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Harry Redknapp: Tottenham can be as big as Arsenal
There may be only a few miles between their stadiums, but as far as Tottenham Hotspur are concerned, Arsenal have been occupying a different footballing world recently. However, if victory for Harry Redknapp on the day he took charge at White Hart Lane represented one small step, a similar result against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium this evening would send his new club into orbit.
Successive Tottenham managers have talked about closing the gap on their North London rivals, but, even allowing for Tottenham’s 5-1 derby victory in the Carling Cup semi-final, second leg last season, the clubs are as far apart as they have been in the past 15 years — off the pitch, too.
Tottenham are expected to announce strong financial results and plans for a new stadium tomorrow, but their fans count success by performances on the pitch and the last time that their club finished higher than Arsenal in the league was in 1995. “They have moved away, but with hard work it is a gap that can be closed,” Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, said. “It is going to take time. You can talk about traditions, but it’s now that is important. Arsenal have top players, we’ve got good players, but we’ve got to close the gap.
“If we had a 50,000 or 60,000-seat stadium, we’d be filling it and, financially, there would be nothing between the clubs, but it’s about what you do on the pitch.”
Despite Tottenham’s first league win of the season, against Bolton Wanderers on Sunday, they are bottom of the Barclays Premier League and Redknapp is focusing on avoiding relegation. “Long term, we want to challenge for a top-four position, but the first goal is to stay up,” he said.
Redknapp admits that his side boast few leaders, but he believes that Jonathan Woodgate or Michael Dawson can rise to the challenge. “You can’t change people so they suddenly start bossing everybody,” Redknapp said.
The manager may ask Manchester United to loan him Ben Foster, the goalkeeper, for the rest of the season, but he is supportive of Heurelho Gomes, whose cavalier displays have caused panic. “He is a brave ’keeper who does not hide on his line,” Redknapp said. “He looks to me like he could go on to become a real outstanding goalkeeper.”
Gomes’s quick, accurate distribution was among the reasons that he was signed by Juande Ramos. The Spaniard, who was dismissed on Saturday, has thanked Tottenham for giving him “the opportunity to live a dream and Premier League’s emotion”, but blamed the poor start to the season on a “hectic” summer that was marked by upheaval to his squad. “It stopped us working in the relaxed manner that this period of preparation deserves,” Ramos said. “When Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov left, it had a huge effect on the team.”
Ars鑞e Wenger, the Arsenal manager, was surprised by Ramos’s exit.
“I feel sorry for him because I rate him as a coach and as a man,” Wenger said. “He had a good start, but he lost confidence and they lost confidence in him.”
Arsenal under Wenger have lost only once in 23 matches against teams managed by Redknapp — in October 1999, when West Ham United, inspired by Paolo Di Canio, won 2-1 at Upton Park. “He loves football, so we share the same passion,” Wenger said. “He is usually very good at buying players and balancing teams.”
Bacary Sagna, the defender, could return to the Arsenal starting line-up this evening after three weeks out with a knee problem. Gareth Bale, the left-sided player, will return from suspension for Tottenham.
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Post time 28-10-2008 10:06 AM
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