‘Everybody loves Harry’ exclaimed a disgruntled Ian Wright, at the very thought of anything to the contrary. ‘What you on about?’ Alongside Wrighty, Steve McManaman also defended his honour. ‘He’s been hugging everybody’, laughed Macca. All of this because Jake Humphrey teasingly suggested to Harry Redknapp he was in ‘hostile territory’ as BT Sport brought us the lunchtime game from the Emirates between Arsenal and Liverpool. Not since his aching knees took him away from the touchline have we seen Harry pitch side at a Premier League ground. Well, that break seemed to have done him the power of good as the former Tottenham gaffer chuckled at Jake’s notion. ‘Not easy’, he smiled. ‘But so far so good’. Harry Redknapp joined BT Sport presenter Jake Humphrey for live broadcast of Arsenal vs Liverpool . And it was indeed good to see Redknapp back in the role of pundit at a live game. His joints may be letting him down at the moment, but his wit and football nous seems to have remained undiminished as he joined in with the conversations that surrounded this crucial, and topical game. Coming into the match, Raheem Sterling had almost single-handedly managed to nearly shift the emphasis away from who would get the points to how many pounds he might get. And Harry had a view on both aspects. First he addressed Sterling’s contribution on the pitch, saying Liverpool had ‘got away with it to a point’ in playing him in recent games at wing back. But added that in this one ‘he needs to play that free role’. Redknapp was in fine form as pundit for Saturday's Premier League encounter at the Emirates . While on the young player’s future at the the club, for Harry there was only one position. ‘I think he needs to sign his contract. Get on with his football.’ Wright and Macca were in totally agreement, stating in tandem ‘he does’ when asked if they thought he wanted to play his football at Liverpool? When it came to a discussion on the title race, Harry was once again unswerving in his opinion. And you knew he was making a serious point because he was willing to back it with money against Wright. ‘We’ll have a tenner’, he suggested to the laughing former Arsenal hero. ‘I’ll have Chelsea. You’ve got the Gunners.’ During the first half, a definite winner was commentator Ian Darke who had one of those moments all the men behind the lip mics dream of. ‘Interesting, before the match we saw Mesut Ozil practise exactly this kind of free kick’, he told us as the German stood over the ball. The fact that just a few seconds later the same ball was now nestled in the back of Liverpool’s net allowed Darke a well earned denouement. ‘It’s Ozil. And it’s in. Practise makes perfect’. Ian Wrighty and Steve McManaman were quick to defend former Tottenham boss Redknapp . The presentation team were now in the studio at the break. Harry giving them knees a rest in the comfy chairs. And from where he was sitting he might just have been able to see the copy of his book placed strategically in shot just behind Humphrey. So Harry was relaxed, but he wasn’t resting on his laurels. When it became clear Daniel Sturridge was going to be coming on for the second half, Redknapp was quick to question Brendan Rodgers decision-making regarding the player. ‘What’s he supposed to be, Superman? Turn it around’, was Redknapps reaction. And he added, ‘If he’s fit enough to come on now, why wasn’t he fit enough to start the game?’ As we know, Daniel had failed to wear his red underpants outside his shorts and the game was lost. Leaving a disgruntled Brendan Rodgers to put a brave face on it in his post-match chat. At this moment, had there been anything hanging in the studio air regarding Redknapp’s future in football management, he managed to snuff that thought out most effectively. Arsenal beat Liverpool 4-1 in the Premier League clash at the Emirates on Saturday . Picking up on Rodgers’ pain straight away, Harry told us, shifting uncomfortably in that comfy chair, ‘that’s the most difficult thing, to stand there and smile. You can’t believe how low you go. It’s scary at times. It’s how it gets you’, he continued before reflecting, ‘when it stops (itals) getting you like that, that is the time to pack it up. Perhaps that’s why I packed it up!’. That little punchline punctured the gloom and brought the house down. It was the perfect moment to put to rest any suggestion that Harry Redknapp had departed from the game he clearly still loves. Perhaps those old knees will stop him stalking the space in front of his team’s dug out? But it is unlikely to stop him from talking on the screens in front of us where I reckon he always was and clearly remains, great value. Even at an even tenner.
Harry Redknapp made his pitchside return at Arsenal vs Liverpool . Former Tottenham boss was a pundit for live broadcast on BT Sport .