It already seems along time ago, but it was only Tuesday when the most extraordinary set of circumstances in the sporting world occurred. When we woke up Harry Redknapp was staring at the possibly of a reputation and career in ruins, yet incredibly, by the time we sat down to eat our tea, he was being hailed as the savior of English football after the sensational resignation of Fabio Cappello, the nations latest pantomime villain after the the CEO of RBS turned down a £1million bonus that was a piss in the ocean to what was being paid by the FA to someone to pick the best of a bunch of over-hyped, over-rated and overpaid English footballers.

I must say I didn’t see that coming and it is difficult to see exactly how this situation evolved, I have actually delayed this blog because I wanted to see the reaction and hysteria from the press and the radio phone-ins before I made comment. What is really amazing is that the departure of Cappello was the main news headline, coming before the announcement of a further £50 billion being thrown at the economy, nine terrorists getting locked up for planning to bomb the stock exchange and the the escalating crisis in Syria that is a very real threat to world peace. I guess that demonstrates the cultural importance of football in this country.

The FA and Cappello have made a right old mess for their part, but the real culprits are John Terry and Chelsea, because by having Terry’s racism court case delayed until after Euro 2012 they (Chelsea) left the FA with the nightmare scenario of going in to a major tournament with an alleged racist as their captain. Quite why Cappello couldn’t see the sticky wicket the FA were standing on, only he knows, but by standing by his man (who he once dropped over an alleged affair) he made his position untenable, his resignation was a gift to the FA as was the not guilty verdict for Harry Redknapp, the next England manager in waiting. In addition, I have to say that if Cappello felt in himself that he was undermined, he was right to resign as a matter of personal pride.

However, believe it or not, I feel a bit sorry for Harry Redknapp. He has just come away from a five year campaign to get him banged up for alleged tax evasion, now he is being forced in to patriotic corner by the English press to turn England in to world beaters. If he turns the job down he will be treated by the same press as the equivalent of a WWI conscientious objector. Redknapp has turned Tottenham in to the best side in England this season, but for a freak of bad fortune against Man City at the Etihad, Spurs would be top of the pile now, with a very real chance of unprecedented glory. As it is, they are almost certain to be in the elite Champions League next year, why would he want to walk away from that in to a cauldron of unrealistic expectation with a team featuring not one player who would be in the Spanish starting line up?

90% of the nutters calling radio 5 yesterday were demanding Redknapp’s appointment, just as they were with Kevin Keegan before almost hounding him out of the country when he resigned straight after the dismal defeat versus Germany in the last ever game at rain sodden, crumbling, old Wembley. If you could buy players from other countries I reckon Harry would have a great chance of glory, he certainly knows a good player when he sees one, unfortunately the English ones are not very good at all. We are in deluded state in this country where the Murdoch dominated media ram it down our throats that because a player is on £100k a week he must be brilliant, and like brainwashed fools we believe them until we get outclassed by Algeria. We then wake up and smell the coffee, but come August and the start of the new season we are pummeled by the hype once again. I used to be as bad as anyone for fooling for it, it has taken thirty years for me to realise we are shit.

I’ll tell you something else. I had the pleasure of  Harry Redknapp’s company for a whole game (including half time) when Reading played Leicester a couple of years back. Unusually for a motor mouth like me, I didn’t know what to say so I just sat there like a nervous kid beside the parent of a school chum. Then, after about five minutes of the game Harry said; “What do reckon of that boy Kebe, looks like he can play a bit?” The ice was broken and we chatted non stop like old mates for rest of the game, Harry claiming he had driven up from Sandbanks for the evening just to watch a game because he annoys the missus when pottering around at home. His knowledge for football was bordering on manically obsessive, but equally, his warmth of character and open nature was something to behold. I could have been anyone, yet he was prepared to take me for who I was, you can’t knock that, and it makes me think that maybe it is his open nature that has got him in trouble and may not be suited to the pressure cooker that is the England job.

Harry Redknapp shares a joke with Tony Adams whilst sat with me at Reading v Leicester

Personally speaking, I have to say I have no problem with Redknapp getting the the job everyone is screaming for him to take, he will certainly reverse the apathy that has been shown to the national side in recent years, at least temporarily, but he has to douse the fire of expectation with a huge bucket of realism if he is to take it all on. He also has to discard John Terry for good, the guy has nothing to offer England, guilty or not guilty, he is a constant cause of aggro and split opinions and player division, he is a waste of time. Also, if the deluded supporters of this nation can’t wake up and realise that with its current group of players, a semi-final would be a huge achievement, it is not worth Redknapp touching the job with a shit covered stick, especially in preference for what he already has at club level. If he is to take the job maybe he should be as candid as ever and utter these words:

“Okay, okay I will do it, but don’t expect me to make an instant silk purse out of a pigs ear.”

I suspect it is challenge he will take on, but I have a feeling that he may well regret it and wonder why he left Spurs.

Good luck ‘arry