Rafael van der Vaart has praised Harry Redknapp’s style of management, claiming Tottenham’s refusal to concentrate on tactics has brought out the best in him.
Van der Vaart has impressed at White Hart Lane since his deadline-day move from Real Madrid to north London in the summer.
Van der Vaart has scored seven times for Spurs already and, after admitting he found football “boring” under new Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, claims Redknapp’s more relaxed approach is a tonic for him and the team.
“Harry is a very special man, that’s why I already feel at home at Spurs. It feels like I’m back on the street,” he was quoted as saying in the Sun. “There are no long and boring speeches about tactics, like I was used to at Real Madrid. There is a board in our dressing room but Harry doesn’t write anything on it.”
Van der Vaart said that training sessions under Redknapp were also a low-key affair, with the emphasis on team work rather than tactics.
“It’s not that we do nothing – but it’s close to that,” he added. “For instance, last weekend Gareth Bale scored a header against Blackburn from my corner. But we didn’t train one minute on it, it was pure luck. Good kicking, good heading, nothing more. And our win at home over Champions League winners Inter Milan was a clear example of playing on intuition. You can’t train the goal I scored in that game.”
