Harry: Rivals will be top contenders
BIRMINGHAM City manager Harry Redknapp reluctantly admits cross-city rivals Villa are going to be “very strong” contenders in this season’s Championship.
Redknapp reckons big-spending Middlesbrough are the most likely to take the title having done some serious squad strengthening.
Boro have brought in Britt Assombalonga, Martin Braithwaite and Ashley Fletcher merely to bolster their attacking options.
And, as a manager with vast experience, Redknapp knows that at the end of the season it’s quality that counts.
“I would say the favourites would be Middlesbrough. I think they are going to be very strong,” he said.
“It hurts me to say it but I think Villa are going to be very strong. Sheffield Wednesday, Fulham, Derby – it’s full of good teams.
“It will be such a tough division this year. I think there are 16-17 teams who all feel they have got a realistic chance of going up this year.
“Wolves, Nottingham Forest – everyone is spending money so it’s going to be a tough division.”
It’s made all the more tough by the presence of several experienced managers all with promotions on their records. Not that Redknapp believes that will be the decisive factor.
“The most important thing is good players. If you have got good players it’s an easy job,’’ he said. “The teams at the top will be the teams with the best players and strongest squads. That won’t necessarily be the most experienced managers, it will be the people with most quality in their team. You look at Middlesbrough at the moment – they have gone out and brought three strikers over the last couple of weeks. They spent £15million on one, £12million on one, £7million on one – that’s without the strikers they have already got from last year, who they probably spent I don’t know what on.
“So they are going to end up with five or six strikers who probably cost £60million – that’s what you are competing with. Aston Villa have got three strikers who cost – (Ross) McCormack, (Jonathan) Kodjia and the kid from Brentford (Scott Hogan) – you put their total value together and they are probably nearer £40million. That’s how difficult it is. There are lots of teams going to have a go at getting out of the league because the rewards are so fantastic – £200million to be in the Premier League next year.”
Redknapp has so far brought David Stockdale, Marc Roberts and Cheikh Ndoye to St Andrew’s.