Harry STAY

[hal9thou]

My judgement is not dependent of the next two or three games.

It hasn't worked out. We've been woeful, terrible to watch, poor market decisions. I don't mind us not being mid table if we bring something to the party. I wouldn't even mind us being unattractive if we parked the bus effectively, but we can't do that either. The real problem will kick in if we go up.

[qblockoompah]

I appreciate your view on the manager's performance even if I view it very slightly differently. I think the major issue which has been grossly under played is the nature and timing of injuries to key players. I agree he doesn't know his best team but that's hardly surprising given the number of times he has had a fully fit squad to select from.

Anyway, what I find disappointing is the total lack of flair from a side managed by him given the style of football he played at Spurs. I cannot believe he changed his ethos of fast attacking football with quality wide men just because Phillips was unavailable so much as he was. It is possible, in fact probable, that he has been away from the Championship for too long - his season there with Pompey went well of course but things have changed at this level so much now. His "vision" of possession football and nicking a goal worked for a while until teams worked out how to stop it and he doesn't seem to have found another method and, for that, I am as mad as the next man. He has however managed to get a half fit bunch of cripples into a position where we can still go up.
Now here's my problem - when we went down Harry said judge me on my own team, not the bunch of mugs I inherited (ok, so I paraphrase a little). I find it hard to do that because most of his decent acquisitions have missed lengthy periods of the season (Charlie, Phillips and Simpson being prime examples) as have some of those he kept and wanted to use, such as Armband, Hoilett, Neddy, AJ & BZ. Bobby Z is a perfect example as he has shown some proper desire since he came back fitter than ever towards the end of the season.
As much as it's not easy to judge on the above basis, he has, at the moment still got a good shot at getting us promoted back to the Prem at the first attempt - something that has (I believe) only been achieved once in the history of the PL? If we go up, then he has achieved, albeit without flowing attacking football, and his "theory" that you have to play ugly to get promoted is plausible. Again, if promotion is achieved, it will be (arguably) a big tick due to the number of crucial long term injuries.
If however we miss out my judgment will probably be that he failed and didn't make the most of the assets he had.
On a final note, whilst I understand your point of view, I look at the pedigree of the teams in the Championship this year and don't agree that it has been a poor league. All of the members of this season's Championship have been members of the EPL since its inception, bar 6 and one of those (Millwall) have been to a cup final in very recent times

Excellent post

[Olly]

Nice one.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/oliver-holt-column-harry-redknapp-3536136