Source: Team_Talk
Bond backs Harry for England
Harry Redknapp's ability to get the best out of players makes him the perfect man to be the next England manager, says Kevin Bond. Long-time disciple and Spurs assistant Bond reckons Redknapp could easily step into Fabio Capello's shoes when the Italian quits the national team job in two years' time.Redknapp, who is the bookmakers' favourite to do just that, is on the record as saying he could not turn down the chance to manage his country.And Bond was unequivocal today over whether his mentor was up to the challenge."I definitely think that he can do it," said the 53-year-old.Few in football have a better understanding of what makes Redknapp tick than Bond, who has known the man 10 years his senior since playing under him at Bournemouth more than 20 years ago.The pair, who went on to forge a coaching relationship at Portsmouth which has since been cemented at White Hart Lane, now share a car from the south coast to Spurs' training ground.Redknapp leaves Bournemouth to pick up Southampton-based Bond at 6am, and during the 90-minute drive to Chigwell, they talk almost nothing but football."Harry is a winner," said Bond, who revealed he used to beat Redknapp at golf, but no longer."He can be difficult when things aren't going well. He doesn't like getting beaten and when we are not getting results."We sit in the car for hours and if we talk about something other than football, within five minutes, we will be back to it. He absolutely lives for it."He is all-consumed by the game - his wife will tell you that - and he won't change."Bond insisted he and Redknapp do not speak about the England job but is in no doubt of the qualities the latter would bring to the role.He said: "The qualities that he has brought here: played players in their best positions, where possible, gets the best out of them."Redknapp's stock has never been higher, with last week's Champions League win over Inter Milan making him an even bigger favourite to succeed Capello.But an injury crisis that could leave Spurs without an entire team for Saturday's Premier League clash with Blackburn is threatening to undermine all his good work this season.They have taken just two points from the last four matches and go into the weekend five points adrift of the crucial final Champions League qualifying spot.With a run of six domestic and European matches against the likes of Arsenal, Werder Bremen, Liverpool, FC Twente and Chelsea coming up, it could be a decisive period in the campaign.But Bond said: "What will shape our season is where we finish at the end of the season after the 38 games that we play."Don't get me wrong: every game is vitally important, and it is a difficult run of matches."But we can only get on with Blackburn, do the best we can, hopefully get a positive result against Blackburn, and then we'll put our thoughts towards Arsenal next week."Tottenham proved last season they could bounce back from disappointment when they beat Arsenal and Chelsea back to back after losing the FA Cup semi-final to Portsmouth.Helping Redknapp mastermind those victories during those long drives to and from training was the highlight of Bond's two years at Spurs."We were all bitterly disappointed when we lost at Wembley against Portsmouth in the FA Cup semi-final," he said."We wanted badly to get through to the final, we didn't and then we were faced with Arsenal and Chelsea after that, two almighty games that could have shaped our season."Bond and Redknapp's car-sharing journeys have not prevented the odd blazing row between the pair.Bond said: "It would be no good if he said that we should play this way and we all said, 'You're right Harry'."I don't know what that is going to get you."Everyone has an opinion, not just me."We lose our heads and then it is all right again."