Relegation fears made Redknapp quit QPR

Harry Redknapp hobbled out on QPR last week, citing long-standing knee problems. But I reckon if he hadn’t been staring relegation in the face, he’d have found a way to soldier on.

Don’t get me wrong Harry DOES have a problem with his knees. He’s in so much pain on a day-to-day basis, that working has become very difficult for him. That’s indisputable.

But I think his decision to leave Loftus Road was triggered by a realisation that the job was adding to his aches and pains.

The grinding, unrelenting strain of simply getting around, the crutches, the hassle, the media hounding him, the dreadful form he has been under intense pressure.

All of that together, I think, has brought him to the point where he’s thought: “Stuff it. I’m going to have my legs done.”

And I can’t say I’m at all surprised. There had been rumours flying about for days leading up to the Manchester United game last weekend. That was going to be his last chance. Defeat would cost Harry his job.

Of course, United beat them but then he wasn’t sacked. QPR chairman Tony Fernandes even came on my radio programme to insist that the players had given their all and, for as long as that continued, he wouldn’t change the manager.

But then there were more rumours and Harry has had enough. Who can blame him? After the club’s failure to bring anyone in during the transfer window, I certainly can’t.

QPR’s inability to win on the road needed attention, and Harry felt it needed signings. Unfortunately, they never arrived and, at that point, I think he looked at it and felt it was going to be a real hard job to keep them up.

Maybe he even thought he couldn’t do it and that was that.

Harry has never been relegated as a manager and he doesn’t want to experience it for the first time at 67 years of age. No doubt there’s a problem with his knees and no doubt that played a part in his decision.

But I can’t shake the feeling that had they been doing well, maybe he’d have waited until the end of the season.