End of the road for Harry Redknapp?

Harry Redknapp is a manager who always seems to have enjoyed The Midas Touch. Such was his ability to firefight and improve the standing of the clubs that he took charge of, that we always thought of him as something of a Red Adair of football.

And the job at QPR seemed perfect for him. This was a club that was generally too good for The Championship but couldn’t get a grip, and consolidate a position, in the top league.

After initial relegation in 2013, Harry did the first bit well, in bringing QPR straight back up to the top flight. But, since then, things haven’t gone as planned.

Redknapp’s big signings like Rio Ferdinand, Steven Caulker and Leroy Fer haven’t become the heroes for QPR that he was hoping. And there have been rumours that the final straw, that lead to his resignation, was the club’s lack of willingness to spend again in January – a rumour that Harry himself denies. Sky Sports reports:

“I have had a problem with my knee and it has been getting worse,” said Redknapp.

“Last night I had a bad night’s sleep with my knee, so I rang Tony (Fernandes, QPR owner) early this morning and said ‘Tony, I’m struggling. Maybe give someone else a go’.

..and with regards the rumours that a lack of signings lead to his departure:

Asked if he had wanted some additions, he said: “We tried but I could not say I was over-mad to. We could not find anybody.

“Tony was keener than I was, the chairman. He was trying for his life, he was non-stop on the phone to me.

“We tried one or two but there was nothing we were close to doing and I did not push Tony to do any deals.

“It was too expensive, I said that to Tony. You are not going to start chasing when people have got you in the position that they know you are desperate, because the price goes up.

Harry has always been such an enthusiastic player in the game – a man with a true passion for football. But he probably isn’t short of a hobby or two and, at 67, will he have the desire to get back into the game yet again?

He may prove to be one of these guys who simply can’t stay away and noone will be ruling out a return just yet. But it’s just as likely now that he will hang up his tracksuit and get on with the business of enjoying his senior years in peace.