Source: Team_Talk
No Villa Park fear for Redknapp
Redknapp was manager of Portsmouth earlier in the season when the supporter narrowly missed him but struck Phil Sharp, leaving the assistant referee with a cut forehead.[LNB]John Billington was given a five-year football banning order after an inquiry into the incident.[LNB]"The guy who threw it is a moron," said Redknapp, whose side travel to Aston Villa on Sunday.[LNB]"If he got hit in the eye he would have lost it. He probably threw it at me for no reason, I just happened to be standing on the touchline. We don't need people like that in football."[LNB]Redknapp was reported to have hired protection from an ex-SAS soldier when he returned to Portsmouth as Southampton manager, putting his return to Villa Park in context.[LNB]The 62-year-old, when asked if he feared going back, added: "Not in the slightest."[LNB]Villa fans appear to have been angered during Pompey's win there last season.[LNB]"We murdered them with Portsmouth," Redknapp said. "We absolutely murdered them that day and for some reason the fans weren't happy and couldn't take that they were getting beaten so easily at home by a terrific Portsmouth team.[LNB]"They decided to turn on anybody and they turned on my that day. I don't know why. It doesn't bother me in the slightest."[LNB]Villa have been challenging for a top-four place, which Redknapp wants to do with Spurs next season.[LNB]However, the Spurs boss still feels Arsenal will catch Martin O'Neill's men and pip them to the Champions League places - a view that may rile Villa fans again.[LNB]"The size of his (O'Neill's) squad, that would be his only problem," Redknapp said.[LNB]"It's hard. In the quarter-finals there were four team in the Champions League last year. It shows you the strength of our league."[LNB]Redknapp also rejects the perception of O'Neill looking to build a team of homegrown players, pointing to the foreign influence in the Villa squad.[LNB]"People get carried away with signing good young English players - Martin has signed good players," Redknapp said. "(Stiliyan) Petrov isn't English, (Carlos) Cuellar isn't, the goalkeeper isn't and nor is John Carew.[LNB]"If they are good players and English - fantastic. But you can't just buy young players because they are English. (Martin) Laursen has been the backbone of their team."[LNB]Redknapp has been encouraged by the progress since his arrival if Spurs are to compete for a top-four place next season.[LNB]He said: "It hasn't been a rollercoaster for us, we've been on a good run and picked up 30 points since I arrived here. That is a good consistent run."[LNB][LNB]
