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Three years ago yesterday came an afternoon that was so Birmingham.
Limped by self-inflicted wounds, both on the day and during the half of the 2016/2017 campaign, Blues needed his audience like never before.
The disastrous decision to replace Gary Rowett with Gianfranco Zola had left the club staring into the abyss.
The Italian’s record of two wins in 24 games had seen a hard-working and functional side reduced to a shadow of himself.
A possible play-off challenge had melted away to be replaced by the white heat of a relegation battle, and for the second time in three seasons, the Blues were contemplating League One.
And then came Harry Redknapp, the veteran manager who had the charisma and experience to resuscitate a team that had fallen into a coma.
Redknapp’s first game had ended in a 1-0 loss at Aston Villa, and the removal and suspension of club captain Paul Robinson.
The fate of the blues would be decided in the last two games, at Huddersfield’s home on April 29, 2017 and outside Bristol City a week later.
The 70-year-old man who had been everywhere and had seen and done everything, went to St. Andrew’s as Birmingham City Manager for the first time, and potentially alone.
There was no fanfare, he silently leaned down the sideline just before the game was about to start, unnoticed by the highest attendance in six years.
Almost 27,000 had filled all four positions responding to the crisis and responding to a call to arms that stands out in the memory of Michael Morrison.
The center half was captain that day and his first appearance in three months after complications from hernia surgery left him in bed.
“When the team is at its lowest point, you can always trust that the club will come together and fans will connect with the players, especially at St Andrew’s,” recalls Morrison.
“Sometimes I have seen that, at home, they can really get behind the boys and be that twelfth man.
“I know it is a cliché, but certainly that day, looking at all the adversities, they did not have to support the players, we had not been acting for a long time, but that shows their loyalty to continue with the team.” . “
If Bluenoses’ support could be guaranteed, the result would not.
Redknapp was brought in to extinguish Zola’s fire in the last three games.
“Looking back, probably keeping Gianfranco for those two games over Easter, we had a very bad spell that we tied at Rotherham and lost at home to Burton.
“I think a lot of people thought that should have been the point where he changed the manager, but we didn’t and that’s why it extended to the last three games.”
“People were surprised that Harry had taken the job, he had talked to Paul Robinson because I thought he would.
“I said” if they want you to, you will have the backing of the players. “
“Someone with Harry’s profile really raised the spot and gave all the players a lift.” It’s Harry Redknapp talking to you. “
“And to be fair, Steve Cotterill really knew what he was doing at the time and he and Harry worked very well together.
“There was a clear plan for how we were going to play against Huddersfield. We’d gone back to basics a bit, concentrating on being a bit more determined, and to be honest, the simple fact that Harry came in gave everyone a new lease on life.
“Entering the game, Che Adams had been excellent in training, Harry had enlightened Che a bit.
“You could see that he had enjoyed training that week. He had a little jump in his step that Harry had given him.
Even then Blues made it difficult for him. The hordes watched as Lukas Jutkiewicz missed an early penalty kick, before Adams received a meaningless red card.
Fortunately, Jonathan Grounds gave the ten men something to hold on to in the 41st minute.
“There wasn’t really an interruption in the game, it wasn’t until half the time we went in and started thinking about where we were and what we needed to do.
“We were lucky to have scored just before halftime and it gave us something to hold on to rather than having to go out and chase the game.”
“I remember we came in at half time and there was a lot of conversation, a lot of ‘We need to do this, we have to do that.’
“Steve was there saying all kinds and yelling, and Harry came in and told everyone to sit down, take a moment, relax, and then we talked about the second half.
“It was really a calming influence on the team and we went out there and comfortably won the game.”
Craig Gardner added a penalty in the second half and the entire stadium was rewarded for responding to the call to arms, and Morrison was reimbursed for coming to the aid of his team.
“Most of the time, from February to March, I was at home in bed without being able to get up.
“I had been injected before playing Gary and then going to Gianfranco with a training change. It could have made Gary keep the job so he could have handled me a little better.”
“But when you have a new manager it’s impossible, they want to see you training every day, especially as a captain.
“You don’t want to not be playing, it can be bad for you how controversial the change was too, I tried to train him but I couldn’t.”
“It was really difficult to see the team in that time period, I wanted to come back, the plan was not to come back in that whole season after the operation did not go well.” I had a lot of problems that I couldn’t get rid of; that was a bad time for me personally.
“I concluded that I did need to play – Huddersfield’s game was that real turning point.”
A turning point for Redknapp, who was convinced to remain permanently, for better or for worse, a turning point for Blues who completed the rescue operation at Ashton Gate.
“It didn’t work for Harry in the long run, but it was crucial in that period.”
“As for the fans, other clubs wouldn’t have done that, but they dragged us through it.
“He would give them a couple of assists; if Groundsy scored, someone should have helped him.” Someone, or 27,000 someone.
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