Ditch the plastic pitch – Redknapp

(GSM) – Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has criticized the Astroturf pitches, insisting that they should not be used in the Champions League.

Tottenham slipped to a 3-2 defeat to Young Boys after a superb comeback from 3-0.

“I couldn’t say it’s a preferred surface,” Redknapp said afterwards. “It’s a good pitch but you have to get used to playing on it. It’s not an excuse.

“I played on Astroturf and hated every minute of it. We had it at QPR but we don’t have it any more in England and personally I don’t agree with it and I don’t think Astroturf should be used
in a competition like this.”

“I had a feeling yesterday about today,” Redknapp said. “I had a nasty feeling. I kept looking at the players training on the pitch and they didn’t look happy.

“I had four players out because they weren’t comfortable on the pitch in training. Aaron Lennon wasn’t comfortable, Robbie Keane had a problem with his knee and Tom Huddlestone, the last time he played on Astroturf he was out for six weeks.”

Despite the defeat, Redknapp hailed his team’s comeback and believes his team has a ‘great chance’ in the second leg which they will play at home.

“At 3-0 we were out of it,” he told Sky Sports. “We were in desperate trouble, so full credit to the lads, we’ve come back.

“Now we need to win at home and it gives us a great chance.”