Redknapp on signing Vieria and Suarez for Tottenham

[tototoner]

from his new book

" Despite all that has happened in his career since, one of the biggest regrets of my life in management is not taking Luis Suarez to Tottenham when we had the chance.
‘You’ve got to take him, Harry,’ Ruud Gullit told me. ‘He’s fantastic.’


Yet all of our scouts’ reports said that at Ajax he played wide off a striker, whereas we were looking for a proper front man.
Just when I was on the verge of taking the plunge, the price went up. In the end he was sold for £22.8million to Liverpool. We wouldn’t have paid that.

Patrick Vieira was a different type of midfield player and one every club would like to take now. He almost came to me at Tottenham from Inter Milan.

I thought it was an incredible decision by him, after he’d been such a hero at Arsenal.

I met him at his house in Hampstead and he had no fear about what people would think or what reception he would get. He had enough confidence in his ability to just brush it away.


I remember talking to Daniel Levy, our chairman, about him. He said the crowd would be hostile. I knew that — but if he had enough bottle to want to put on our white shirt after all that had gone before, I thought it said something about the man.

In the end, his circumstances changed and he decided to stay in Italy. By the time he did become available — the following January — our needs had changed and Manchester City snapped him up. "

 

[Shea]

Harry should have listened to Ruud

In hindsight I bet levy wishes he would have paid 22m for suarez because his return on investment would have been tidy

Shame about Vieria - I think his presence would have given a very talented unit the leadership and experience it really needed (and got to an extent from parker) and would have also been invaluable for the youngsters to be able to train with and learn from him

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

Dear old Daniel.

 

[Kiedis]

A shame he didn't get to sign Joe Cole and Phil Neville as well.

 

[jimbo]

Bale AND Suarez in the team?

 

[jackson]

Hmmm 'Arry re-writing history, but in both versions he manages to absolve himself of the blame......

Here's what he said in 2011:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/may/13/harry-redknapp-tottenham-luis-suarez

Harry Redknapp has revealed that he considered signing Luis Suárez in January but opted against making a bid after being told by scouts that the Uruguayan was not up to the grade.

Redknapp's tantalising disclosure will set Tottenham Hotspur supporters wondering what might have been, as Suárez went on to sign for Liverpooland become a major factor in that club's reinvigoration, while Spurs' attempt to qualify for the Champions League fizzled out largely because of their inability to turn possession into goals.

Suárez will be seeking to show Spurs what they missed on Sunday, as Liverpool meet Redknapp's team at Anfield in a match that could determine which of the sides finishes fifth. Redknapp said he dispatched numerous scouts to watch Suárez at Ajax before Liverpool paid £22.8m for him but was informed that the player was not adept at leading the line and was too similar to Rafael van der Vaart, for whom Spurs were seeking a partner rather than a replacement. Ultimately Spurs made failed offers for others strikers, including Fernando Llorente and Villarreal's Giuseppe Rossi. "We kept looking at [Suárez] but people thought he couldn't play up as a striker," said Redknapp.

"They said he's like Rafa [van der Vaart] and you can't have him and Rafa or you'd have two players who want to drop deep, so that was the problem. We were looking for someone to play up front with Rafa. People said he couldn't do that, he drifts and comes deep. But he played up front on his own the other night [against Fulham on Monday] and he was fantastic."

 

[sloth]

Dear old Daniel.

As far as I've managed to piece it together the Suarez saga went like this. Levy negotiated a ball-park fee with Ajax for Suarez, he was available and keen to come, Harry however was reluctant, he thought the player was too similar to VdV, and besides he was very keen on Andy Carroll, in his own stubborn way he was't going to budge, he felt that this was a power struggle between him, the football man, and Levy the money man and if he gave an inch Levy would take a mile, so he stuck to his guns on Carroll even though Newcastle had insisted they would only sell for silly money.

In the end redknapp was persuaded to go watch him play, he sat next to David Moyes in the crowd and both agreed he wasn't really suited to the PL, or at least was not the man Redknapp needed, he came back resolved to wait for the target man he knew he needed more.

In the meantime Liverpool had given in and were prepared to sell Torres to Chelsea, this had two effects on us, they knew suarez was on the market, and once they'd decided Torres would go (assuming the price was right), they made contact with Ajax, this of course suited Ajax as it meant they now had more than one suitor for their man. Liverpool's interest in Carroll also meant the guy was unlikely to be got (phew). In the end they sold Torres on deadline day and bought both Suarez and Carroll for the money, and we got no one.

What i won't say is that it's all harry's fault, even if he'd said yes early on, and been sure about it, Levy would probably have dicked about and I imagine exactly the same scenario would have unfolded. What I will say is that regardless of that, Harry is equally culpable, he didn't fancy him, it was him, and always him, and the guy pisses me off, even from beyond the THFC grave, with his constant bullshit self-aggrandizement. I also don't think it's fair to bang your head at Levy because he might have dicked about, in the end he didn't get a chance to because his manager wanted a donkey instead of a race-horse.

 

[gregga]

Didn't his last book come out about 18 months ago?

Such needless self-promotion. He should focuss on sorting out the shambles that is QPR.

 

[Mullers]

If we´re looking back in hindsight and saying that it was a mistake not to sign Suarez based on his Liverpool career, then I say it wasn´t a mistake. I wouldn´t want a guy who racial abuses a player to get an edge and lies about doing it. A lot of people are prepared to overlook this kind of things because they want to win at all costs, but not me.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Another harrysaid thread. Oh joy.

The guy brought us some of the best times and football we've had for many a year and there's still this need felt by some to stick every boot in possible at every opportunity. Let it go.

I must be missing something here. Is having a pop at Harry some sort of cyber version of viagra or something?

 

[Geyzer Soze]

Bale AND Suarez in the team?

And Modric, Vdv and King ...

 

[cliff jones]

As far as I've managed to piece it together the Suarez saga went like this. Levy negotiated a ball-park fee with Ajax for Suarez, he was available and keen to come, Harry however was reluctant, he thought the player was too similar to VdV, and besides he was very keen on Andy Carroll, in his own stubborn way he was't going to budge, he felt that this was a power struggle between him, the football man, and Levy the money man and if he gave an inch Levy would take a mile, so he stuck to his guns on Carroll even though Newcastle had insisted they would only sell for silly money.

In the end redknapp was persuaded to go watch him play, he sat next to David Moyes in the crowd and both agreed he wasn't really suited to the PL, or at least was not the man Redknapp needed, he came back resolved to wait for the target man he knew he needed more.

In the meantime Liverpool had given in and were prepared to sell Torres to Chelsea, this had two effects on us, they knew suarez was on the market, and once they'd decided Torres would go (assuming the price was right), they made contact with Ajax, this of course suited Ajax as it meant they now had more than one suitor for their man. Liverpool's interest in Carroll also meant the guy was unlikely to be got (phew). In the end they sold Torres on deadline day and bought both Suarez and Carroll for the money, and we got no one.

What i won't say is that it's all harry's fault, even if he'd said yes early on, and been sure about it, Levy would probably have dicked about and I imagine exactly the same scenario would have unfolded. What I will say is that regardless of that, Harry is equally culpable, he didn't fancy him, it was him, and always him, and the guy pisses me off, even from beyond the THFC grave, with his constant bullshit self-aggrandizement. I also don't think it's fair to bang your head at Levy because he might have dicked about, in the end he didn't get a chance to because his manager wanted a donkey instead of a race-horse.

this is probably very close to what actually happened or would have done. but most who saw suarez play in the 2010 world cp surely saw a versatile striker who could lead the line and also head the ball well. a massive massive miss indeed whoever might have been responsible. vieira on the the other hand hadalready shot his bolt.

 

[sloth]

Another harrysaid thread. Oh joy.

The guy brought us some of the best times and football we've had for many a year and there's still this need felt by some to stick every boot in possible at every opportunity. Let it go.

I must be missing something here. Is having a pop at Harry some sort of cyber version of viagra or something?

Think about your Pavlovian response to Daniel Levy, that's what it's like for some of us and Harry! What makes it worse is that he had so many on here eating out of his hand... that's what really winds us up A&C, that other people can't see him for how he is!

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Think about your pavlovian response to Daniel Levy, that's what it's like for some of us and Harry! What makes it worse is that he had so many on here eating out of his hand... that's what really winds us up A&C, that other people can't see him for how he is!

I don't care how he is. He's left the club.

Levy on the other hand…….

 

[Bus-Conductor]

"They"

This would be the same "they" that told him Bale had to play as a LW presumably.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Another harrysaid thread. Oh joy.

The guy brought us some of the best times and football we've had for many a year and there's still this need felt by some to stick every boot in possible at every opportunity. Let it go.

I must be missing something here. Is having a pop at Harry some sort of cyber version of viagra or something?

What else are we supped to do in internationals week ?

 

[sloth]

What else are we supped to do in internationals week ?

We could always argue about RBs for a bit if you like...?

Or failing that I might even do some work!!!

 

[Gassin's finest]

I don't care what he thinks, I would never ever have been comfortable with Viera anywhere near N17. The thought of that fucker in our shirt makes me ill.

 

[Mister Jez]

Dear old Daniel.

Good man, lets not waste a chance to give Levy a swift boot to the gonads.......

 

[Blake Griffin]

if their reason was that they didn't feel he was suited to playing up top on his own in the pl then were they wrong?