The Mail on Sunday

Harry gets inside track on Blues

- By Laurie Whitwell Aston Villa v Birmingham Noon, Villa Park

HARRY REDKNAPP may have taken the Birmingham job ‘blind’ but he has since been shown the way by the ideal guide.

Gary Rowett has given Redknapp the full debrief on the team he once managed ahead of today’s Second City derby against Aston Villa.

Rowett was sacked by Birmingham last December with the club seventh and replaced by Gianfranco Zola, who resigned last Monday after a run of two wins in 24 games.

Redknapp has stepped in for the final three matches with Birmingham in relegation danger. ‘I’ve had a good chat with Gary — he sent a message over and his number and said if I needed a chat he was happy to have one,’ Redknapp revealed.

‘He filled me in on a number of the players. It’s been very helpful because he did a great job here. ‘There are not a lot of high-profile players here if you’re honest. Some clubs you look at and go, “He was at the Arsenal, he was here, he was there”. This group are unknown if you like.’ Should Redknapp earn victory over Steve Bruce’s team at Villa Park, Birmingham’s relegation fears would ease considerab­ly.

He said: ‘Villa have done okay but they’ve been beaten by Reading and Fulham so it’s not as if we are going to White Hart Lane. We want to cause them problems.’

Bruce believes Redknapp, 70, would be a good fit for the longer term should the club avoid the drop. ‘Make no mistake, I expect a really difficult game, made more difficult by Harry walking through the door a week ago,’ Bruce said.

 ??  ?? CITY SAVER: Redknapp aims to keep Birmingham up
CITY SAVER: Redknapp aims to keep Birmingham up

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