HARRY REDKNAPP should come with a health warning.
Just over a year ago he was in hospital with heart trouble and had an op to fit two stents to keep his arteries clear.
Most pensioners would take the cue to kick back and look after a dodgy ticker.
But QPR’s boss is the most unlikely adrenaline junkie you will ever meet. His passion for football is incurable and he is putting his body under incredible stress trying to win Rangers’ survival battle.
He will be flying in from France just about now after a weekend scouting at two matches and will take training before QPR head to West Brom for tomorrow’s FA Cup third round replay.
Redknapp’s doctors should look away now.
He revealed: “I haven’t been home too much lately. It’s difficult but you have to try. I could sit back and say “It’s not my problem, unlucky’ but my life is consumed by saving QPR. I am not sleeping at night, my mind’s going non-stop.
“I got a buzz from today, the whole thing is a buzz.
“And this result was as good as our win at Chelsea last week.”
Redknapp, 65, got his kicks last season pushing Tottenham towards a top-four finish. Getting sacked a few weeks later is not quite what the doctor would order.
Shoe-horning a point out of his old club would have been more pressure before rushing to the airport to catch a plane and two nights in a hotel before back to work this week. But Redknapp is not the only man of vintage years putting himself through the mill to keep Rangers afloat.
Ryan Nelsen, Clint Hill and Shaun Derry are dragging more out of their war-weary bodies than they probably expected to this season.
Redknapp said: “People say they are only Championship players but they are giving it everything and I can’t ask for any more.
“And they are good around the place. Jamie Mackie’s effort — he ain’t Gareth Bale, but does he try? He gives everything.
“They are good lads, not earning big money, but you can rely on them to come out and have a go.
“There’s no big-headedness, or big-time Charlie with them they are great guys to have around, they care for the club and want to do well.
“Ryan Nelsen, what a competitor. I took him to Spurs last year and people said I was mad? He’s one of the best centre-halfs we have had in the Premier League and one of the best characters.
“When he played, he did great for me when I needed him and he has come here and been fantastic.
“You can see why someone wants to want to take him to Toronto and make him a manager but hopefully, we will keep him for another month or six or seven weeks.”
At least the football was played at a more sedentary pace which would have the medics keeping watch on Redknapp a little happier.
Julio Cesar’s superb double save from Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor was the pick of a match which was short on clear-cut chances but not on decent football.
Unfortunately, it’s going to be heart-stopping stuff for Rangers from here on in.
Redknapp faces another of his old clubs this weekend and has a decent record against West Ham.
Defender Fabio said: “With this mentality, with this spirit then we can get the results to get out of this situation.
“Under Mark Hughes we lost games, we lost confidence, but we’ve started to get some results now.
“Harry was very keen to win the game because he managed them before. I think you could see it in the players’ reactions.
“We gave everything on the pitch. The attitude has to be the same in every game to get out of trouble.
“We have to show courage on the pitch, be aggressive and that’s what you need to win games.”
LINK: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz2HuNDHuJd
Just over a year ago he was in hospital with heart trouble and had an op to fit two stents to keep his arteries clear.
Most pensioners would take the cue to kick back and look after a dodgy ticker.
But QPR’s boss is the most unlikely adrenaline junkie you will ever meet. His passion for football is incurable and he is putting his body under incredible stress trying to win Rangers’ survival battle.
He will be flying in from France just about now after a weekend scouting at two matches and will take training before QPR head to West Brom for tomorrow’s FA Cup third round replay.
Redknapp’s doctors should look away now.
He revealed: “I haven’t been home too much lately. It’s difficult but you have to try. I could sit back and say “It’s not my problem, unlucky’ but my life is consumed by saving QPR. I am not sleeping at night, my mind’s going non-stop.
“I got a buzz from today, the whole thing is a buzz.
“And this result was as good as our win at Chelsea last week.”
Redknapp, 65, got his kicks last season pushing Tottenham towards a top-four finish. Getting sacked a few weeks later is not quite what the doctor would order.
Shoe-horning a point out of his old club would have been more pressure before rushing to the airport to catch a plane and two nights in a hotel before back to work this week. But Redknapp is not the only man of vintage years putting himself through the mill to keep Rangers afloat.
Ryan Nelsen, Clint Hill and Shaun Derry are dragging more out of their war-weary bodies than they probably expected to this season.
Redknapp said: “People say they are only Championship players but they are giving it everything and I can’t ask for any more.
“And they are good around the place. Jamie Mackie’s effort — he ain’t Gareth Bale, but does he try? He gives everything.
“They are good lads, not earning big money, but you can rely on them to come out and have a go.
“There’s no big-headedness, or big-time Charlie with them they are great guys to have around, they care for the club and want to do well.
“Ryan Nelsen, what a competitor. I took him to Spurs last year and people said I was mad? He’s one of the best centre-halfs we have had in the Premier League and one of the best characters.
“When he played, he did great for me when I needed him and he has come here and been fantastic.
“You can see why someone wants to want to take him to Toronto and make him a manager but hopefully, we will keep him for another month or six or seven weeks.”
At least the football was played at a more sedentary pace which would have the medics keeping watch on Redknapp a little happier.
Julio Cesar’s superb double save from Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor was the pick of a match which was short on clear-cut chances but not on decent football.
Unfortunately, it’s going to be heart-stopping stuff for Rangers from here on in.
Redknapp faces another of his old clubs this weekend and has a decent record against West Ham.
Defender Fabio said: “With this mentality, with this spirit then we can get the results to get out of this situation.
“Under Mark Hughes we lost games, we lost confidence, but we’ve started to get some results now.
“Harry was very keen to win the game because he managed them before. I think you could see it in the players’ reactions.
“We gave everything on the pitch. The attitude has to be the same in every game to get out of trouble.
“We have to show courage on the pitch, be aggressive and that’s what you need to win games.”
LINK: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz2HuNDHuJd
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