‘I'm scared’: Former Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp makes Coventry City admission ahead of Fratton contest
Harry Redknapp enjoyed two successful stints at the Fratton Park helm, guiding Pompey to the Premier League as well as an FA Cup triumph.
Harry Redknapp has revealed a surprise superstition which is stopping him from watching Coventry City, who are led by nephew Frank Lampard.
And the former Pompey boss has sounded a warning to the rest of the Championship after the Sky Blues’ outstanding start to the season.
The CBS Arena outfit are sitting pretty at the second-tier summit and make the trip to Fratton Park this evening as the only undefeated side in the division.
Lampard’s men have picked up 22 points from their opening 10 games so far, which gives them a one-point advantage over Middlesbrough.
The 47-year-old is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, who helped guide Pompey and QPR to promotion from the second tier during his managerial career.
But Redknapp has admitted he is ‘scared’ to watch the Sky Blues in action this season to avoid becoming a bad-luck charm.
Harry Redknapp’s Coventry admission ahead of Pompey
The ex-Blues boss told Coventry Live: ‘Oh, first result [I look for], I watch every game. I've been scared to come because I'm scared if I come and they get beat....I'm not coming while they're winning every game.
‘I'm ready to go but I hope it's a long time before I can go because that means they keep winning. But now I follow every game on TV. I kick every ball for him, I want to see him do well, he deserves it.
‘They've had a great start, he had a great year last year, getting to the playoffs, very unlucky not to get to the final.
‘They were the better team against Sunderland, that last kick of the game robbed them of the chance when they were certainly looking the more likely.
‘He's carried it on this year without going into the transfer market and bringing lots of players in, he's sort of got the same lads and he's getting the best out of them. So far he's done a great job.
‘It's a tough division. I'm not sitting here saying they're going to win it or anything because it really is a tough league. But they're certainly at the moment, going well.
‘Listen, it doesn't surprise me, he knows what he's doing. He's a very clever guy.
‘He was the best professional I've ever seen in all my time in football. I've never seen anybody who came anywhere near him in terms of training and attitude.
‘He was out on that training ground at 4 o'clock in the afternoon when everybody had gone home three hours.
‘On his own practising, practising, practising, running every single day. It's just unreal really, what he what he was like.’
Harry Redknapp and Pompey
Coventry make the trip to Fratton Park this evening to face Pompey, with Redknapp no doubt set to keep a close eye on the scores.
The 78-year-old enjoyed two successful stints at Fratton Park, where he first led the Blues to the Premier League in 2003 before leading the club to the FA Cup in 2008.
He would depart PO4 for the final time in October 2008 before spells in charge of Spurs, QPR and Birmingham City.