When (then) Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers was asked whether he was interested in the Chelsea job after the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas, he confirmed that he wasn't, adding: 'I am trying to build my career and not destroy it'.
Now there might be a bit of that with the Tottenham job.
With two top five finishes in three years, a glorious Champions League campaign, and some scintillating football, some are now suggesting that taking over from Redknapp at Tottenham is a poisoned chalice; given the gap in resources between the top three and Spurs, they say, there's only one way Tottenham can go (and that ain't up).
By sacking Redknapp, Tottenham's board have drawn a line in the sand and made it clear that Champions League football is the minimum criteria for success. And on that basis, the Tottenham job is a big ask - especially if the club lose some of its key players in the wake of Redknapp's departure.
Although Redknapp himself says that he didn't want to leave, the decision to dispense with his services could be a blessing in disguise for him - history could yet show that he left at the top, and that ain't a bad time to go.
image: © Doha Stadium Plus
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