Dear Mr Redknapp,
I'm writing to you today for a number of reasons. First, I wish to apologise for some of the things I may have said about you in the past. It's probably best I start at the beginning. When you were appointed as the man to "save us from relegation" I had my doubts. Not that you wouldn't be able to turn around the performances and results to such a degree that we would be safe fairly quickly, because the team you inherited was in a false position and most managers with half a brain could've got us to mid-table security by the new year. My doubts were focused more long term and being a man whose only real pedigree at the time was for saving teams from relegation and buying so called gems in the transfer market I didn't see you as the man to lead my beloved team into the future.
How wrong I was and for that I can not be more sorry. I also had an issue with you as a man. Now obviously I don't know you personally so can only go on the character you portray to the worlds media, and boy do you play with them, but that character was one I chose to dislike. Comments you made about the club and more importantly fans prior to arriving in N17 didn't help you in this manner and was one of the main reasons the relationship between you and us has been strained at times. Rarely referring to us as a collective, instead keeping the barrier up between "you" and "us" resulted in your West Ham routes showing through a little more than we'd like.
However, over the last year you've softened. We are know we and us in your interviews and instead of racist hooligans we're a supportive fanbase who produce a great atmosphere. I'm not stupid, I know you're West Ham and you know I'm Spurs. That's the colour of our blood and nothing will change that but having accepted those differences we've been able to get passed them and in some ways respect them. We sing you name and in return you thank you us for our support.
We've enjoyed the last few seasons and so have you. Like it or not, we've given each other some of the best times in either of our footballing memories. It's a funny old game when you think about it. You were meant to manage Spurs. Maybe more so than West Ham or Portsmouth. Everything was here for you to weave your magic and you've done it so well up until now. Who would've thought you would give us what Glenn Hoddle couldn't?
So I'm sorry for not having faith in you. I'm sorry for questioning some of your tactics and signings. Yes, sometimes you got those wrong but as your record shows you've got it right more often than not. I'm sorry for turning the TV over as soon as you came on for 6 months. It was childish but at the time it was what I had to do to get away from the 8 points 2 games thing. Are you perfect? Of course not and neither am I. We have our flaws but without realising it we go together like Fergie and United or Wenger and that other lot.
If you're offered the England job I want to wish you good luck. Personally, I'm a club before country man but maybe you're the man to change all that (although I doubt it). For me England has become a problem child, one that many have tried to put on the straight and narrow but one that will never amount to anything and would be better for all concerned if it were put to sleep.
Before making your decision please think hard about it. Forget the fact it's a £5m a year part time job and think about what you could be giving up. In only 3 years look what we've managed to achieve. Sure we have nothing to show for it in the trophy cabinet but surely that's only a matter of time. If you want to win trophies there's really only one choice and that's to remain at Spurs. England will not win a trophy in the next 10 years no matter who's the manager. This isn't a slight on your abilities, I've done that too many times before to make the same mistake again, this is simply because the other national sides are a lot better than England. Just like Spurs won't beat Barcelona with the current teams, England will never beat Spain (or a host of other nations). However, the beauty of club management is the team you have can change. The national side rarely offers that luxury. The team you have is the team you have and while I'm sure you'll be able to get the best out of those players, what you won't be able to do is turn them into world beaters. The reason they go out of tournaments in the quarter finals is because they're about the 6-8th best team in the world. It's where they belong.
So yes you could earn a ridiculous amount of money and you could lead your nation. It'd mean a lot less work and travel which considering your age and health issues would be a good thing. I wouldn't hold it against you if you did take the job, like I said I'd thank you for the last few years and wish you luck, but don't think for one second the same players, press and fans who are screaming for you to be given the job won't turn on you in a second. Don't think your relationship with the press will mean you won't be subjected to the same over the top scrutiny as your predecessors because you will. Ultimately you will fail, although it'll more than likely be through no fault of your own.
Remain at Spurs and we can continue this ride, continue this adventure you've steered me through and maybe, just maybe you could become a legend. One thing's for sure there's only one choice that won't end in tears and more stress than you can imagine and that's not the highly paid, part-time option.
Whatever your decision, thank you for everything.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Winston.
I'm writing to you today for a number of reasons. First, I wish to apologise for some of the things I may have said about you in the past. It's probably best I start at the beginning. When you were appointed as the man to "save us from relegation" I had my doubts. Not that you wouldn't be able to turn around the performances and results to such a degree that we would be safe fairly quickly, because the team you inherited was in a false position and most managers with half a brain could've got us to mid-table security by the new year. My doubts were focused more long term and being a man whose only real pedigree at the time was for saving teams from relegation and buying so called gems in the transfer market I didn't see you as the man to lead my beloved team into the future.
How wrong I was and for that I can not be more sorry. I also had an issue with you as a man. Now obviously I don't know you personally so can only go on the character you portray to the worlds media, and boy do you play with them, but that character was one I chose to dislike. Comments you made about the club and more importantly fans prior to arriving in N17 didn't help you in this manner and was one of the main reasons the relationship between you and us has been strained at times. Rarely referring to us as a collective, instead keeping the barrier up between "you" and "us" resulted in your West Ham routes showing through a little more than we'd like.
However, over the last year you've softened. We are know we and us in your interviews and instead of racist hooligans we're a supportive fanbase who produce a great atmosphere. I'm not stupid, I know you're West Ham and you know I'm Spurs. That's the colour of our blood and nothing will change that but having accepted those differences we've been able to get passed them and in some ways respect them. We sing you name and in return you thank you us for our support.
We've enjoyed the last few seasons and so have you. Like it or not, we've given each other some of the best times in either of our footballing memories. It's a funny old game when you think about it. You were meant to manage Spurs. Maybe more so than West Ham or Portsmouth. Everything was here for you to weave your magic and you've done it so well up until now. Who would've thought you would give us what Glenn Hoddle couldn't?
So I'm sorry for not having faith in you. I'm sorry for questioning some of your tactics and signings. Yes, sometimes you got those wrong but as your record shows you've got it right more often than not. I'm sorry for turning the TV over as soon as you came on for 6 months. It was childish but at the time it was what I had to do to get away from the 8 points 2 games thing. Are you perfect? Of course not and neither am I. We have our flaws but without realising it we go together like Fergie and United or Wenger and that other lot.
If you're offered the England job I want to wish you good luck. Personally, I'm a club before country man but maybe you're the man to change all that (although I doubt it). For me England has become a problem child, one that many have tried to put on the straight and narrow but one that will never amount to anything and would be better for all concerned if it were put to sleep.
Before making your decision please think hard about it. Forget the fact it's a £5m a year part time job and think about what you could be giving up. In only 3 years look what we've managed to achieve. Sure we have nothing to show for it in the trophy cabinet but surely that's only a matter of time. If you want to win trophies there's really only one choice and that's to remain at Spurs. England will not win a trophy in the next 10 years no matter who's the manager. This isn't a slight on your abilities, I've done that too many times before to make the same mistake again, this is simply because the other national sides are a lot better than England. Just like Spurs won't beat Barcelona with the current teams, England will never beat Spain (or a host of other nations). However, the beauty of club management is the team you have can change. The national side rarely offers that luxury. The team you have is the team you have and while I'm sure you'll be able to get the best out of those players, what you won't be able to do is turn them into world beaters. The reason they go out of tournaments in the quarter finals is because they're about the 6-8th best team in the world. It's where they belong.
So yes you could earn a ridiculous amount of money and you could lead your nation. It'd mean a lot less work and travel which considering your age and health issues would be a good thing. I wouldn't hold it against you if you did take the job, like I said I'd thank you for the last few years and wish you luck, but don't think for one second the same players, press and fans who are screaming for you to be given the job won't turn on you in a second. Don't think your relationship with the press will mean you won't be subjected to the same over the top scrutiny as your predecessors because you will. Ultimately you will fail, although it'll more than likely be through no fault of your own.
Remain at Spurs and we can continue this ride, continue this adventure you've steered me through and maybe, just maybe you could become a legend. One thing's for sure there's only one choice that won't end in tears and more stress than you can imagine and that's not the highly paid, part-time option.
Whatever your decision, thank you for everything.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Winston.
