A thread on the WHO made me consider what I think of Redknapp’s time in charge of the club. He was the manager from 1994 to 2001 – a long time as manager.
Evaluating Redknapp’s reign is complicated though. Not least because he hasn’t really appealed as a character since he left the club. It’s far harder to take his cheeky-chappy routine when leaving Southampton in turmoil, or the shady circumstances of going back to Portsmouth, or the police investigations into some of his transfers, and the continuing rumours about his dealings, and his indignance in the media, and the fact that he’s now fluked a superb job at Spurs.
He was at West Ham for the best part of 10 years. Some of them were good, some were pretty bad.
He was in charge during the period when football became massively lucrative and there was an influx of foreign talent. Many teams in the Premiership benefitted in terms of entertainment and the talent coming through their clubs. I remember that we were exciting to watch, but I also remember that Derby had a bunch of exciting players at the time as well. Leicester were entertaining back then. It was a really good time for football.
Some of his signings were inspired, some were awful. Di Canio obviously. Sinclair was pulled from nowhere and turned into an England International player. Boogers, Radicioiu – not so much.
He was clearly good at getting the best out of some players, yet we were always a soft touch away and blew incredibly hot and cold as a side over his time at the club. We often simply wouldn’t turn up at matches, especially away from home – so incredibly inconsistent. We were basically considered a circus act by the media – they loved Redknapp though, and a day wouldn’t go by without a cringeworthy bit of crap from the Redknapp mouth.
Even if you take the misgivings over his dealings, and his actions after leaving the club into account, it’s still not clear what to make of his period in charge. I would say that at the end of it we ended up nowhere as a club, and that’s Redknapp’s biggest negative. 10 years wheeling and dealing and you end up pretty much where you started. Except by the time he left the wage bill was totally out of control, and could have brought the whole club down when we were eventually relegated with Roeder.
Still, it’s a part of our history now, and there’s no doubt that Harry is a huge part of our history now. Yes, a legend I suppose. And I would shake his hand and wish him well as a part of the ‘West Ham family’. With slightly gritted teeth.
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