'Arry's fixture moaning

[Hoop Blah]

I saw on SSN this morning that good old 'Arry is moaning about the up coming International friendly because of the number of fixtures Spurs have coming up.

Now Spurs have quite a big squad and I'm sure getting them all fit and ready for the opening day of the season is quite a tricky task, and isn't made easier by a 'meaningless' international friendly. However, this friendly has been in the diary for quite some time, and it's nto exactly a new thing is it? Why then have Spurs first team squad got the following fixtures lined up only for the manager to then moan about the number of games?

Fri 23/07 NY Red Bulls
Sun 25/07 Sporting Lisbon
Wed 28/07 Leyton Orient (more a Spurs XI though)
Thur 29/07 Villareal
Tue 03/08 Benfica
Tue 3/08 Ipswhich (another Spurs XI game)
Sat 7/08 Fiorentina

That's 7 games in roughly 2 weeks and the season starting a week later, with the international friendly thrown in between.

Spurs then have the Champions League qualifiers midweek on the first and second weeks of the season.

If he doesn't like the fixture list, either pull out of the Champions League, finish higher so you don't have to play the qualifying rounds, or perhaps book in your friendlies a little better!

As an England fan I'm quite pleased we have a friendly to get the post world cup booing and moaning out the way and hopefully a chance to suss out a few of the next generation. Without that we'd be straight into the qualifiers.

Basically....quit your moaning 'Arry!

[Turns8]

LOL...so the fact that half his squad disappear the week before the biggest league in the world kicks off...bearing in mind it's a results business and if Spurs struggle then 'arry is out of a job...doesn't come into it...

I can see his point totally...these 'get togethers' are pointless especially a week before the season kicks off...most premier league clubs who had players at the WC have only just got them back training anyway, so to then have them taken away for a week and prone to getting injured is alittle bit silly on the part of the people who organise such matches...the clubs are the ones who pay the players wages afterall..

There's Euro qualifiers in September anyway, so the international managers get a chance then to have the players then...it's not as if any amount of extra training in the international set-up will make EngLOLand any better...

[Hoop Blah]

Exactly, there are qualifiers in September so he needs a chance to shape his squad before then.

The game won't effect the players, although not having them there to work on things in training will be a pain I'm sure. But 'the big kick off' is only 3 points in the same way as any other game is.

It doesn't change the point that he's moaning about the number of games when his own club have rammed their pre-season fixture list with what lokos like too many games....presumably for the £££ they can make from them.

[papereyes]

Harry has a certain ability to moan about something that is within his control yet not get his short-sightedness or hypocristy rightfully slammed.

[Row Z Royal]

Thought they play Villareal last night.

[Hoop Blah]

Thought they play Villareal last night.

Changed for you!

Harry has a certain ability to moan about something that is within his control yet not get his short-sightedness or hypocristy rightfully slammed.

It's a shame the press don't just ask him (and the likes of Fergie or Rafa when they do/did it) why they don't cater for things when they can.

I can understand the frustration of losing players for the last few days of training, but if his moan is that they're then playing too many games and just playing, recovering, playing, recovering, then he can do something about it himself.

[havoc]

i hate redknapp and pray for the day he dies

[Fox Talbot]

i hate redknapp and pray for the day he dies

He's announced as The Guvnor on the front of my Sky magazine. I threw it in the bin more quickly than usual.

[Irvinchangeyaname]

i hate redknapp and pray for the day he dies

He's announced as The Guvnor on the front of my Sky magazine. I threw it in the bin more quickly than usual.

He's a cheeky cockney geezer, salt of the earth kinda chap.

Just like Venables, rather than being a crook he's simply a loveable rogue.

[Terminal Boardom]

And where did Spurs go on tour pre-season? I look forward to Redknapp and all the other managers complaining of the players being tired. NOT!

[Mr Angry]

To be fair to 'Arry, he also moaned at the friendlies, claiming the Fiorentina game was "pointless", and strongly hinting that he disagreed with the US trip, saying he would have preferred to go to Scotland for a tour instead.

However, as is the way with the modern premier league, "brand awareness" and revenue generation opportunities have more sway than footballing priorities, hence the trip to the US and the friendlies versus villeareal and Fiorentina.

Isn't it Birmingham who have travelled the most for their pre-season, out to Hong Kong, China and the Far East so their owner can show off his new toy?

[Super_horns]

Sounds like he is having a pop at the money men which run his club with these "pointless" friendlies.

However if it helps him buy a new player or two Harry won't mind for long.

The England game might not be so bad if we try out some new names...