Spurs made the wrong call to sack Redknapp

Any other day of the week, bar Thursday gone, I would have been shocked at the news Lance Armstrong had been charged with doping offences.

However, it was something else on Thursday that gave me more to think about.

I awoke on Thursday to read that Harry Redknapp had been sacked as manager of Tottenham Hotspur after four years in charge.

My reaction to this story has been one of surprise and frustration.

What? Surely not! It’s all a media beat up; he will be there in 2013!

Even though there had been rumours, surely the Spurs board would see sense and give him an extra three years.

But alas it was true; the most successful Spurs manager since Terry Venables was shown the door by an impatient board.

Redknapp is now the eighth Spurs manager in 11 years, which probably makes his sacking a little more predictable.

Spurs seem to go through managers like Italy goes through Prime Ministers.

Once again Daniel Levy and his board have made a mammoth mistake in sacking Redknapp.

While Spurs are a good side (they made a small challenge for the title), they are still not the top team that Levy thinks they should be.

Levy may have invested £100 million on the team over four years.

Yet that is a pittance compared to the title-chasing sides.

As such, the money has never been available to develop title-winning depth.

I’ve got no doubt that injuries to their best players caused the late-season slump; the depth of the squad was not one that title winners need.

It has been argued that Redknapp was distracted by the England job.

But when Spurs were winning matches Redknapp was in court, accused of tax dodging that could have sent him to jail.

While Levy and his board expect more, they should be glad to finish fourth.

The support and money they invested could only have got them to fourth.

If reports are correct and David Moyes or ABV are in the frame to be the next manager and Levy wants his team to challenge, he needs to pull his finger out and bankroll some signings.

If he doesn’t (judging by the past that’s quite likely), the Spurs will tread water or drop back into the pack.

The Spurs’ fans reaction has also alarmed me.

They, like Levy, seem quite content to see the back of Redknapp.

This is amazing, as they seem to have forgotten the past four years or even their history.

Before Harry arrived, Tottenham were a club living on history.

A big club in the 1980s, the advent of the Premier League saw Tottenham become a club associated with mid-table mediocrity.

Bad owners (Lord Alan Sugar) and bad managers (Christian Gross Ossie Adrilies) saw the club become a laughing stock.

When Redknapp took over eight games into the 2008-2009 season, Tottenham were bottom with just two points.

Spurs finished eighth that year, followed by finishes of fourth, fifth and fourth again.

Also included was a run to the Champions League quarter finals with wins over Inter Milan (4-3 match is the best match I have seen in years) and AC Milan.

While new players helped, without Redknapp I doubt any of the success would have come Spurs way.

So before Levy and the board revises history and whitewashes you from memory, well done Harry for your work at Spurs.

I fear it won’t be long before the club realises what a mistake it has made.