The Cockerel will cry if Redknapp is found guilty

The circus surrounding Harry Redknapp’s tax evasion case hasn’t yet led to any questions being asked about the effects this would have on a range of issues, should he be found guilty of the charge.

Harry appears to be one of the lads, always ready with a one liner for the press and on a level with the supporters, if not financially, then certainly with the messages he sends out from the clubs he has managed,  which I guess is what makes him such a likeable character on the face of it.

His philosophy is fast flowing football and with the team he has built up at Spurs, he now has the players to deliver that philosophy. Gareth Bale could one day become the most lethal player in the world and Luca Modric is rightly attracting interest from the European top brass.

Despite what Redknapp has built up, what would happen if he were to be convicted this week of charges relating to tax evasion ?

At best he could receive a hefty fine, at worst he would receive a jail term, either way the impact it will have on Tottenham and potentially England, will be massive. Tottenham had  been in the doldrums for years, living in the shadow of North London neighbours Arsenal, however Spurs came calling to take Redknapp away from the club where the current allegations originated from, Portsmouth.

Redknapp had an up and down relationship with Milan Mandaric, the Portsmouth owner at the time. It was more husband and wife than manager and owner, and this led to many a public fall out between the pair, however they always seemed to kiss and make up. Even when Redknapp left for bitter south coast rivals Southampton, Mandaric still managed to prise him back to Pompey just over a year later.

Mandaric finally sold Portsmouth in 2006 and the partnership was once and for all annulled, bringing to an end a turbulent relationship. In 2008 Redknapp once again left Portsmouth to go to his current club Tottenham. 

In the 3 and a half years since his arrival, Redknapp has built Spurs up brick by brick to challenge for all the top honours and in 2010 they qualified for the Champions league. But will the building continue if he is given the guilty verdict ?

Well over the last year or so he has consolidated the clubs current standing of breaking into the top four of the premier leagues big clubs, by convincing Modric is future lay at the lane. He fought off fierce interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and other top European clubs, would Modric have stayed had it not been for the persuasive powers of Harry ? Redknapp also convinced Bale to stay at Tottenham to learn his trade once top clubs were alerted to the precocious talent when he exploded on the champions league stage in 2010/11.

Redknapp also used his persuasive powers to bring talent into Spurs, with the arrival of Scott Parker, Emmanuel Adebayor & Van de Vaart, further adding to the talent already at his disposal.

The big question is, if Redknapp is found guilty of the charge Spurs will have little choice but to dispense with his services, particularly if  he is jailed. This would likely lead to an exodus of top talent as the risk with any new manager coming in is, would he be able to seamlessly take up the reins from where Redknapp left them.

That is doubtful as Redknapp is without question one of the finest man managers of the modern era, and he has carefully turned heads of players, whose agents had convinced them the time is right to move on, back towards Spurs and continued to get the best football out of those players. He has made Spurs a buying club, but without him they could quickly turn back to a selling club.

So the impending court verdict this week will have massive ramifications on a club that believed they were on the verge of taking on the big boys of European football. If it reads not guilty, there’ll be a collective sigh of relief down at the lane, however if it reads guilty, Spurs fans may have to prepare themselves for a turbulent 2012.

John Collins

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