In the name of progress, give Harry Redknapp what he wants

In the wake of Gianfranco Zola`s appointment as Birmingham City manager, club Director Panos Pavlakis spoke about the club`s ambition. In the aftermath of the Bristol City game – which Blues won 1-0 to preserve their Championship status – Pavlakis admitted he and the club had ‘dodged a bullet`.

The club can dodge another bullet, this time one fired by the fans, by offering Harry Redknapp the vacant manager`s post on a permanent basis. Give him what he wants.

Reports today claim that Redknapp is set to sign a one-year rolling contract worth over £250,000 a month. This may seem extreme, it may seem like a lot of money, yet Redknapp can steer Blues towards a genuine promotion push next season.

If the club want to see progression, Redknapp can deliver that. If the club want to see more flamboyancy on the pitch, Redknapp can deliver that also.

Clearly, the 70-year-old will require financial backing in the transfer market. He`s too long in the tooth to be fooled into believing the current crop of players can play fluent football and mount a serious promotion push – just ask Mr. Zola.

Redknapp`s experience will squeeze every penny`s worth out of his hefty salary. The effect he has had during his three-game stint has been remarkable – a stark contrast from the months post-Christmas. If Redknapp, along with Steve Cotterill and Paul Groves, can have this much of a positive impact in three weeks, imagine what they can achieve over a whole season.

Give the fans what they want. And in the name of progress, give Harry what he wants.