Harry Redknapp was sacked as Birmingham City manager last September after signing a host of players who failed to gel. 

Steve Cotterill is not faring a great deal better with that disjointed squad but the former Tottenham Hotspur boss clearly had a great deal of faith in the playing staff at St Andrew's.

The Birmingham Mail have footage of Redknapp speaking just days after he was sacked, stating that when Birmingham's players were all available, they would be stronger than Aston Villa and finish above them in the league.

We all know that it has not quite worked out like that, with Villa right in the mix for automatic promotion while the Blues languish in the bottom three - a far cry from the play-off push Redknapp promised.

The Verdict

Redknapp has always had a reputation for being a straight talker but on this occasion he was very wrong.

He shouldn't have stuck around at St Andrew's after keeping the Blues up but the temptation of one last spending spree was too much to resist.

It was never going to work out and while the Blues have the individuals to be performing better, their squad is imbalanced.

Blues and Villa fans - what are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below...