Blues give Harry the boot

VETERAN manager Harry Redknapp was sacked by second- tier Birmingham City on Saturday after a 3- 1 home defeat by Preston North End, just his 13th game in charge.

The 70- year- old, whose coaching career has included Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth, was briefly hailed as a saviour after he kept Birmingham in the division last term having taken over after a disastrous spell in charge by Italian Gianfranco Zola.

However, despite an influx of players in the closed season, Birmingham suffered a sixth successive defeat and have only four points from eight league matches.

“I am disappointed. It’s been difficult, I have had one week with a new team and new players, one week,” Redknapp told the Birmingham Mail. “It’s not an excuse but today I had three of the forwards missing who I would have picked, probably the three most exciting players in all honesty.”