Madrid and getting Spurs back to the highest echelons of European and English football.

And unfortunately, it seems that these moments at the very top of the game should now be spoken of in the past tense, as Redknapp’s Tottenham reign was surely the pinnacle of his career.

Redknapp Became a Victim of His Own Successes

In a perverse way, perhaps Harry Redknapp became a victim of his own successes.

The conviction with which he overturned Tottenham’s disastrous start to the 2008-2009 season matched the swashbuckling style Spurs have taken to their English and European opponents.

When a Champions League finish was secured in 2010, Redknapp oversaw a brilliant debut season in Europe’s top club competition and could even afford discarding the Europa League to the backburners as he focused on turning Spurs into title-chasers.

So, then, Spurs were suddenly catapulted into the spotlight, and they expected to stay there.

Behind their failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League, courtesy of Chelsea’s dramatic win against Bayern Munich, lies the undeniable fact that Redknapp’s team were the fourth best in England after a 38-game season.

But that had long been considered a foregone conclusion.

Redknapp’s Achievements Cannot and Should Not Be Forgotten

And so a club that had previously enjoyed their best years finishing fifth in the Premier League under Martin Jol became used to the heady heights of a top-four finish under Harry Redknapp.

Perhaps Redknapp did himself no favors with the public proclamations that his side were good enough to challenge for the league title this season.

But the fact remains that Spurs have undergone a radical transformation to become one of the Premier League’s elite clubs, one of the most attractive clubs in Europe and one of the most talented squads at European manager’s disposal.

Besides Redknapp’s achievements in the league, he should also be credited with transforming Gareth Bale’s career at White Hart Lane, realizing Luka Modric’s potential as one of Europe’s finest playmakers and creating one of the most exciting footballing sides in all of Europe.

When the dust settles over Redknapp’s departure, he should be fondly remembered as one of Tottenham’s finest managers in recent history.

His Departure Will Leave a Void at White Hart Lane

Exiting White Hart Lane on Wednesday was one of the most highly rated English managers of modern times.

Besides his on-field successes and achievements, Harry Redknapp proved to be an impressive man manager at Tottenham. Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, two players whose careers have dramatically turned around since his arrival, will be testament to his ability to get the best out of his players.

His transfer record has also been impressive.

The most famous acquisition of all will perhaps be Rafael van der Vaart, who arrived from Real Madrid in an £8 million deal, but Redknapp will also count the likes of Scott Parker and Emmanuel Adebayor amongst his best-ever signings over the course of his career.

And in a modern football industry that emphasizes so heavily on media management, Redknapp’s fondness for a sound bite and his media personality made him a favorite of the press.

Until he returns to the top tier of English football, Redknapp’s presence will be missed.

Spurs’ Next Manager Will Find It Extremely Tough

And it is because of all these elements that Redknapp’s successor in the Tottenham hot seat will find himself in a tough job made all the more challenging given the achievements of his immediate predecessor.

Redknapp delivered lofty Premier League finishes with an exciting attacking side, while bringing in big names and attracting more prestige to White Hart Lane.

Their next manager will likely see those as minimum requirements in order to sustain a long-term position at White Hart Lane, and even then, a side now accustomed to success will be expecting more.

In an increasingly competitive Premier League and Europa League, he will have to hit the ground running.

An Uncertain Summer Lies Ahead

In the midst of an uncertain few weeks regarding Redknapp’s future as Tottenham manager, we have heard less about Jan Vertonghen’s impending move to White Hart Lane and more about the potential departures of Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart.

And it is only fair, given that these are players whose Tottenham fortunes were very much tied to Redknapp’s.

His departure will have thrown all sorts of chaos into the mix in terms of the playing squad’s future, and he admitted as much only a week ago.

So Tottenham’s next manager has to come in and build on Redknapp’s success while potentially having to steady the ship over a summer that might involve several key players leaving the club.

He could be facing a total rebuilding job.

Club Is Always More Important Than Country

When Roy Hodgson landed the vacant England manager job, he called it a dream come true. One of his former players, Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher, suggested that leading the national team was always going to the pinnacle of Hodgson’s career.

That same sentiment, in all probability, applies to Harry Redknapp as well.

When Fabio Capello resigned from the position in February, Redknapp was immediately installed as the favorite by the media, fans, players and even fellow managers.

While he always maintained that the speculation never affected his players, the fact remains that it was in this same period that Tottenham endured their late-season slip that ultimately cost them a place in next year’s Champions League.

He admitted last week that he would have accepted the England job had it been offered to him.

It would not come as a surprise if the Spurs hierarchy were dissatisfied at playing second fiddle.

Short-Termism Is Rampant in the EPL

Alex McLeish, Andre Villas-Boas, Kenny Dalglish, Mick McCarthy, Neil Warnock, Steve Bruce.

And now Harry Redknapp joins the list of Premier League managers on their way out after perceived disappointments.

What does this say about the EPL?

Only that short-termism is rampant and rife in the English top flight, as clubs chase ever-shorter routes to victory, points and Champions League football.

Maybe even Daniel Levy, erstwhile known as one of the best chairmen in the Premier League, has now succumbed to the lures of instant success.

He will have to make a fantastic managerial appointment in the coming weeks to justify letting go of Harry Redknapp.

Spurs’ Ambitions Are Increasingly Lofty…and Unachievable

But it won’t be so easy.

After all, with Arsenal finishing in third place and Chelsea winning the Champions League, Tottenham perhaps find themselves as London’s third club once again.

And if the rumors linking key players away from the club do come true, Spurs will find it increasingly hard to fight against a strong current, let alone emerge with their head held high.

To set eyes on lofty ambitions and to hold hopes of success year in, year out is all well and good, but incredibly tough in an ever-competitive Premier League. Liverpool and Aston Villa provide cases in point.

Spurs will have to be wary that the targets they set for their next manager should be achievable.

Otherwise, they might just become involved in a vicious cycle that sees the club cede its well-earned place among England’s elite.

The Future at White Hart Lane…

And so, mere weeks after this observer suggested that Tottenham’s future remained bright under Harry Redknapp despite missing out on next season’s Champions League, a main reason for the optimism is now no longer at White Hart Lane.

Given the time taken to sort out his contract, it became increasingly clear that Redknapp might not have been seen as the preferred long-term option at Spurs.

With the confirmation that he no longer has a future with Spurs, confusion will reign for the next few weeks as the Spurs hierarchy sort out the club’s future with a new boss at the helm.

The future at White Hart Lane is at best uncertain.

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