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A former Tottenham Hotspur star has made a bold claim regarding the history of Man United, suggesting that a former Lilywhites boss was one of the few managers capable of fixing the problems at Old Trafford following the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Tottenham Hotspur has often struggled to maintain balance in their overall play on the pitch under Thomas Frank.
The Lilywhites under the Dane have often been criticised for their lack of cutting edge on the pitch, with creativity often lacking on the field of play.
Thomas Frank continues to look for solutions to get Spurs to play front-foot attacking football, but former Tottenham midfielder Sandro has now opened up on how one former manager was able to keep the side ticking, even stating that he could have managed Manchester United.
Harry Redknapp could have fixed Manchester United, according to Sandro
Speaking to Boyle Sports about the leadership required at a top club, Sandro explained that Harry Redknapp possessed the perfect blend of tactical knowledge and dressing room presence to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson.
He suggested that the former Spurs Tottenham had a similar management style to the legendary Scotsman, combining a big impact with the ability to make players listen.
Discussing the specific qualities that made the manager a success, Sandro told Boyle Sports: “Could Harry Redknapp have fixed Manchester United’s problem after Sir Alex? Yes, 100%.
“They managed in the same kind of way. A big image, a big impact in the dressing room, and you need to have that. When you speak, players listen.
“Everybody respected Harry, but you could also have a joke with him, and he would make everybody laugh too.
“Harry could talk well to the media, but also his tactics were good and he could change things during a match on the pitch too. He was a manager that could do everything.”
The Brazilian went on to detail how Harry Redknapp was never afraid to make ruthless tactical changes at half-time to secure a result for Tottenham, regardless of a player’s ego.
He added: “I remember, when I arrived in England, I was on the bench and at half time Harry took a player off. In Brazil, this is deeply disrespectful to a player, to take them off at the break, but Harry was not afraid.
“He told the guys we are not having a good game, sorry but I am changing the team and I need to change it. I am doing this for the team. He was a coach who will make the big decisions.
“And we won that game. I liked it. He will come and talk to you as a player. You have to have that. I remember he will say to me: ‘sorry Sandro, you are going to play the next game. I will play you.’
“That is how you manage players. If you give a player something like that, the player will let you do something else. I completely agree that Harry Redknapp could have done a good job at Manchester United because he had the right style of management.
“Their fans want to play and attack. Harry will play that way with good tactics in a back four. We were always balanced at Tottenham. Teams need to have that balance. Attack and defend. We were a team. Not two teams.”
Thomas Frank must learn from Harry Redknapp’s time at Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur currently lack the balance that was once in the side under Harry Redknapp, and if they can find such a rhythm, then their on-pitch woes will be greatly reduced.
Thomas Frank is currently struggling to find such a balance, and that has led to much external pressure on the Dane, who has only been in charge at Spurs for about six months.
But Harry Redknapp does believe that if Tottenham are to become consistent on the pitch, then they must stick to Thomas Frank instead of making managerial changes all too frequently.
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