Sky Sports' Johnny Phillips: Harry Redknapp appointment shines light on Birmingham City

He admitted he hadn't seen the side play this season and didn't even know the three remaining fixtures they had before agreeing to take charge.

His arrival was greeted with scepticism by many Blues fans. The caricature of 'Arry' reared its head, with fans joking that his trusty lieutenants Kevin Bond and Joe Jordan would be following him in through the door.

One photo of Redknapp on the phone with the caption "Niko, Jermain, Crouchie, we're putting the band back together!" did the rounds on social media. There is an image of the way Redknapp operates that will never go away.

It follows him around but it doesn't do justice to his qualities. On that point alone, most managers have their favourites in the backroom team and on the pitch. But because Redknapp has always made himself accessible to the media, he has a larger profile than other managers of a similar standing.

If Redknapp can keep Birmingham up and is given the opportunity to stay on next season then it will give Birmingham and football in the West Midlands a boost. He mentioned it himself in the press conference – this is a city that needs its big clubs back. If we extend that to Black Country and look at the four clubs who are Premier League size, it is obvious the area is under-achieving.

Significantly, Redknapp will put Birmingham in the news. More of the media will attend his press conferences than ever did for Gianfranco Zola or Gary Rowett.

It's important for the region that Birmingham are kept in the news. All our clubs should want to be in the news. Oscar Wilde was right when he said: "There is only one thing worse in the world than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." When apathy takes over then you really are struggling.

Whether you like it or not, it is London and the north-west powerhouse that interest the media when it comes to football. It's not just the big clubs that compete for Champions League places that get the column inches. West Ham United – who cannot claim to be the size of Villa – and Everton enjoy a healthy profile that the Midlands clubs have never had. When Newcastle get promoted next season you can bet they will be on television a lot more than Albion.

So what, you may ask? It doesn't matter if our clubs are winning. Well it does, because having a profile helps you win in the long term. A bigger profile helps clubs attract new, young supporters. Foreign stars want to at least have heard of the club they are moving to. Investors want to see the potential for an increase in revenue, advertisers want a media profile. This is hugely important in football today. Nobody should want their club to bob along under the radar. Redknapp helps increase interest in whatever club he is managing.

He is also a pretty good manager. His record stands up to scrutiny. The Portsmouth side he led to the Championship title in 2003 was one of the best sides ever to be promoted from the division.

Subsequently it didn't work out for him at Southampton at a time when the club was being badly run at board level and managers either side of his appointment also failed. His return to Portsmouth heralded more good times as he steered them clear of relegation danger and then won the FA Cup in 2008.

I've seen the blame for the subsequent financial collapse of the club laid at Redknapp's door many a time. Redknapp manages the team and will ask for the best possible tools to do so. He is not the finance director. He may well have brought in plenty of players on fat contracts but if the suits at the club weren't happy with that they shouldn't have sanctioned it

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Redknapp's spell at Tottenham was another success, leading the club into the Champions League for the first time and only losing his job when he let his guard down over the possibility of taking the England job. The foundations of success were left for his successors at White Hart Lane.

At Queens Park Rangers he couldn't stave off relegation after taking over a club rock bottom following Mark Hughes' departure, but he took them back up from the Championship at the first time of asking. In recent years, Redknapp has proved to be one of the very few managers who has brought any success to the club.

The sight of the 70-year-old walking out to meet the press at St Andrew's was a surprise. He has never managed north of London and the second city is a bit of a trek from his Sandbanks home. Does that not prove his hunger is still there?

Blues fans may have their doubts, but if he hangs around long enough and the board can get their act together, these could be exciting times for football round here.