HARRY’S IN HURRY TO BRING IN NEW BLUES
NEW Birmingham City manager Harry Redknapp says work on a Premier League promotion push has already begun.
The 70-year-old former West Ham, Tottenham and Portsmouth boss was officially confirmed as the Blues’ permanent manager on Friday, signing a oneyear contract at St Andrew’s.
Redknapp replaced Gianfranco Zola with just three games of the season to go and succeeded in keeping Birmingham in the Championship.
He guided the Blues to wins over Huddersfield and Bristol City in their final two matches.
“Planning a promotion push starts now. We need strengthening, for sure, but I won’t have a massive budget,” said Redknapp in his column in the London Evening Standard.
“The owners want to have a little bit of a go at it but won’t go crazy.
“They will spend money on the right players, but we will also have to be clever in using the free transfer market.
“There are already two or three players available on frees that I’ve got my eye on. They could do a job for us but I won’t say who they are at this stage.”
Redknapp is already considering the prospect of staying beyond his initial year at Birmingham.
He added: “If things are going well around Christmas time and the owners are happy with how things are progressing, I’m sure there’s a chance we could sit down and look to sort out a second year.
“My family realise it is what I enjoy doing and they support me. It can be stressful, of course, but the buzz of Sunday [a 1-0 win over Bristol City] gave me a taste for it again.
“This is a great opportunity at a big club and I want to make the most of it.
“I wasn’t sure if something suitable would come along again and so, now it is here, I just want to get started.”