QPR sign Ben Haim on short-term deal

QPR manager Harry Redknapp has confirmed the signing of defender Tal Ben Haim on a short-term contract until the end of the season.



The Isreali international has been a free agent since leaving Portsmouth in August 2012 and joins in time to face West Brom in the FA Cup on Saturday.



The 30-year-old has been training with the R's for the past six weeks and Redknapp believes his experience will help them avoid relegation.



“Tal’s a great professional with vast experience and I’m confident he’ll be a really useful addition to the squad,” Redknapp told www.qpr.co.uk.



“His attitude is first class and the fact he can play anywhere across the back four is obviously a big bonus for us.



“He just wants to play. He’s not here for the money or anything like that. He just wants to come in and do his best for the club.”

Redknapp to ring the changes

QPR will be aiming for just their second win of the league campaign while West Brom returned to winning ways last Saturday.

Harry Redknapp looks set to ring the changes for QPR after his criticism of the side that lost to Newcastle on Saturday.

Julio Cesar may be available after a back problem, while Nedum Onuoha and Armand Traore are doubts with hamstring problems.

Ji-Sung Park (knee), Andrew Johnson (knee) and Bobby Zamora (hip) are still unavailable, while Keiron Dyer remains a long-term absentee

West Brom's Youssouf Mulumbu is available after suspension for the trip to Loftus Road.

The midfielder was unavailable for the weekend home win over Norwich after incurring five bookings this season.



Baggies boss Steve Clarke will check on the fitness of defender Steven Reid (ankle) and midfielder Claudio Yacob (hamstring) before finalising his side.


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Redknapp on the brink at QPR

Harry Redknapp says he is looking forward to the challenge of attempting to lead QPR away from the Premier League relegation zone.



The 65-year-old is poised to take over the reins at Loftus Road after Mark Hughes was sacked on Friday morning, and is on the brink of agreeing a deal following a day of negotiations.



Rangers are four points adrift at the bottom of the table after failing to win any of their opening 12 matches but Redknapp believes he can guide them to safety.



"I'm hopeful we can get it done tonight, there shouldn't be any problems," said Redknapp, who has been out of work since leaving Tottenham in the summer.



"I fancy getting back into the Premier League. QPR is a good club, with great fans and a great atmosphere.



"I am looking forward to it. It's a big challenge. It will be a tough job to take on but I am up for the challenge."

Harry pondering Ukraine post

Representatives of Harry Redknapp are in talks over a big-money offer to install him as Ukraine manager.

It has been claimed discussions have been going on for a fortnight after the Ukrainian FA made the former Spurs boss their number-one target.



Redknapp's agent Paul Stretford is thought to be in Kiev thrashing out the details of the deal, which will see his client back in work for the first time since being shown the door at White Hart Lane in June.



QPR had been expected to sack Mark Hughes and chase his managerial services, but Redknapp may well agree a contract with Ukraine by the end of this week.



He previously told Sportsmail: "It's a fantastic job. I found out about it a couple of weeks ago when they got in touch with my advisors. I am serious about it.



"They are an up and coming football country with some very good young players, some great teams like Shakhtar and some great stadiums.



"I will talk to them and see if we can sort something out. I'm definitely interested, without a doubt."



If Redknapp agrees to the offer, he would be set to lead Ukraine when they face England in a potentially crucial World Cup qualifier in Kiev next September.

Friedel talks up Spurs title challenge

Brad Friedel claims Andre Villas-Boas has given the Tottenham squad the belief they can challenge for the Premier League title.



The north London club will be under new stewardship for the upcoming season after parting ways with Harry Redknapp at the end of the last campaign.



Redknapp was shown the door after Tottenham missed out on Champions League qualification last season following a dramatic slump towards the end of the term.



Spurs were quick to replace Redknapp with former Chelsea boss Villas-Boas, who has set about trying to put his stamp on the team by bringing in Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen.



The Portuguese coach has also persuaded playmaker Rafael van der Vaart to stay, with the only blow to his plans having been the decision by Luka Modric to leave White Hart Lane.



Friedel says Villas-Boas has injected some renewed belief into the squad and the American keeper claims the players fancy themselves to challenge for the Premier League title this season.



"We want to try to win every trophy this season and as a player that's the type of message that you want to hear from a coach," said the 41-year-old.



"The players are excited by the new era and we buy in to that philosophy. "



We hope we can improve on what we did last season and we weren't that far off for a long spell.



"We have a great squad along with an exciting crop of hungry youngsters. "

You can't just aim for a top-four finish, you have to believe you can win the title."



Punters who fancy Villas-Boas to have more success at Tottenham than he did at Chelsea can back the Lilywhites to win the Premier League with a free bet this season.

Redknapp wants new EPL job

Harry Redknapp says he has 'faith' he can still contribute as a manager and wants to work in the English Premier League.



The former Tottenham Hotspur man has revealed clubs from all over the world have approached him to be their head coach, but he will not rush the decision over taking a new job.



Having led Tottenham to fourth spot in the Premier League last season and never lower than fifth during his three years in charge, Redknapp remains certain he can succeed at the top of English football.



"I could manage anywhere," Redknapp told Sky Sports.



"I have certainly not lost any faith in my ability.



"I have left Tottenham in an unbelievable position from when I went to the club to where they are now.



"It could not have gone better; it has been four fantastic years."



In the two seasons prior to Redknapp's arrival, Tottenham had finished 11th and eighth.



The north London club qualified for the Champions League for the first time during his second season in charge.



Tottenham sacked the 65-year-old on June 13, and with the job at White Hart Lane the only vacancy in the Premier League, it remains to be seen where Redknapp will find employment.



"That is the only place to manage for me," he said.



"As I say, you never know what comes up."



The former Portsmouth, Southampton and West Ham manager has been heavily linked with a lucrative job in the Middle East.



"I have had loads of offers from abroad," he said.



"But it is not something I am going to dive in and take the first job that comes up.



"If I am going to take a job, it has got to be a good job - the right job."

Barca 'can't afford' Bale

Barcelona will be priced out of a move for Gareth Bale, according to his agent.

Speculation over the Tottenham winger's future has intensified in the hours since Harry Redknapp's exit from White Hart Lane.

But the good news for Spurs supporters is that a £40m asking price will force Barca to look elsewhere for a left-sided player.

Agent Jonathan Barnett said: "I think it's too expensive for the club. To my knowledge, Barcelona have not made any offer for him.

"If interested, they would have to put money on the table and then start talking. But it seems that the club is working on the signing of Jordi Alba, a cheaper option."



Bale signed a long-term deal earlier this year, but Barnett reckons the lure of Champions League football away from Spurs may prove too strong.

He said: "Yes, it is clear that this is a problem."

Former Spurs boss believes he would have been sacked even if Spurs were in the Champions League

Harry Redknapp feels he would have been sacked even if Tottenham had qualified for the Champions League.



Spurs confirmed the 65-year-old's departure in the early hours of this morning after negotiations over a contract extension with chairman Daniel Levy broke down.



Redknapp believes this outcome was inevitable, regardless of what happened on the pitch - with Spurs losing out on Champions League football again despite finishing fourth in the Barclays Premier League, because of Chelsea's Champions League final triumph over Bayern Munich last month.



"We finished fourth and were unlucky at the end, but I think the same outcome would have happened," Redknapp said on BBC Radio Five Live.



"Even if we had finished fourth, the chairman would have gone down the same road. But that is football.



"I had four great years at Spurs. All you can do is leave the club in a better state than you found it and I did that, for sure."



In his first full season in charge Redknapp guided Spurs to fourth position, taking them into the Champions League for the first time.



Spurs played some exhilarating football on their way to the quarter-finals, before being knocked out by Real Madrid.



Since then Redknapp has twice failed to secure Champions League football at White Hart Lane, albeit with a touch of misfortune this season as Chelsea snatched the last available place away from them.



That capped a dramatic season for Redknapp, who underwent a heart procedure in November, was cleared of tax evasion in February and missed out on the England job in May.



In the past week Redknapp made it known he would be uncomfortable heading into the new season without a longer deal while also defending his relationship with Levy.



It has been claimed, however, that Levy was only willing to offer Redknapp a rolling 12-month contract whereas the former Portsmouth manager is thought to have wanted a longer deal that would have made the London club his last job in management.



Redknapp's future remains uncertain, but the former West Ham boss could now be set for a move overseas, with a long-standing offer of a coaching role in Dubai said to be on the table.



Tottenham have yet to confirm any details of the compensation package agreed or whether any of Redknapp's backroom staff, including Joe Jordan and Kevin Bond, will remain at the club.

Tottenham eye Moyes as Redknapp is 'sacked'

With rumours again sweeping twittersphere that Harry Redknapp has parted company with Tottenham, London bookmakers have suspended betting on Everton boss David Moyes taking up the White Hart Lane hotseat.



Unconfirmed reports on Wednesday night as they did 24 hours previouly suggest Redknapp, 64, has ended his near four-year stay with north London club having been sacked by chairman Daniel Levy.



Redknapp, who admitted recently he would have accepted the England job had he been offered the role, is rumoured to have left after failing to guide the club into the Champions League next season.



Bookmakers have wasted little time in drawing up their own shortlist for the post should the rumours prove accurate with Scotsman Moyes the overwhelming favourite for the post.



The 49-year-old has spent a decade in charge at Everton having taken over in 2002, during which time has has guided the club to a fourth place finish (2005) and the FA Cup final in 2009 where they eventually lost to Chelsea.

Hodgson takes England reins

The Football Association have confirmed the appointment of Roy Hodgson as the new England manager on a four-year deal.

Joining from West Brom, Hodgson finalised terms on Tuesday afternoon after four hours of talks on Monday.



The 64-year-old - the only man approached by the FA - will be officially unveiled at a Wembley press conference at 4pm.



Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp had long been the fans' favourite but Soho Square chiefs have turned to a man with considerable international experience to succeed Fabio Capello.



In a 36-year career, Hodgson has coached in England, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland and Italy, where he was twice in charge of Internazionale.



He has also managed in Finland, the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland, who he guided to the 1994 World Cup finals in the United States.



Hodgson will take charge of Albion's final two games of the Premier League season against Bolton and Arsenal before taking up his new role on 14 May.



West Brom chairman Jeremy Pearce said: "We did not want Roy to leave and he will be a tough act to follow.



"But we understand Roy's desire to take the England job and he will leave us after the Arsenal game on 13 May with our best wishes.



"The board will now concentrate on the important task of appointing a new head coach. I want to reassure our supporters that we will do everything possible to identify and appoint the right man."

Redknapp expresses Drogba admiration

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has admitted he is a huge admirer of Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, but has also said that the Ivorian's wage demands would prove to be a stumbling block to any potential move for the player in the summer.



Drogba's contract with the Blues is up at the end of the current season and he has been heavily linked with a big-money move to Chinese side Shanghai Shenua, where his former Chelsea team-mate Nicolas Anelka is now in charge.



The 34-year-old produced a timely reminder of his value over the past week with impressive goalscoring displays against Spurs in the FA Cup and Barcelona in the Champions League, and Redknapp believes he could still do an excellent job for Chelsea or any other club which can afford him.



"He is a free but I was just reading in the paper about him going to China," said Redknapp. "It seems the money in China at the moment is incredible. Players can go there and make a fortune.



"He would be a great player for Chelsea to keep or for somebody else to take. Anyone would be interested but you would have to be able to afford his wages. That is going to be the key. If he is on a free you are going to have to pay him a fortune.



"But he is a powerhouse when he is on his game. He is strong and almost unplayable when he is really at it. It was an amazing goal he scored against us. He smashed it from an angle.



"His strength in holding [Spurs defender William] Gallas off and then hitting the ball from where he did, there aren't too many players who could have done that."



Another running theme is Redknapp's constant link to the England position, something which was stirred up again this week when FA board member and Bolton chairman Phil Gartside said the 65-year-old would do an 'outstanding' job.



There have been suggestions that the continuous speculation has contributed to Spurs' slump in form, but Redknapp refuses to pay any credence to such an idea.



"Other people talk about [England] but I don't talk about it," he said. "I just concentrate on my job here and never look beyond Tottenham. "Recently it was only the Norwich game really (where Spurs played poorly).



"Arsenal did not lose to Wigan and QPR because they were concentrating on Arsene Wenger going to manage France, were they?"

Harry hits back at Szczesny

Harry Redknapp has told Wojciech Szczesny to stop sticking his nose in Tottenham's business and start concentrating on his own performances.



Szczesny has sought to step up the psychological warfare between Arsenal and their bitter London rivals in the last fortnight as the battle for Champions League qualification intensifies.



The Gunners were on the brink of slipping 13 points behind third-placed Spurs earlier this month, but they now stand just one point behind their neighbours after both teams went on contrasting runs.



The 21-year-old Pole had a dig at Tottenham after the Gunners' 3-0 win over AC Milan, claiming Redknapp's team could end up playing Europa League football next year - something he said would give him great pleasure.



He then rounded on Chelsea, who trail Spurs by four points, claiming the reason why Blues owner Roman Abramovich has sacked so many managers is because a group of senior players practically run the west London club.



His outspoken attacks may have made him a cult hero among Arsenal fans, but Redknapp is not impressed.



"Szczesny says he is coming to get Tottenham? Oh yeah, yeah, he does have a lot to say Szczesny, doesn't he?" Redknapp said.



"I'm a big fan of his, he is a fantastic goalkeeper and he could end up being one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League but he does come out with some stuff doesn't he? He was having a go at Chelsea the other day and god knows what (else)...



"He is a fantastic goalie, but he should just keep doing what he does."



The sniping between rival clubs is, of course, a key reason why the Premier League is seen as one of, if not the best, domestic competitions in the world, and Szczesny's verbal salvo is unlikely to be the last between the two clubs this season.



But Redknapp is not a big fan of players attacking other clubs through the media.



"I don't like it," he said. "There is no need for it. Just get on with it, just get on playing.



"You weren't allowed to speak to the Press when I was playing. If you got caught you got a fine of a week's wages, which was about £7."



Redknapp is not worried that Szczesny's words, or those of Theo Walcott and Thomas Vermaelen, who have recently claimed Spurs will feel threatened by Arsenal's resurgence, will have any effect on his players.



"I don't think they read the papers," Redknapp said.



The Spurs boss himself has complete confidence his team will be playing Champions League football next season despite suffering recent successive defeats to Arsenal, Manchester United and Everton.



When asked whether his team had been rattled by Arsenal's form, the 65-year-old said: "No. Not at all. They have been on a good run and I always felt they were capable of that.



"They have some good players but it has gone their way recently.



"Liverpool absolutely smashed them but they won. That's how it goes sometimes.



"Chelsea look good and we have had a couple of results that haven't gone our way but our performances have been excellent.



"If we were playing badly you would start to worry but we haven't."



Redknapp knows his chances of continuing to develop Spurs, if he decides to rebuff England's probable approach this summer, will depend to a large extent on whether Tottenham are in the Champions League.



The Tottenham manager has identified Lille midfielder Eden Hazard as a player he wants to sign to ensure his team's progression and is confident that he will get his man.



"He is a really good talent," Redknapp added.



"If you want to be a top four team you have to (go for players like Hazard) otherwise you can't expect to be a top team.



"If you want to compete with Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and two Manchester clubs, you have to buy top players.



"I think the club would do it if we come up with the right targets."



Redknapp turns his attention to the FA Cup on Saturday, where Spurs can secure a Wembley semi-final with a win over Bolton.



The Tottenham manager lifted the trophy with Portsmouth in 2008 and would love to win the competition again.



He said: "It's a great tournament and we want to go all the way to Wembley now and win it."