North End manager Neil has sympathy for sacked Rednapp

Alex Neil says it was not a nice feeling to see Harry Redknapp sacked by Birmingham City in the aftermath of Preston's win at St Andrews last weekend.
Alex Neil on the touchline with Harry Redknapp at Birmingham last SaturdayAlex Neil on the touchline with Harry Redknapp at Birmingham last Saturday
Alex Neil on the touchline with Harry Redknapp at Birmingham last Saturday

Redknapp was dismissed less than two hours after PNE had come from behind to beat the Blues 3-1.

The result moved Neil’s men up to fourth place and left Birmingham second-bottom of the Championship.

Neil said: “It’s not a nice feeling to be honest.

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“Harry is an experienced manager who has achieved so much in his career.

“I’ve been there myself.

“Unfortunately that has happened quite a few times when we have played teams and guys have lost their job after.

“It is the nature of the game and Harry will understand that as much as anyone does.

“Obviously I feel for him, equally I could find myself in that position at some stage.”

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Birmingham were not the only club to wield the axe last Saturday evening, with Chesterfield dismissing Gary Caldwell and Port Vale parting company with Michael Brown.

Neil knows his profession does not offer long-term stability.

“There is no doubt that managers are getting less time,” said the North End boss.

“Over the last 10 years the amount of time managers had to change a club is different.

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“Sir Alex Ferguson had three years without winning anything and went on to be the most successful manager of all time.

“Nowadays, I don’t think he would get three years – that is the problem you have got.

“Most of the time – and I’m fortunate that wasn’t the case here – you get a job because there has been a problem.

“Some problems take a lot longer than six games to fix.

“You might have a group of players who aren’t good enough but have two years left on their contracts and no one wants them.

“That is going to take two years to resolve, not a matter of a few games.”