Redknapp has no fears over Portsmouth return

Harry Redknapp insists he has no fears over his safety as the Tottenham manager prepares for a potentially explosive return to Portsmouth on Saturday.

Redknapp could be in for a hostile reception at Fratton Park as some Portsmouth fans are unhappy with the way their former manager quit to take charge of Tottenham last season.

With Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe and Niko Kranjcar all following Redknapp from Portsmouth to Tottenham this year, Pompey fans feel they have been pillaged by the White Hart Lane chief.

Their team is now struggling at the foot of the Premier League but Redknapp doesn’t have any problems with the Portsmouth support and hopes the feeling is mutual.

“I see Portsmouth supporters every day at the petrol station driving down from where I live. I have people painting my house at the moment who are Pompey-mad. They’re as good as gold,” he said on Friday.

“They’re not lunatics. They’re not a bunch of nutters. They are all being labelled as a bunch of maniacs. They’re not. They are good people.

“You’ll always have some big mouths there but it shows you what a good job I must have done that they are so upset that I left.

“Normally they are pleased to get rid of you when you leave. I went there when they were bottom of the league with the worst team we have seen in the Premier League. Whoever assembled that lot God only knows!”

Redknapp is adamant that the chance to finally manage a club with the potential to win major honours was too good to turn down.

“The opportunity came to manage a great club. I left them with a great team of players, players worth absolute fortunes that they sold for fantastic money,” Redknapp said.

“I loved my time at Portsmouth and I love it here. I speak to (new Portsmouth director of football) Avram Grant all the time. I took (manager) Paul Hart there to do the academy. I’ve got loads of mates there. I’m looking forward to seeing them. I’m not going to worry about the odd few idiots who want to shout. It won’t affect me one iota.

“The only thing I’ll lose sleep over is if we get beat. I’m not bothered if people are so stupid they want to shout abuse.”

Tottenham will start without midfielder Wilson Palacios, who was ordered by Honduras president Roberto Micheletti to attend the celebration reception after helping his country reach the World Cup finals with a 1-0 win over El Salvador in midweek.

Palacios will arrive back early Saturday morning and go straight to the team hotel but Redknapp said: “It is disappointing, but there is nothing we could do about it.

“I’ve been trying to get hold of him but he’s been travelling. He’s a big loss to us. I can’t start him in a game when he’s travelled. He played Thursday morning our time.”

There was more bad news for Redknapp as Croatia midfielder Luka Modric has suffered a setback with his broken leg and needs further treatment.