Redknapp’s blind faith in Birmingham

HARRY REDKNAPP gave up managing Tony McCoy’s jockeys’ team to take over at Birmingham — a team he has barely seen this season.

The 70-year-old cancelled his charity commitment scheduled for Wednesday night in exchange for a role he is entering ‘blind’.

‘After I said yes I looked at the fixtures and realised it was an even bigger challenge than I thought it was,’ Redknapp said.

‘Birmingham are a team I have seen nothing of basically because they’ve not been on TV that much this year. I watch every game on TV. Birmingham weren’t a club I could say, “This is the way they are, this is the team”. I’ve come here pretty blind.

‘It’s a challenge. I was supposed to be managing at Cheltenham tonight. Tony McCoy’s jockeys’ XI had a game against Cheltenham legends. They are raising funds for injured jockeys, which is a great cause.’

With three games to go, Birmingham are three points above the drop zone and, should Nottingham Forest and Blackburn win on Saturday, Redknapp would take charge of his first game at Aston Villa on Sunday with his team below the dreaded dotted line.

Games against high-flying Huddersfield and fellow strugglers Bristol City follow, but Redknapp is keen to motivate his players.

‘My job is to get them to believe in themselves and encourage them to perform as they can,’ he said. ‘They are all good players or they wouldn’t be playing in the Championship at a club like Birmingham. They have all got talent. It is just finding a way of getting it out of them for the next few games.’