Only a few doubters are of the mind that Harry Redknapp is not destined to replace Fabio Capello as England coach. Redknapp, however, is doing his best to dodgepredictions that he will leave his current job at Tottenham to take over the English squad, sooner or later.
“I can’t take my eye off the ball at Tottenham at the moment becausewe are looking to get Champions League football, we are still in the FA Cup and I owe it to them to keep completely focused on the job I’m doing here,” he said a day after a jury acquitted himof tax-evasion charges and Capello resigned. “It wouldn’t be fair to anybody at this club if I suddenly started letting my thoughts wander elsewhere.”
Several scenarioshave been postulated, including one that Redknapp will juggle both jobs until the Premier League season ends in May and he can turn his full attention to England, which opens play in the EuropeanChampionship June 11 against France. Prior to the Euros, England has friendlies lined up against the Netherlands (Feb. 29), Norway (May 26), and Belgium (June 2). British Olympic soccer coachand former England defender Stuart Pearce will be in charge against the Dutch; nothing else is certain.
“Things couldn’t have gone better for me atTottenham,” said Reknapp. “I enjoy my time here, the chairman [Daniel Levy] has been great to me and I’ve been good for him as well so it’s difficult. Butuntil the question gets asked would you want the job — and nobody has approached Daniel, and that’s the key he’s the chairman — until he rings me up and says ‘Look I’vehad an approach’ then really there’s nothing for me to consider.”