Redknapp hits back at critics in furious rant

Harry Redknapp has angrily insisted there ought to be no threat to his job as manager – unless he fails to take QPR up this season.

Rangers have lost ground in the race for automatic promotion after three consecutive defeats, leading to speculation that he could be sacked.

But Redknapp has claimed they have done “excellently” to be fourth in the table after the departures of “around 18 good players” during a summer in which he “bought two players”.

He also believes he “absolutely” has the fans’ full backing, is satisfied with the attitude of his highly-paid stars and feels they “played okay” in last Saturday’s loss against struggling Charlton.

And he hit back at suggestions the club’s huge spending means they should be certainties for a top-two finish.

“If my position’s in jeopardy it shouldn’t be, but as far as I know it isn’t,” said Redknapp, who described reports he could be axed as “c**p” and “a load of rubbish”.

He added: “Until we don’t get up, it shouldn’t even be a question, should it? Judge it at the end of the year. Don’t judge it now because you lose a couple of games.

“If we don’t go up, then it’s up to the people who own the club to make a decision on what they want to do.

“I would talk to the owners and discuss it with them and see where we go with it.”

Following relegation from the Premier League last season, Redknapp was adamant that the squad had to be revamped.

A number of players were shipped out, while Rangers spent big on Charlie Austin and Matt Phillips – both currently injured – and also added established top-flight players like Niko Kranjcar, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Danny Simpson to the squad.

But Redknapp has claimed that the tag of big-spending promotion favourites is unjustified and that the team’s results this season should be regarded as a major success.

He said: “I think we’ve done excellently to be fourth. We bought two players. You might think we should go up straightaway, but that’s just people’s perception of how it should be.

“Shouldn’t Leeds be going up, or Derby – all these clubs? We bought two players and got rid of around 18 good players because we had to because of the situation with the wages.

“We had players going out of here left, right and centre. We had to bring players in and when you throw a new team together it can be very difficult.

“We brought two in who have been injured, unfortunately; Charlie Austin who has been fantastic and Matty Phillips. We lost two key players.

“I don’t know where you think we’re entitled to be. When you look at teams that came down [last season] or have come down in the last few years, where are they?

“Where are Wolves? Where are Bolton? Good Premier League clubs and where are they? It’s very difficult when you come down.

“We’re still sitting above Reading and Wigan. They both came down with us last year.

“West Ham came down a couple of years ago who were a good team and they got up through the play-offs. We can still make it automatically.

“We’re sitting fourth in the league. We’re not sitting halfway. I just don’t understand it [doubts about his position] really, and I’ve been in this job a long time and think I do understand football.

“I must be misreading the script somewhere. We’re not Man United or someone, are we? I must be seeing it wrong.”

And Redknapp insisted he gave the QPR board no assurances when seeking the green light to sign big-name players in the summer or when subsequently bringing in the likes of Yossi Benayoun and Ravel Morrison.

“How can I give assurances that we’ll go up? How can I guarantee anything in football? If we get up, fantastic, and I still think we will,” he said.

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