Harry Redknapp said he was dismayed at the Football Association’s decision to hand Rio Ferdinand a three-game ban and £25,000 fine for his controversial “sket” tweet, claiming the severity of the suspension did not “equate” to offences such as violent conduct.
The 35-year-old former England captain directed a jibe at a follower who criticised him last month containing the word “sket”, which means “a promiscuous girl or woman”, leading to the FA charge. It is the second time Ferdinand has been reprimanded by the governing body for his use of Twitter following his endorsement of a “choc ice” description of Ashley Cole in 2012.
The QPR manager praised Ferdinand as a “top-class person” and could not grasp how an exchange on social media could provoke the same penalty as a dangerous, two-foot challenge. “If someone slags him off and he goes back and slags them off, it doesn’t equate. I can’t see it,” Redknapp said.
QPR were expecting the full report from the FA late on Thursday and planned to deliberate the reasoning behind the ban with the player’s advisers before deciding whether or not to appeal. The Ferdinand camp is aware that the Premier League’s chief executive, Richard Scudamore, escaped FA sanction recently when sexist emails were made public.
If Ferdinand does appeal, which will delay any ban, he will be available for selection for QPR’s match at Chelsea on Saturday which would see him come face to face with John Terry, who was charged by the FA in 2012 for racially abusing Ferdinand’s brother, Anton.
While Redknapp said the club are still weighing up whether to appeal, he believes there is no need to talk to Ferdinand about his conduct. “We’ve not seen the FA report so we really can’t comment. We’re not sure exactly what he’s done and what the charge is and what the reasons are behind it. So until we see that, and I’ve not seen it, we’re not in a position to comment on it,” he said.
“I’ve not spoken to Phil [QPR’s chief executive Philip Beard], the chairman or Rio about it. We’ll have to sit down and see what the circumstances are. I don’t know much about it.
“Rio does know how to behave off the pitch, I’ve not had many footballers behave better off the pitch than Rio, on the pitch and off the pitch. I don’t have any problems with the way Rio conducts himself. I haven’t met many classier footballers in my time than Rio Ferdinand, he’s a top-class person. I don’t need to talk to him about it, not really.”
By his own admission, Redknapp has “no interest” in Twitter and would be quite relieved to see it banned in football. “I’ve never read it. I don’t know where you get it from. Every day someone has got something to say on Twitter. I don’t understand. It would be easier – it would save all the hassle – if no one was on Twitter.”
Another player Redknapp is unsure about including in the squad is Adel Taraabt. Following their recent public verbal spat about the player’s weight, they had a meeting earlier in the week and Redknapp has been impressed by Taraabt’s improved attitude since.
“On Monday he apologised,” Redknapp said. “He knows what he said wasn’t right but people put him up to it. It happens in life. If he was to make the most of what he’s got he could be a world-class player. Adel’s got the ability to be one of the best players in the Premier League. I wouldn’t hesitate to put him in the squad. He’s trained very well this week. If he trains well and wants to do well he can turn a game.”
Contemplating the complex balance between Taraabt’s ability and the attitude to make the most of it made Redknapp ponder the curious case of Ravel Morrison, who has consistently struggled to give his talent the solid platform to flourish. The former Manchester United prospect who has been drifting between clubs over the past two years has started one match since joining Cardiff on loan.
“You’d love to see great players produce what they’re capable of,” Redknapp said. “Ravel Morrison should be playing for England with that ability – one of the most talented players I’ve seen in the game. When I worked with him I thought he was one of the most talented footballers I’ve seen in my life. He should be playing for Barcelona or Real Madrid. That’s how good I thought Ravel Morrison was. It’s sad. It’s a shame, a waste.”
