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Showing posts with label Sir Alex Ferguson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sir Alex Ferguson. Show all posts
Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool are locked in battle for the signature of Fluminense defender Anderson, according to The Sun.
Reds manager Rafa Benitez is understood to have been tracking 21-year-old Anderson for some time, with the Spaniard sending scouts to see the highly-rated Brazilian to check on his progress last year.
Benitez is keen on luring Anderson to Anfield, with the possibility that Danish International Daniel Agger (left) could leave the Merseyside club due to talks reportedly breaking down over a new deal and could force a transfer through to Serie A club AC Milan. The Rossoneri are still interested in bringing Agger to the San Siro, despite already having an offer for the former Brondby player rejected.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who already has the young Brazilian Da Silva twins at Old Trafford had declared the Red Devils spending in January over. Following the double capture of Serbian pair Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic from Partizan Belgrade, but is eager to add the Brazilian to his squad after the breakthrough of Rafael Da Silva into the Red Devils first team this season.
Anderson’s contract at the Tricolor Carioca is due to run out in the summer, with the defender available for as little as €3.5million. Anderson has played 31 times for Fluminense, with the defender making his Campeonato debut in 2006 after coming through the youth ranks at the club.
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has made an agreement to join Real Madrid next summer with Los Merengues president Ramon Calderon, according to guillembalague.com.
23-year-old Ronaldo, who has just been crowned FIFA World Player of the Year had been heavily tipped to leave Old Trafford for the Bernabeu in the summer. After a drawn out saga of ‘will he, wont he’ leave the Premier League Champions last summer for the La Liga giants.
Although no deal has been made with United, who are adamant that Ronaldo will stay in the Premiership. It is claimed that Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes have come to an agreement for the Portuguese International to leave England for Spain at the end of the season.
Calderon is understood to have sanctioned the structure of the move, according to the Spanish website, which will smash the previous world record transfer of Zinedine Zidane to Real from Juventus in 2001 for £46million.
Real are believed to have set aside €85million for the transfer itself as well as an additional fund of €30million to cover any add-ons, signing fees and clauses, which could take the total cost in luring Ronaldo to the La Liga side to as much as €115million. Ronaldo is said to be in line for €12million a year, while his agent Mendes stands to pocket a cool €8million from the deal.
Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, will find it hard to resist any such offer for Ronaldo, but if the winger has indeed agreed in principle to end his time at Old Trafford and leave for Real Madrid. Then Ferguson has already shown in the past by allowing Jaap Stam and David Beckham to leave United that no player is bigger than the club.
Premier League Champions Manchester United are considering a move for goalkeeper Diego Lopez at La Liga side Villarreal, who is also understood to have been the subject of an approach from Chelsea this month, according to reports in Spain.
Tottenham Hotspur along with the Red Devils local rivals Manchester City have also been linked with 27-year-old Lopez recently, with the Spanish keeper impressing in La Liga since his £5million switch from Real Madrid in 2007.
Lopez first caught the eye of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, with his displays against the Premiership side in two goalless draws in the Champions League for El Submarino Amarillo this season. With the Scot praising the Spaniard after the clash at the Estadio El Madrigal.
Ferguson is now understood to be considering a bid to bring Lopez to Old Trafford as he searches for the long-term successor to Man United No1 Edwin van der Sar, but is sure to face stiff competition from Chelsea, who are also eager to recruit the former Los Merengues keeper.
However, Villarreal are unlikely to let Lopez, who was a pivotal figure in last seasons campaign in La Liga in which Villarreal finished second leave the Spanish side, with Lopez under a long-term contract in Spain until 2014.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has fired the first shot to counterpart Rafa Benitez at Liverpool, with the United boss claiming that the Reds “will get nervous” as they look to close in on their first Premier League title this season.
Although the Red Devils trail Liverpool by 7 points as the Premiership enters into its first round of fixtures in 2009, Ferguson insists that the experience of bringing the title back to Old Trafford in the past two seasons will stand the Champions in good stead.
If Man United win their two games in hand they will be just a point behind the Merseyside club, with Ferguson knowing what it takes to win the Premier League from behind, having trailed Arsenal last season at this point and going on to win the Premiership.
Ferguson feels that the pressure of Liverpool trying to land their first top-flight title since 1990, will make the Anfield side nervous as they venture into the unknown and that if Benitez’s side make mistakes in the run-in they could be punished for them.
“There’s no doubt that in the second half of the season they will get nervous,” said Ferguson.
“With the experience we’ve got, having won a couple of titles in the past couple of years especially, it helps you.
“There’s no doubt about that. They’re going into the unknown, and if you make mistakes, then you get punished.”
Carlos Tevez has shrouded more doubt on his future at Manchester United, with the striker claiming that despite wanting to stay at Old Trafford he will quit the club if he has to.
24-year-old Tevez has been at the Premier League Champions since joining from West Ham in 2007, with United now having to pay the agreed £32million for the Argentine International’s registration.
Tevez has come out and refuted Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s comments that the striker had rejected an offer from United, with Tevez dismayed that the saga has already dragged on for a year-and-a-half.
“I didn't like him (Ferguson) saying I didn't like the offer I was made because neither my agent nor me were given one,” Tevez told Radio del Plata.
“I don't know anything on my future. United know what they must pay (£32m) if they want me to stay.
“I want to stay but the club have not made any offer. I've been waiting for them for a year and a half.
"If I have to quit the club, I want to quit on good terms."
Amidst the speculation La Liga giants Real Madrid along with Arsenal and Manchester City have shown an interest in Tevez, with the Argentine claiming that he would sign for another club if they offered him a five-year contract.
“Now all clubs are on an equal footing. If a club comes to me and offers me a five-year deal, I will accept it for peace of mind,” he added.
“I will sign my last contract, and then I figure that I'll go back to Boca (Juniors.) That could be in four or five years.”
“I want everybody to know no offer has been made. I don't like that they are playing with our fans, who show their love to me in each match.”
Premier League clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are both chasing the signature of Spanish winger Angel Lafita at Deportivo La Coruna, according to The People.
24-year-old Lafita has become the subject of interest of a number of sides, with West Ham and Manchester United also linked with the Spaniard, who has scored 5 goals in 8 La Liga appearances for Depor after coming back from some injury problems at the start of the season.
However, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has declared that the Premiership Champions transfer business for January was finished after the double signing of Serbian pair Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljalic from Partizan Belgrade. Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola has to sell before he can bring fresh faces into Upton Park, which leaves Spurs and the Reds to fight it out for Lafita.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez had hinted on Friday that it would be difficult and expensive to find players at the right price to improve the squad at Anfield, with Lafita an attractive proposition for the Merseyside club as he is valued at around £3million by Depor.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp sees the Spanish winger as an alternative to main target Stewart Downing at Middlesbrough, with Lafita’s modest price tag also something to consider for the Spurs manager in his pursuit of a left-sided player to bring to White Hart Lane.
Lafita, is under contract at the Riazor until 2012, but has made no secret of his desire to play for a bigger club, with it understood that El Turco will allow the midfielder to leave Spain if their valuation is met by either Premier League club.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has conceded that Portuguese International Cristiano Ronaldo must learn to live and deal with the treatment that the winger is receiving on the pitch this season.
Since his comeback from injury in the Premier League this season, Balon d’Or winner has found the form of his last campaign hard to come by, with the former Sporting Lisbon player showing his frustration in a series of ill-disciplined incidents in recent weeks.
The latest incident saw the Red Devils talisman square up to Emanuel Pogatetz at Old Trafford in their Premiership encounter against Middlesbrough last Monday. This follows Ronaldo kicking out petulantly at Celtic player Scott Brown in the Champions League along with Tottenham Hotspur’s Michael Dawson and Andy Wilkinson of Stoke City.
This sentiment has been echoed by Ferguson, but the United boss has also claimed that this sort of treatment comes with the territory and that Ronaldo must learn to accept and deal with the close attention he receives.
“Of course I can understand Cristiano's frustration," said Ferguson.
“Enough has been said about it already but I can understand it.
“He has produced little moments of displeasure at the treatment he is getting.
“They are trivial things, but as he has said himself, because it is Ronaldo it is magnified.
“That is the penalty for being a great player. He has to understand that.”
Chelsea are set to join Premier League Champions Manchester United in the race for Belgian starlet Axel Witsel, who plays for Standard Liege, according to reports.
Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is understood to be a big admirer of 19-year-old midfielder Witsel and is reported as already having a £19million offer turned down for the Belgian International last month.
Now Chelsea are believed to have made enquiries about the Les Rouches player, who has already made 78 appearances, scoring 16 goals in the process since making his senior debut for Standard in 2006 after coming through the youth set-up at the Belgian club and was a pivotal figure in Standard winning their first league title in 25 years last season.
Standard Liege however, are in no hurry to let their prodigy leave the Stade Maurice Dufrasne, having already sold one of their stars Marouane Felliani to Premiership club Everton in the summer for £15million, with it unlikely that Wisel will be allowed to leave in January, while the Belgian side are still involved in the UEFA Cup.
This would mean Chelsea having to wait until next summer before starting a bidding war with the Red Devils for the signature of Witsel, with the Blues hoping to have sneaked in to do a deal for Witsel, while United were away at the World Club Championships in Japan.
Tottenham Hotspur play, Manchester United in the Premier League at White Hart Lane on Saturday.
Harry Redknapp’s Spurs side will go into the clash with the Premiership Champions full of confidence, having won five of their eight Premier League matches since Redknapp arrived at White Hart Lane from Portsmouth. Despite this good run Tottenham still find, themselves just three points off the drop zone. In what has become a very tight and congested bottom half of the table. The return of Luka Modric last week against West Ham United saw the North London club get back to winning ways after losing to Everton the week before.
Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will have been relieved to, have scraped a 1-0 injury time win against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light last week, which kept the Red Devils in touch at the top of the Premier League with Chelsea and Liverpool. The big talking point of the day, will be the return of Bulgarian International Dimitar Berbatov to his former club Spurs and the reaction the striker will get from the fans after leaving White Hart Lane in acrimonious circumstances in the summer.
Tottenham are unable to call on long-term injury Alan Hutton (metatarsal) and Giovanni (ankle) for the visit of United, with Redknapp likely to play either Roman Pavlychenko or Darren Bent in a lone strikers role against the European Champions.
Ferguson will be without Owen Hargreaves (knee) and Wes Brown (ankle) for the trip to White Hart Lane, while former Tottenham players Berbatov and Michael Carrick are to have late fitness tests along with England International Rio Ferdinand, who is also a doubt with a back problem. Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to feature after being rested in midweek, but Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney are both suspended.
"Berbatov and Carrick are the main worries," Ferguson told MUTV.
"I'm sure Ronaldo will be okay. His hip is still a bit tender, but hopefully he'll be back."
Former Manchester United midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba has claimed that he has “unfinished business” in the Premier League, with the combative midfielder open to a move to West Ham United, who are reportedly keen on the Cameroon International from Odense BK in Denmark.
27-year-old Djemba-Djemba spent two years at Old Trafford after arriving from French side Nantes in 2003, but failed to live up to his reputation and was sold by Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson to Aston Villa in 2005, with the midfielder only making 20 league appearances for United.
Djemba-Djemba also failed to make an impression at Villa Park and was sent out on loan to Championship side Burnley before being sold by the Villans to Qatar SC in 2007, where the midfielder only made one appearance before joining Odense in 2008.
However, Djemba-Djemba has shown the type of form in Denmark that prompted Ferguson to pay £3.5million for him and has now attracted the attention of new Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola, who is keen to bring the midfielder back to the Premier League.
Djemba-Djemba told Sky Sports: “I am having a good season.
“I lost my way a bit when I signed for Manchester United, but I am a good player. You don't play alongside Roy Keane and Paul Scholes if you are a bad player.
“West Ham, are interested, I've heard, so that means I am having a good season.
“I have unfinished business with the Premier League, so who knows? It would be good to go back there and prove myself.”
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has snubbed the Merseyside clubs initial £12million offer on a new deal at Anfield, with the former Valencia coach understood to be holding out for parity in financial terms with the other manager’s of the ‘Big Four’ clubs in the Premier League, according to The News of the World.
The initial offer was believed to be a two-year extension to Benitez’s current contract at Liverpool, which runs out in 2010, with his annual salary to rise from £3.5million to just under £4million for the remainder of his time at the Reds.
However, Benitez has turned down this offer, with the Spaniard wanting his new deal to match those of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal and Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who both reportedly earn in the region of £4.5million a year.
American co-owner’s Tom Hicks and George Gillett are arguing that Benitez has not won a trophy for Liverpool since his last contract renewal in 2006, with the wages Benitez is demanding proving to be a major stumbling block in thrashing out a deal to extend his four-year stay on the Red half of Merseyside.
Benitez has always insisted that he wishes to remain at Anfield and is understood to want a five-year deal at Liverpool, but his initial refusal at the two-year contract on offer, will alert La Liga Champions Real Madrid, who want to bring Benitez back to Spain at the Bernabeu. Where the Spaniard started his coaching career spending nine-years in charge of the Real Madrid youth and B teams.
Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United target Vedad Ibisevic has welcomed the interest from the Premier League clubs, but insists that he will not leave Bundesliga side Hoffenheim at the end of the season.
Bosnian International Ibisevic has been at Hoffenheim since 2007, with the 24-year-old striker scoring 22 goals in 46 league appearances for the German side and is an integral part of the team at the Carl-Benz Stadion, which were promoted from the second division in Germany last year and are now leading Bayern Munich by 3 points at the top of the Bundesliga. Ibisevic’s performances in Germany have brought the forward to the attention of Spurs and the Red Devils, who are both reportedly, keen to lure the Bosnian to the Premiership.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is desperate to add another striker to his squad at White Hart Lane in January, with only Roman Pavlyuchenko, Darren Bent and youngster Fraizer Campbell recognised front-men at the North London club.
While, Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson is understood to be willing to wait until next summer to try and land Ibisevic as he already has the dilemma of Argentine International Carlos Tevez, who is a target for Real Madrid to deal with in January.
However, Ibisevic has stated that he intends to remain at the Bundesliga side and see out his contract with the German club, which runs out in 2010.
“The enquiries from other clubs make me a bit proud,” Ibisevic told the Bild newspaper.
“But I will definitively stay with Hoffenheim next season.”
Aston Villa, are to join Liverpool and Manchester United in the race for the signature of Wigan Athletic midfielder Luis Antonio Valencia, when the transfer window reopens in January, according to The News of the World.
The Sunday tabloid claims that Villa boss Martin O’Neil is planning to make a £7million offer to lure 23-year-old Valencia from the JJB Stadium to Villa Park. As the former Celtic boss looks to build a squad capable of challenging for a Champions League place in the Premiership at the Midlands club.
Ecuador International Valencia signed permanently for the Latics in the summer, having spent the previous two seasons on loan from La Liga club Villarreal and has made 65 Premier League appearances for Steve Bruce’s side.
Valencia has also attracted the attention of Reds boss Rafa Benitez, with the Liverpool boss keen to bring the right-winger to Anfield as a replacement for Jermaine Pennant, who looks destined to leave the Merseyside club in January.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is also said to be interested in bringing Valencia to the Premier League Champions, with the Red Devils chief also linked with Valencia’s club and International team mate Wilson Palacios.
Manchester City play, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in the Premier League at the Eastlands Stadium on Sunday.
Mark Hughes will be pitting his wits against former boss Ferguson in his first Manchester Derby as a manager, with the City manager keen to put one over on his old mentor. The Blues go into this game on the back of an excellent 3-0 win against Arsenal last weekend and an impressive victory over Bundesliga side Schalke 04 in the UEFA Cup on Thursday. However, while City have been scoring quite freely this season they are also prone to concede goals, with Hughes aware that any defensive frailties will be exposed by the Premier League Champions on Sunday. Man City, are yet to draw a game in the Premiership at the Eastlands and are 11th in the table.
Ferguson takes the Red Devils into this derby on a run of indifferent form, with the European Champions failing to score in their last two outings against Aston Villa in the Premiership last weekend and Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday. However, with the talent at his disposal at Old Trafford, Ferguson will be confident that United can collect all three points at the Eastlands and keep touch with Premier League pacesetters, Chelsea and Liverpool, who are the only teams above United in the table.
Hughes will hope to have British record signing Robinho back for this derby clash, who missed the UEFA Cup tie with Schalke on Thursday with an ankle injury. City are unable to call on Valeri Bojinov (calf), Michael Johnson (groin) and Martin Petrov (knee). The Blues will give late fitness tests to Pablo Zabaleta (thigh) and Gelson Fernandes (hamstring) along with Robinho. Elano should feature for City after missing the European tie due to his wife giving birth on Wednesday.
United are unable to call on Paul Scholes (knee), Owen Hargreaves (knee) and Wes Brown (ankle) for the short trip across Manchester, but could welcome back summer signing from Tottenham Hotspur Dimitar Berbatov and defender Gary Neville if they can shake off injuries in time to take their place against their local rivals at the Eastlands. Edwin van der Sar should be back to replace Tomas Kuszczak in goal after missing the clash with Villarreal.
Premier League clubs Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have been given fresh hope of signing EURO 2008 star Xavi from La Liga giants Barcelona Xavi after talks about a new deal at the Nou Camp for the midfielder stalled again.
28-year-old Xavi is a product of the Barca youth set-up and has been at the Catalan club since 1991, but has not been able to agree a new deal at the Nou Camp, with the Spanish International’s current contract due to run out in 2010.
It is understood that there have been more than 10 meeting between Xavi and the Catalan club, but the two parties are still unable to come to an agreement, with the Spanish International seeking parity with top-earners Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry at the Nou Camp.
Director of football at Barcelona, Txiki Begiristain has admitted that the deal could take weeks or months to conclude and insisted that this type of deal is not easy to close.
Begiristain said: “Xavi is a great player and has some large expectations. In the world of the football it is not easy to close this type of contract because of the length of the deal and the need to keep a salary equilibrium of the staff.
“If it was easy the deal would already be done.”
However, Xavi’s agent Ivan Corretja revealed recently that the talks will not be allowed to go on forever and confirmed the interest in Xavi by clubs from the Premiership.
Corretja, told The Daily Star recently: “We have not been able to solve the situation at Barcelona, despite some months of negotiations. We feel he should be offered a deal which reflects his performances on the pitch.
“Everybody at Barcelona knows that there are some big European clubs interested in Xavi, particularly in England at the moment, and we will not allow this to go on forever.”
With 18 months remaining on Xavi’s current contract at Barcelona, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is monitoring the situation at the Nou Camp, with an offer in the region of £20million being mooted in the January transfer window to bring Xavi to Old Trafford. However, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is also keen to pair Xavi with countryman Cesc Fabregas at the Emirates Stadium, with Liverpool also reportedly interested in bringing the central-midfielder to Anfield.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he could recall England Under-21 International Fraizer Campbell from his season-long loan at Tottenham Hotspur after the striker’s fine form in recent games for the North London club.
21-year-old Campbell joined Spurs on loan as part of the £30.75 deal that took Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov from White Hart Lane to Old Trafford on transfer deadline day, which was the deciding factor in letting Berbatov leave for the Premier League Champions.
Despite not being used by former manager Juande Ramos, Campbell has shone under new boss Harry Redknapp. The young forward has scored four goals in his last three games, twice against Liverpool in the Carling Cup, once against Man City in the Premiership and his first goal for the England Under-21 side in his man-of-the-match performance against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
This form has made Ferguson sit up and take note of Campbell and despite having Berbatov along with Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney at his disposal the United boss has said that recalling the youngster in the New Year is an option.
“We could pull him back in January,” said Ferguson.
“We have to the option and it is a possibility.
“The boy has been fantastic at Spurs.
However, Ferguson is unlikely to take that option with the riches already at his disposal at the Red Devils and went on to reveal that United need to have Campbell playing first-team football. Something that is more likely at Spurs than at Man United at the moment.
“He is a good player but we needed to get him first-team experience, so we agreed to it so the deal with Berbatov went through,” Ferguson added.
New Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is ready to test the resolve of counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson at Premier League Champions Manchester United in the January transfer window, with a £10million bid for England International goalkeeper Ben Foster (below), according to reports.
Redknapp is not convinced about current Spurs No1 Heurelho Gomes following a series of gaffes in goal for Tottenham, both before and after the former Portsmouth chief’s arrival at White Hart Lane last month. With the Brazilian International’s latest error costing the North London club a point in their clash with Fulham on Saturday.
Shay Given at Newcastle United is understood to be Redknapp’s first choice to replace the hapless Gomes between the posts at Tottenham. However, Magpies boss Joe Kinnear has already declared that Given will not be leaving St James’ Park and recently issued a hands off warning to Spurs.
“I can save Harry the time and money and tell him not to bother even picking up the telephone, because there is no way Shay Given will be leaving this club,” Kinnear told the Newcastle Evening Chronicle last week.
Tottenham will now reportedly turn their attention towards 25-year-old Foster, who is behind Dutch International Edwin van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak in the pecking order at Old Trafford. Foster has always insisted that he wishes to remain at the European Champions, but knows that he must be playing regular first-team football if he is to add to his one cap for England under Fabio Capello.
Ferguson will be reluctant to let Foster leave the Red Devils, but will be tested by an offer in the region of £10million by Tottenham for Foster. However, the board at United are likely to see the deal as good business for a player that has been at Old Trafford since 2005, but has only made 2 senior appearances for United during that time.
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson looks set to beat off competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea to the signature of EURO 2008 star Xavi from La Liga giants Barcelona, according to reports.
28-year-old Xavi is a product of the Barca youth set-up and has been at the Catalan club since 1991, but has not been able to agree a new deal at the Nou Camp, with the Spanish International’s current contract due to run out in 2010.
Contract negotiations at the Nou Camp have stalled between Barca and Xavi, with the midfielder, who was voted player of the tournament at EURO 2008 feeling that the deal on offer at Barcelona does not reflect his importance to the Spanish side or his performances on the pitch.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola declared recently that Xavi would not be sold while he remained in charge at the Nou Camp, but Xavi’s agent Ivan Corretja has revealed that Xavi has not been able to resolve the situation at Barca and that the midfielder is wanted by a host of European clubs, especially in the Premiership.
Corretja, told The Daily Star: “We have not been able to solve the situation at Barcelona, despite some months of negotiations. We feel he should be offered a deal which reflects his performances on the pitch.
“Everybody at Barcelona knows that there are some big European clubs interested in Xavi, particularly in England at the moment, and we will not allow this to go on forever.”
Ferguson is monitoring the situation at the Nou Camp, with an offer in the region of £20million being mooted in the January transfer window to bring Xavi to Old Trafford. However, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is also keen to pair Xavi with countryman Cesc Fabregas at the Emirates Stadium, with Liverpool and Chelsea also reportedly interested in the central-midfielder.
If Tottenham really do want to move forward then Harry Redknapp is a far better candidate than Juande Ramos ever was or ever will be to make Spurs a real force in the Premier League.
In terms of Premiership experience we all know it’s a no-contest, with the hapless Spaniard Ramos arriving from Sevilla last year with a big reputation after winning back-to-back UEFA Cups beating Spurs along the way for his second success, but not a day of management under his belt in the strongest league in Europe
Redknapp on the other hand has been an almost constant in the Premier League since taking over from Billy Bonds at West Ham United in 1994. Only Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and the Frenchman at that other North London club have more experience. He knows the Premier League inside out from top to bottom and has shown more than once that he has the ability to build something, but don’t take my word for it lets see.
Ramos has been a manager in football for 15-years. How many clubs? 11 yes 11. So not much hanging around anywhere too long eh Juande. In fact his longest stints anywhere were at Rayo Vallecano between 1998-2001, where to be fair he did get them promoted to La Liga and to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, albeit through the Fair Play league. You see we all know Ramos’ teams don’t do tackling. The other was Real Betis between 2001-2004, where he didn’t really set the world on fire. We weren’t the quickest to sack him though, after Betis, Espanyol sacked him after 5 games in 2004.
No real consistency including a disastrous season in charge of the Barcelona B side, so he may have won the league cup with Spurs, but so did George Graham.
In contrast, Redknapp to me has always been consistent. He came into management at Bournemouth after trying to come out of retirement as a player in 1982, played once for the Cherries and then took over at Dean Court in 1983 and stayed for 11 years. In 1984 they knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup, Redknapp has a habit of doing that. Bournemouth, were promoted for the first time in their history to what we now know as the Championship in 1987, with Redknapp being the most successful manager they have ever had.
Redknapp left Bournemouth for Upton Park and West Ham in 1994, who were already in the new Premier League, but had spent the previous decade yo-yoing between the old first and second division. Harry kept them there even finishing 5th in the 1998-1999 season, no UEFA Cup place back then, but got them into Europe through the back door, sorry Inter-Toto. During his time at Upton Park Redknapp gained that wheeler-dealer reputation by exploiting the ‘Bosman’ ruling and using his only too clear communication skills to attract players, Redknapp was sacked by the Hammers, for a few misguided comments to a fanzine in 2001. West Ham, were relegated two seasons later.
Redknapp went to Portsmouth as director of football, a role he now despises with a passion. Then took over from Graham Rix in March 2002 as boss and passed West Ham on the way into the Premier League in 2003, having won the Championship and kept them there before his only moment of madness leaving for Southampton after resigning in November 2004, when chairman Milan Mandaric appointed a director of football.
We all know he didn’t keep Southampton up in that season and resigned the following year in December 2005 to make an emotional return to Portsmouth and somehow keep them up. When everyone apart from the most ardent Pompey fan had them relegated.
Harry started to build again, it’s the only way he knows and Pompey finished 9th the following season. The South coast clubs highest finish since the 50’s. He turned down a big club in Newcastle in 2008, which in poker player terms looks like a good fold now. Then knocks United out of the FA Cup again, wins it and takes Portsmouth into Europe for the first time. Then decided to leave a club he was worshipped at to take over the mess Juande had got us into, which I think is a brave decision.
You see we should not be questioning the appointment of a manager with almost 15-years of Premiership management under his belt. Someone who is now managing his 5th club in 25-years, someone who, with the exception of his moment of ‘Southampton madness’ has built and achieved on limited resources throughout his career as a manager and produced a Liverpool, Spurs and England player in his leisure time.
So now that he is at Tottenham, what can he do?
Well he certainly didn’t waste any time giving a team that had forgotten how to win belief. Looks ok so far three wins out of four, unbeaten, Darren Bent scoring goals. However, the true test is yet to come, but if Redknapp can build at Spurs like he has everywhere else (bar Southampton) then we can only surely reap the rewards from a man, who in my opinion has more than proved that he can take a football club forward. Especially if he can take Tottenham to their highest league position in 50 years, for we know what that means.
So lets embrace him and get behind Redknapp through good and bad, feel privileged he left a club he was idolised at, hope Levy forgets where the trapdoor in his office is and sit back and enjoy what I believe he will do for us. Given the fact that this time he is at a club that has the resources to actually really go somewhere and his history of sticking around to see the job done.
On a final note as I feel there still might be those, who fear Redknapp can’t replicate his success at smaller clubs with Tottenham. Well In 1986 Ferguson arrived at Old Trafford from Aberdeen the rest as they say is history, but with Harry in charge at Spurs it just maybe our future.
Manchester United are set to land teenage sensation Fabian Delph from Leeds United, with the Premier League Champions claimed to have beaten off Arsenal for the signature of the youngster, who has also attracted interest from West Bromwich Albion, Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and Chelsea.
Recent reports have suggested that Delph was to leave Elland Road for the Emirates Stadium in January, with the Gunners to loan the midfielder back to the Yorkshire side until the end of the season.
However, an insider at the Red Devils has claimed that Delph will be arriving at Old Trafford in January in a deal worth around £5million, with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson moving quickly to land the left-sided player after losing out to Arsenal on Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey.
A United insider said: “It’s as certain as it gets that Fabian will be a Red in January. It’s a done deal.”
18-year-old Delph has been at Leeds since 2001 and has scored 3 goals in 16 league appearances for the Whites, with the midfielder also being capped by England at Under-19 level this year.
Benitez is keen on luring Anderson to Anfield, with the possibility that Danish International Daniel Agger (left) could leave the Merseyside club due to talks reportedly breaking down over a new deal and could force a transfer through to Serie A club AC Milan. The Rossoneri are still interested in bringing Agger to the San Siro, despite already having an offer for the former Brondby player rejected.
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