The fall and fall of Redknapp and Adkins

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The two men in charge here, Harry Redknapp and Nigel Adkins, both go to show that a year is an incredibly long time in football. This meeting came exactly 12 months to the day since the latter watched his Southampton side beat Coventry 4-0 to secure second place in the Championship and promotion to the Premier League — his second in succession.

Meanwhile, Redknapp’s Tottenham were holding off both Newcastle and Chelsea to secure a place in the top-four, even if it wasn’t quite enough to secure a Champions League place.

These were two managers at the very pinnacle of their powers a year a go but it has swiftly crumbled for the pair, who must now prepare for life in England’s second tier. But, on this showing, that is exactly where these two sides belong.

Esteban Granero clipped the crossbar with an early free-kick for the visitors, Pavel Pogrebnyak wasted a couple of chances in the second half, but in truth, this was a game that could’ve lasted all afternoon and neither team would’ve scored.

Redknapp admitted: “It was a mundane sort of game. It was as if both teams had already gone down. We lacked that bit of spark.”

He added: “I knew how hard it was going to be when I walked in. It’s not easy sitting on four points with a third of the season gone.

“There are problems within the club and to be honest it hasn’t been easy to manage. It’s not easy to change when people have got long contracts.

“I’ve got to sit down with the owners and see what their plans are. I’ll do whatever they want. I don’t worry about my self — I’m worried about the owners of the football club.”

Adkins said: “There is a lot of hunger here. We want to make sure we give ourselves an opportunity to get back up. The lads have given everything and they have a willingness to achieve as individuals and collectively as a team.”