Harry axed for being fourth

Posted Thursday, June 14, 2012 by The Sun

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ALL OVER ... Harry Redknapp was ruthlessly sacked by Tottenham

HARRY REDKNAPP is the latest victim in billionaire owner Joe Lewis’ ruthless pursuit to establish Spurs where he believes they belong.

Redknapp has become the Londoners’ EIGHTH ex-manager in 11 years after Lewis decided that finishing fourth in the Premier League was just not good enough.

He has bankrolled Tottenham’s rise in recent seasons but wanted more than fourth place for an outlay of more than £100million on players.

Along with executive chairman Daniel Levy, the power behind the White Hart Lane throne insists the team under-performed last season.

Now the duo want to bring in a younger manager with new ideas to take Tottenham in a new upward direction.

Despite Redknapp saving Spurs from a humiliating relegation when he took charge in 2008, despite ’Arry taking them into the Champions League for the first time and despite developing the thrilling brand of football demanded in the boardroom and terraces alike, he has gone.

Chairman Levy, who took over from Alan Sugar at White Hart Lane in 2001, was the man who delivered the decision to Redknapp.

He has done what he has never hesitated to do in the past — and will not hesitate to do in the future.

Levy has raised his finger, unerringly pointed it in the same direction of every one who has gone before Redknapp and said: ’Arry, you’re fired.

George Graham was booted out of White Hart Lane a month after Levy was installed as chairman.

Jacques Santini was pointed in the direction of the airport five months into the Frenchman’s turgid reign.

And Spaniard Juande Ramos, shamelessly courted while Martin Jol was in charge, was axed after a year with Spurs bottom of the Premier League.

The turnaround in Tottenham was nothing short of earth shattering when Redknapp arrived.

His only brief was to stop the club slipping into the Championship — a real possibility with just two points on the board at the time.

But despite Redknapp wiping the egg off faces with an eighth place finish that same season, Levy and billionaire Lewis — who bankrolls the club from his sunshine base in Lyford Cay, Bahamas — were not prepared to put up with fourth.

The two pals saw third position slip away, despite having a 10-point lead over fierce North London rivals Arsenal at one point.

And they then watched in shock as Chelsea ripped their Champions League spot — and the millions that go with it — right from under Tottenham’s noses with a dramatic win over Bayern Munich last month.

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