Paul Parker

Redknapp lacks tactical nous for England job

The FA should look closely at Harry Redknapp's tactics as they prepare to appoint the next England manager.

Poor defending from both sides made for an entertaining North London derby, and Arsenal showed some good fight to come back from a bad position.

But maybe Spurs boss Redknapp has shown with his recent decisions that he is tactically not ready for the England job.

He's the popular choice, but that doesn't mean he's the right choice — and the last couple of games should be a cause for concern at the FA.

For some unknown reason against Arsenal he decided to change the way Tottenham have played all season, and went for two up front away at the Emirates.

Most of Spurs' success has come with Rafael van der Vaart playing just behind the striker - why change a winning formula?

Spurs weren't playing especially well but they got themselves into a 2-0 lead, and at that point you should make sure you don't lose it.

But Redknapp changed everything drastically again at half-time, and I couldn't understand the introduction of Sandro, who was all over the place.

Spurs have still got question marks against them when they play the teams that matter in this division so far this season — they have to go to Stamford Bridge soon too, and things could get nervous.

And big tactical changes don't help. Look at the FA Cup game when Spurs played Stevenage — Harry had three at the back.

There was no need to do that, and whatever Redknapp might have had to say about the pitch, Stevenage were playing on the same grass!

If he kept his side as they were and attacked the League One side, surely they'd have won that game? Would Manchester City have changed the formation like that? Would United? Would Arsenal?

There are a lot of Tottenham fans in Stevenage of course, and it was a huge game for them. Harry got that game badly wrong.

Redknapp might be the media's flavour of the month now, but once he's in charge of the national side the press will be watching and judging his every tactical move with more scrutiny.

Those friends in the media will disappear pretty fast if he picks three centre-backs for England.

In fact, you'll probably find people calling for a tactician to come into the job — probably another continental expert!

Meanwhile Tottenham need to be careful, despite their excellent season so far. They're only seven points clear of the battle for fourth place and if they lose to Manchester United next weekend, that could become four. Will they then start looking down the table nervously? Who are the players in that side who are used to those heady heights?

They should still qualify for the Champions League, and that will be a terrific achievement for Spurs. But Harry's focus needs to be on the Premier League and his club job, and if I were him, I'd stay there. For all these tactical question marks he's done great things at Spurs, and the job is not finished.

 
  • paul parker  •  2 months ago
    'He's the popular choice, but that doesn't mean he's the right choice — and the last couple of games should be a cause for concern at the FA.'

    the popular choice of people on here, is that i pi,55 off
    • alchemist 2 months ago
      xxxxxxxxxcellent post,love it.
    • cellan j 2 months ago
      pair of retards, bet neither of you could do better
  • Noel  •  Edinburgh, Scotland  •  2 months ago
    Hope the press have as much to say about that cheat bale as they would if it was an arsenal player.
    • doug 2 months ago
      Totally agree,Bale has become no more than a cheating diver
    • Andrew L 2 months ago
      Parker probably wants one of his former Man Utd chums to get the England job like Beckham! If we are going for an English manager than Redknapp will get the best out of our players and probably end some of the cliques in the team.
    • Tony 2 months ago
      noel and doug you take the biggist bullshit on here
  • Mukesh  •  London, England  •  2 months ago
    we said capello had no international experience...rednapp has no experience...capello won everything with every club..rednapp??....what have england won with english managers
    • GARTH 2 months ago
      same as they won with foreign managers , nothing
    • Jay 2 months ago
      I think they won the World cup with an English manager and won nothing with the two foreign manager they have had, lets forget about all 13 English managers that won nothing as well? The best man for the job is the best man for the job.
    • peri 2 months ago
      The World Cup thanks. We have 1 Mukesh; does your poor country have 1? ;)
  • Daniel  •  2 months ago
    i think Roy Hodgson would be a good England boss, he has european experience as a manager and seems to get the best out of an average squad, lets face it England are average
  • gene  •  2 months ago
    cause He lost 1 game and you doubt his ability as a coach? All good successful teams loose game even for the coach faults, it doesn't make them bad coaches. Sir Alex lost to City 6-1 and it was his faults why it finished 6-1 and not maybe 2-0... but that game didn't make him a bad coach...Come on Paul Parker, your judgement is not right this time.
  • steve  •  Liverpool, England  •  2 months ago
    Why does Mr "ballbag" Parker always have to be so contrary? Plus, he doesn't say who he would have instead of Redknapp either. Let's be honest here...what are the choices? Redknapp, O'Neill? Who else? This idiot Parker gets paid for this as well!!
    • survivor 2 months ago
      How about SAF with Mourino going to Old Trafford?
  • moonraker  •  2 months ago
    I agree, Look at Martin O Neil his side beat by Arsenal so he learns, next encounter totally different tactics and they win . He's a wily old fox that should be considered
  • DAVID C  •  Dublin, Ireland  •  2 months ago
    Parker yawn yawn yawn
  • paul h  •  London, England  •  2 months ago
    Harry took them from relegation to the champions league in two years. Imagine what he could do with England.
    England are not one of the best teams in the world, we need to realise this. But Harry would certainly get the best out of them.
    We've had managers with 'tactical nous' and we haven't really got very far. I think a change of managerial style towards the England job would be a good thing. Harry's man management skills are second to none, and would get the best out of the England players and get them playing with more confidence. I also think they way he sets up his team to attack and play at speed is what the England team needs. In the EPL the games is played at a much higher pace than other leagues, and the thing that annoys me about England is they don;t play like that in internationals. If he brings that to the table along with his man managerment skills, I can see England doing better than they have on a long time.
  • granddad pops  •  2 months ago
    NEVER A TRUER WORD SPOKEN,you"ve got it right for once MR PARKER..well done keep up the good work...
  • norman  •  Seville, Spain  •  2 months ago
    Redknapp has limited IQ therefore unsuitable for the English Managers job
  • andrew  •  2 months ago
    well its only the last couple of games that havent been great-when we beat newcastle 5-0 every1 jumped on the bandwagon ffs.give him a go-him and peace should be there & beckham as well
  • chris c  •  Brighton, England  •  2 months ago
    i would be interested to learn where mr parker learnt his great tactical knowledge, and where has he has put it into effect. like most critics, those who cant actually do it, write about it!!! I would have been more impressed if he had experience as a coach or manager, but of course that would mean his own thoughts/ideas would be put to the test!!. So he makes a decision about harry's tactical nous from one game?? and what were his comments after the milan game last year?? he obviously never played in a game where the coach/manager got it wrong ever? i think its interesting that not one player from spurs has complained about the wrong tactics, and i think i know why, they knew it was they who didnt do as they were told, and it was individual mistakes that cost us the game, not the managers tactical ineptitude.
  • Alf  •  Montpellier, France  •  2 months ago
    A first for Parker, he's actually got it right.!!!
  • jonathan  •  Paris, France  •  2 months ago
    Look who's talking about tactical nous....
  • longtimespur  •  2 months ago
    You'll get no argument from me over Harry's tactical acumen. He MAY be a great man manager but I feel several times this season he has got things wrong.
    Sometimes I agree with him, 3 CBs v Stevenage because of their up and under style of play was in theory correct.
    That the players weren't up for that game was a slur on his man management as was the fiasco against Arsenal. Is it the players? Do they think Harry is going to run out on them at the end of the season and aren't giving their all? The last few performances have been way below par for the season since the first 2 Manchester results.
  • troy  •  London, England  •  2 months ago
    It is easy to say about any manager that he is not good enough.. not just Redknapp because it is incredibly difficult to do well for England with the current bunch of morons! So, X,Y,Z .. whoever.. I can tell even now that those X,Y,Z is not good enough and I don't have to be half-baked loony like Parker to say these useless thing.
  • lenny  •  2 months ago
    The media have been the undoing of the England national team, you choose the players, you choose the managers, you determine who should start the game and who should not, you people sometimes sucks why cant you let the managers do their jobs and if you believe and you know how to do the analysis the way you usually does why cant you (the media personnel) take up the responsibility rather than to talk.... that's the reasons England national team will never be like Spain or Holland
  • Brizzie Blue  •  Brisbane, Australia  •  2 months ago
    easy enough to slag the guy off (I dont like old Saggy one bit) -
    but prey tell Polish - who do you think should do the job???????????????????????????????????
  • Victoria-Concordia-Cresci ...  •  London, England  •  2 months ago
    Parker, we all know who is the king of London .....and we all know Rednapp is not a world class manager, he just had a good run with Spurs but I am afraid it's coming to end...Endland doesn't need another crook.....

About Paul Parker

Paul Parker enjoyed a distinguished career for club and country. The versatile defender won 19 England caps and played the 1990 World Cup semi-final against West Germany. After spells at Fulham and QPR, Paul joined Manchester United in 1991, where he helped the club claim their first league title for 26 years, and won the Double twice. During six seasons at Old Trafford, he played with legends such as Eric Cantona, Roy Keane and David Beckham.

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