Blues have to aim high
FORMER Birmingham favourite Darren Purse says the club should be aiming for promotion next year.
The defender, who joined Blues in 1998, believes they should be looking to get in the play-offs at the very least or go one better and claim automatic promotion.
He said: “A club of Birmingham’s size should be at least looking to get into the play-offs or even gain automatic promotion and I think that should be the main aim for next season.
“You look at the likes of the clubs that are coming down, like Sunderland. I would see Blues on a par with them.
“Then if you look at some of the clubs that are still in the Premier League, like Crystal Palace, then I would go as far as saying Blues are as big as them.
“A club the size of Birmingham City should be fighting for promotion. Next season, I think whoever comes in will be at least targeting the play-offs or even automatic promotion.
“Harry (Redknapp) is just the type of person the club need to take them forward.”
Purse believes the board need to financially back the new man in charge.
“It is massively important there is a big budget to spend for next season,’’ he said.
“Having a big budget is so important because, nine times out of ten, it gets you the results you are looking for.’’
Redknapp’s impact at Bir- mingham has created the biggest buzz of any managerial arrival for a generation.
The contrast between the despondency of the second half of this season and the hope for the beginning of next could not be more stark.
If the turnaround of the final three games of 2016/2017 can be extrapolated over an entire campaign, exciting times could be round the corner.
A reorganisation of the recruitment side of the club will hopefully leave Blues in a good position to capitalise.
The players responded with massive positivity when Redknapp took over. His ability to inspire them when they were at their lowest was massively impressive.
Virtually everything Redknapp and his coaches did from a tactical and selection point of view made sense and, if the last few years have taught Blues anything, it’s that confident players make good players.
After willing the last campaign to end, it is almost impossible to wait for the next one to begin.