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Redknapp faces trouble over gesture

Harry Redknapp could be in hot water © PA Photos

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Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp could face disciplinary action from UEFA after he appeared to aim a clenched-fist gesture towards Shamrock Rovers supporters during the 4-0 win at Tallaght Stadium.

Goals from Steven Pienaar, Andros Townsend, Jermain Defoe and Harry Kane gave Tottenham a resounding win over the Irish part-timers, but Rubin Kazan's 1-1 draw at PAOK Salonika meant Redknapp's team nevertheless crashed out of the Europa League.

The 64-year-old's night took a turn for the worse with 20 minutes left when he appeared to make the angry gesture towards the Shamrock fans, who had barracked him almost continuously throughout the match.

The Spurs boss, who was this week warned by the Football Association over his future conduct after making critical comments about referee Chris Foy, tried to downplay the incident after the game.

When asked if had made an obscene gesture towards the Rovers fans, Redknapp said: "Not really. Did I make an 'obscene' gesture? No, I didn't make... No.

"I have spent enough time in Ireland to know what lovely people they are. If you go and meet them afterwards they are probably lovely people. But they get together and shout a load of nonsense and that is football. That's life. I don't hold any grudges.''

Redknapp was proud of his players, but admitted his team were facing an almost impossible task to qualify.

"We came and did the job we had to do but when you are in a situation like we were tonight and you are relying on another score, it is always difficult,'' he said.

"At half-time, with the Russian team losing 1-0 having gone down to 10 men very early in the first half, I thought maybe they will be beaten 2-0 or 3-0, and we would just need to win by three or four, but I had a feeling they would draw.''

Redknapp has never hidden his dislike of the Europa League, but he insisted he was disappointed to be exiting the competition.

"It was disappointing. I want to win every game. We haven't not gone through for lack of trying,'' he said. "Maybe if I had played players like Scott Parker and Rafa van der Vaart we might have sneaked through, but we might not have won 10 out of 11 league games though.''

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.