Redknapp faces FA charge

Southampton boss Harry Redknapp is sweating on a possible FA charge following his dismissal from the touchline during Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Derby at Pride Park.

Redknapp was incensed at referee Nigel Miller’s decision to allow Derby’s Inigo Idiakez to retake a penalty because Saints keeper Antti Niemi had stepped off his line before saving the spot-kick.

Idiakez scored at the second attempt to equalise for the Rams, but Redknapp continued to remonstrate with the fourth official, claiming the Spaniard had paused during his run-up for the original penalty which caused Niemi to move early.

Miller was eventually called over and sent a fuming Redknapp to the stands and, although the former West Ham and Portsmouth manager insisted he did not swear at the fourth official, a Football Association spokesman confirmed the incident is “under consideration”.

Redknapp’s mood was not helped when Miller sent off defender Tomasz Hajto for a second booking, one of seven yellow cards shown to Saints players.

Andrew Davies then put the Rams ahead but Southampton regained their composure to earn a point through Ricardo Fuller’s late equaliser.

Redknapp sent number two Dave Bassett to the post-match press conference for fear of talking himself into more trouble, but he could not resist risking further punishment from the FA when questioned about the game later in the evening.

“The referee has done us, he had a terrible time of it,” said Redknapp.

“Antti made a great save but the lad checked his run, which is gamesmanship. He should have been booked for that.

“It was hard to stay disciplined when you’ve got a referee doing what he was doing. I ended up losing my head with him because he was having a nightmare.

“I just asked the fourth official why he had made him take it again and said it was ‘diabolical’, and the silly little man has called the referee over.”

The FA are likely to come to a decision on whether to charge Redknapp tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, Redknapp will make 11 changes to his side for tonight’s Carling Cup clash with Mansfield.

He has left the entire starting XI at Pride Park behind to give his youngsters and fringe players a run-out.

Scotland international Neil McCann is in line for a first start of the season alongside teenagers Theo Walcott and David McGoldrick.