Jordan: Redknapp a master tactician

Former Tottenham senior coach Joe Jordan believes former manager Harry Redknapp is a master of tactics.

Redknapp was sacked by the White Hart Lane club after the 2011-12 season and replaced by Andre Villas-Boas, but his longtime colleague has spoken out against his detractors.

“Some of the things I’ve read since Harry left have made me chuckle,” Jordan told the Daily Mail.

“We were told he was not only being replaced by a younger man, but a young man who was a tactician.

“It suggests some people don’t rate Harry on tactics. That would be wrong.

“They say his style is about motivation, but he’s far more than being purely a motivator. No one who knows him or has worked with him would think that. Harry spends a lot of time on preparation.”

Jordan spoke of Redknapp’s management style, but emphasised that, while he encourages his players to express themselves, he also has a great deal of awareness of how to prepare his team to take on their opponents.

“He keeps the game simple and wants the players to enjoy what they’re doing. He lets them play and is confident in their ability,” he said.

“They will have responsibilities, but he thinks long and hard about who he names, the teams he wants and the best way to take on the opposition.

“You cannot possibly say he is anything other than very tactically aware.

“He is a brave manager who’ll change things when needed. If it means changing, say, from three defenders he will make that decision.

“He can blend players, form partnerships. He can mentally picture a Rafael van der Vaart working with a Peter Crouch and scoring goals from the start.”

Jordan has also expressed his disbelief that Spurs chose to dismiss the English manager, especially after leading them to fourth place in the Premier League for the second time in his tenure.

“There was a blip, there was the link with the England job, but none of it affected the team. We were still playing well but just not scoring goals,” he insisted.

“The disappointment was missing out on the Champions League because of Chelsea’s success.

“Harry’s legacy is a squad that can take the title back to Spurs.”

Jordan is currently unemployed after leaving White Hart Lane, but has said he would like to find another job in football in the near future.