In the Hot Seat

Current Southampton boss Harry Redknapp unravels the art of club management in this madcap account of life in the fast lane of English football. Premiership football club management is one of the most high-pressured jobs in sport. Whether it's handling difficult players, less-than-reputable agents or keeping the board and chairman off your back, not a moment goes by without the modern-day club manager having to deal with the stress of being under the microscope, from fans and press alike. What is it about the job that makes it so anxiety-ridden yet so addictive? Harry Redknapp is one of that rare breed of English managers to be found in the top echelons of the game. He's recognised as one of the shrewdest operators in English football, the archetypal 'wheeler-dealer', the fire-fighter whose experience in the game is second to none, forever with his finger on the pulse of the latest player willing to be persuaded to join his club. His earlier dips into the transfer market with West Ham might have had as many minuses as pluses, but his more recent track record with both Portsmouth and Southampton prove he still has an eye for a good player.
'In the Hot Seat' will focus primarily on Harry's management career at Portsmouth and Southampton, while occasionally dipping back into his Upton Park management years (when he first started out in management, his influences, the skills he acquired and what training he needed, etc). The central theme will be the opening up of the world of professional football club management to ALL fans of the game -- as seen from Harry's perspective -- and filled with his personal views alongside anecdotes about players, chairmen, fans and agents.