England

Gary Moss

They call him Harry Houdini, but he’ll tell you what he’s done to transform the fortunes at Tottenham Hotspur was actually quite straight forward – and he’s probably right.

Harry Redknapp has done a fabulous job since arriving in N17 in clawing the North Londoners from what seemed a certain relegation doomed position to now upon the fringes of qualification for next season’s UEFA Cup. He has pulled some optimism out of the hat for what was earlier in the campaign a sorry Spurs.

Redknapp arrived to manage a Tottenham side with just two points from their opening eight Premier League games. No side had ever made a worse start to a Premier League season. The club was in a truly dire state. And it needed careful attention for the tide to be turned.

But what he has done has nothing to do with a magic wand. There may have been one involved during his stints with many other clubs with a more inferior set of players at his disposal – but there’s no miracle about getting good players playing good football.

But this is not an attempt to devalue the work of Harry at White Hart Lane. Something must have been wrong for Spurs to have been in the treacherous position they were when Redknapp rocked up.

Redknapp has turned things around drastically. He has guided a very talented crop of players to a position where they should always have been. Easy? No! Magic? No! A good job? Yes! But we never expected anything less from Harry.

And a good job is exactly what he has done. And it’s down to a blend of great man management and tactics taken back to basics, rather than the confused muddle orchestrated under Juande Ramos. He has got the maximum from certain potentially influential players – and cast certain others to the sidelines who were little more than ‘big reputations’.

Redknapp has established a sense of control over Spurs. He has created a new identity at White Hart Lane. Regained a slice of respect which they had lost in a farcical beginning to the season.

And in this he has raised spirits again around North London. But the key difference is, he won’t let spirits go through the roof just for another embarrassing fool. This is the real reason why Spurs fans can this time really be optimistic. Because Redknapp is a man who will manage the players not letting them believe their own hype, and just continue a programme of progression.

Spurs have produced some excellent attacking football at times. The kind we have come to always enjoy from Spurs teams down the years. And you felt it was always necessary they retained this deep Tottenham tradition while making changes in other areas at the same time.

But they have also backed this positive attack-minded approach up with the kind of solid and stout defending you would never associate with Spurs since way back in the days of George Graham.

The two together can only breed success. But it is the ability to maintain this kind of form that will determine whether Redknapp becomes a long lasting success in N17, over merely another false prophet.

It is not as if we have never seen these kinds of positive vibes beaming out from Tottenham before. In fact it is an all too familiar occurrence. It has been the struggle to sustain this bright feeling on a consistent basis which has ultimately stunted their pursuit for a top four finish over the last five years.

This doesn’t make Spurs an anomaly. There are many sides that fall foul on this note. And that’s why there is a ‘Big Four’ in the Premier League. Because no challenge to break these four major players is ever followed through.

It is only ever a threat. Redknapp will want to change this. But so did Ramos, as did Martin Jol before him. It will take more than will. It will take hard work.

But he hasn’t performed a miracle in saving them from their nightmare start. He has simply gone back to basics. He has rallied the seemingly unmotivated players, and he has picked a balanced starting eleven, refusing to chop and change his side from week-to-week.

He has actually done something very simple. And the results are there for all to see. But simplicity is the mastery of Redknapp. And it is the reason Tottenham fans can look forward to seeing their side coming closer to their expectations in the league next season.

Redknapp has made a big difference in a very short time span. This is clear as they sit now unthinkably just three points adrift of the top seven.

He has done it through tactics – not even through signings. He bought back three former faces in Jermain Defoe, Pascal Chimbonda and Robbie Keane. None of these have justified their re-purchases yet.

And while Wilson Palacios has earned rave reviews from some sections of the Spurs faithful, he is still far from the kind of level expected from a £14M central midfield signing.

That is not to say these are bad signings. The additions of Keane and Defoe will prove successful, while the other two may still yet prove positive. But, the fact Redknapp has turned the corner without money – simply with the tools he originally had is actually a greater testament to him.

Perhaps the real reason is mainly about the central defensive partnership of Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King, as well as the rekindled form of Aaron Lennon and Luka Modric. This has been the real secret behind Spurs’ change in fortunes. And this is because of Redknapp’s quality skills in man management.

These four players are four reasons why Tottenham can reach their expectations next season. This is not to claim Spurs can break the top four next term. But recent form suggests the players most importantly realise they can be consistent.

And this means they can reach their goals. Which next season should be to show they ‘can’ put pressure on the top four even if not ultimately break it by next May. That is another task for another year. But if they are to do this in any of the next three seasons, one thing is for certain – Redknapp must still be sitting upon the Tottenham throne.