I find it quite amazing that we as football fans continually criticise our clubs for not being honest or for not telling us the truth about any club issues. Yet when a manager does come out tell the truth he immediately comes under fire from some supporters who make it clear he should not have said what he did because it would be better for the club if it was said behind in private. Or he is told he will “lose the dressing room” if he comes out and criticises players!
Blues boss Harry Redknapp told it like it is after the game defeat at Burton and collectively made it clear the players were not good enough for him to achieve what he, the fans and the club want and deserve and that is a top six finish. To be fair he has said from day one that he needs new blood in the club because the squad was nowhere near good enough or strong enough.
I think it’s refreshing to hear a manager answer a question truthfully. Most managers will either evade giving you an honest answer, prevaricate or will just tell you a downright lie.
Harry Redknapp did not hammer any individual player but made his point collectively with a “if the cap fits” air about what he was saying. In other words leaving the fans to enjoy the conjecture in their post-match rants on social media or down the pub.
So often players hide behind managers when things are going wrong refusing to talk to the media leaving the manager to face the music. It’s ironic that most players would say that a referee should talk to the press after a game and explain his decisions but they, the well paid stars of the show, do what they can to avoid talking to the press when all the press are doing is giving them the opportunity to speak direct to their supporters.
There have been instances when a player has walked through the mixed zone with his phone to his ear pretending to have a conversation with someone just so he would not have to stop and talk to any reporter. One player was rightly embarrassed when the phone he had to his ear while conducting such an imaginary conversation suddenly started ringing much to the hilarity of the waiting reporters.