Redknapp - Not Guilty. England manager in waiting?

Good news for Harry Redknapp today as he was cleared of tax evasion. Bad news for Spurs?

After hearing today’s not guilty verdict, Harry Redknapp now finds himself as the front runner for the England manager’s job as soon as Fabio Capello’s contract is up after the Euros – or he is pushed following his public support of ex-skipper John Terry.

Should he get the job of course, one early decision might make for uncomfortable family get-togethers. Nephew Frank Lampard is coming to the end of his international career and someone’s going to have to break the bad news to him at some point soon!

‘Arry has never made any secret of the pride he would feel in managing his country, once saying: "If you're an Englishman it would be hard to turn it down. It's the pinnacle of your career." And so now - given the moral support afforded to him by Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy during the last three years - it is going to be interesting to see whether that loyalty cuts both ways.

I would suspect that most non-Spurs fans would have Redknapp on the top of their wish list as Capello’s successor given the job he has done in North London, but for the same reason it is going to be difficult for Tottenham fans to put country before club in this debate.

Spurs have made such a steady progress under his stewardship that people are now talking about the club as possible Champions should man City and Man Utd falter. And if they were to continue at the same rate of improvement, they would surely be among the favourites if he was to stay in his current job next season.

Then again, football can be a fickle mistress. If Spurs pick up injuries and suspensions at the start of next season and go on a bad run, the Spurs fans (like any other set of supporters in the country) will be calling for his head before the end of September. Harry has been around long enough to know this - and he also knows that he’s not getting any younger and this could be his last opportunity to manage England.

I suspect that he won’t want to go down as another Brian Clough – the best manager the country never had – and he, Spurs and the FA will come to an agreement (either publicly or privately) sooner rather than later.

If that happens, I hope that Spurs fans will be gracious enough to send him on his way with a pat on the back and a thank you rather than hold the decision against him.

As a football manager (and and one of the game’s real characters) Harry Redknapp has proved his worth and so personally I’m delighted he was found not guilty and now has the chance to lead his country.