Harry : Hammers won't fall

HARRY REDKNAPP reckons there is no way his old club Portsmouth can escape the drop but has backed West Ham to stay up.

The Tottenham manager takes on rock bottom Pompey at White Hart Lane tomorrow in a dress rehearsal of the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

He speaks regularly to Fratton Park boss Avram Grant but knows his opposite number is doomed when it comes to Premier League football next season.

But Redknapp believes the Hammers — another of the teams he has managed — will live to fight another campaign in the top flight despite losing their last FIVE games.

Redknapp said: "I can't see any way in which Portsmouth will stay up. Even if they hadn't had the nine-point deduction for going into administration, they would still be bottom of the table."

Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola was hit with a fearful blast from co-chairman David Sullivan following the shocking performance at Upton Park when West Ham lost 3-1 to Wolves.

West Ham are just three points above the drop zone but Redknapp added: "I think Zola is a fantastic manager. I'm absolutely sure West Ham will be OK. They won't be going down this season.

"As for David Sullivan, he's exceptionally passionate about his football. He is a hands-on chairman who likes to make his presence known.

"He was always going to be involved in whatever is going on at the club but at the end of the day it is up to the manager to manage."

Redknapp was hugely successful at Pompey, taking them to eighth in the Premier League and masterminding their 2008 FA Cup success and he remains confident they will bounce back.

He added: "Portsmouth have been in that position so many times. I was talking last night to Jim Smith, who was manager there and also worked with me at Fratton Park, about the situation.

"They've been in the bottom division and come back. When Milan Mandaric came in and took over, the doors to the club were locked for business.

"When I managed there, they had no training facilities. I had people like Teddy Sheringham and Paul Merson training where Sunday teams had played.

"Hopefully they'll find a new owner who cares and get them back up again."

Spurs have been hit by a catalogue of injuries for tomorrow's clash with Vedran Corluka the latest to be ruled out with an ankle problem.

Redknapp said: "Corluka had a scan and wont be available. Young Kyle Walker was going to come in at right-back but picked up ankle injury in training — I'm hoping he will be OK.

"Sebastien Bassong also has an ankle injury and we'll give him until Saturday to declare himself fit. Roman Pavlyuchenko's hamstring is tight and he probably doesn't feel ready to start.

"Wilson Palacios' abductor is tender, he played with a tear against Fulham, I don't know how he got through the game, so again we're going to wait till Saturday to see how he reacts.

"Aaron Lennon is building up slowly after his groin operation, he's getting out there running and hopefully he's on the way back.

"And Ledley King is coming on slowly with his knee problems so could be back in a week or two. Jermaine Jenas has had a bit of a setback and is sore and he's still getting a bit of pain after the hernia operation.

"But Jermain Defoe is not fit at moment. He's not too far away, he's progressing well and shouldn't be too long. The injury list is bad but we've kept winning — we need to if we are going to finish fourth."

Redknapp, meanwhile, has blasted the fans who booed his team off at half-time in the midweek FA Cup quarter-final win over Fulham.

Spurs were trailing 1-0 at the break and some sections of the White Hart Lane crowd jeered the players as they went in.

Redknapp said: "I don't know what anyone could come to Tottenham to boo about because they've seen football this year that has been out of the top drawer.

"If you want to be entertained, come and watch Tottenham play.

"You always get people who don't understand the game. You could be playing badly and winning 1-0 and they don't moan.

"They see the scoreboard and react because the team are losing. 99 per cent of the fans are fantastic, it's only a few idiots."

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2908865/Harry-Redknapp-tips-West-Ham-to-survive-drop.html