IT'S TIME for Harry Redknapp to be backed to find the men who will make his good team great.

The Saints boss has pulled off a remarkable job this summer.

Having lost so many star names, he has done what Harry Redknapp is famous for - uncovered some gems.

In particular Tomasz Hajto - a free transfer - looks the business.

Djamel Belmadi must be given a contract until the end of the season after his impressive displays.

Darren Powell is an uncomplicated player, but at this level does the job.

Ricardo Fuller is still finding his feet - but we have to trust Redknapp on this one.

What the manager does need, though, is NOT another bargain buy to take a chance on - but some proven quality.

When I say Redknapp should be backed, it is necessary to qualify this statement.

That means spending, within the club's limits, on bringing in players that Harry thinks will improve the quality of the team, and not just the squad. What is worrying is hearing Redknapp say that whether the club will make an improved offer for Clinton Morrison is up to the chairman.

Ditto Belmadi's contract.

He's not the first Saints manager in recent years to say something like that.

What it suggests is that Rupert Lowe is deciding on how much a player is worth.

This is not his job.

Harry decides how much a player is worth and then the chairman should go and, if within the club's budget, see if he can do the deal for the price.

The bottom line about football is that it is all about what happens with the first team.

It is admirable, even sensible, to invest in good facilities, coaching set-ups and youth academies. But these things don't win football matches. If they did, Saints would still be in the Premiership.

Reading Lowe's programme notes at the weekend was disturbing.

You had to look twice to check they were the chairman's notes and not the manager's, such was the content.

Bringing in Sir Clive Woodward, Simon Clifford and whatever other experts will inevitably appear is not in essence a bad thing, despite what some people will tell you.

For too long, professional sport has been a closed shop to new ideas, always sceptical of those who haven't played the game at the top level.

To suggest that such a circumstance indicates no knowledge or understanding is ignorant and has stunted the growth of English football.

I applaud Lowe for being brave enough to try something different.

But the number one person at any football club must clearly be the manager and there is a blurring of the edges at Saints at the moment as to whether that is the case.

That is why Harry must decide on the player he wants and be backed. If not, then don't bother with Harry.

All this talk of how to coach players is fine, but Lowe must not make the mistake of thinking you can do things on the cheap - bring through young players and a few cheap imports, give them great coaching and expect them to perform.

Good players can, of course, improve. But you won't turn players who don't have what it takes into world beaters, no matter who your coaches are.

Lest we forget, someone decided to bring in Mikael Nilsson, Andreas Jakobsson, Agustin Delgado - a string of disasters too long to list on these pages.

Redknapp has shown yet again, against the odds, he can pick good players and get a team to play attractive and winning football.

Against Norwich, Saints produced some great stuff and kept their third clean sheet in four matches.

The only goal was a Nigel Quashie penalty after a handball from Craig Fleming. Quashie had to re-take the spot kick, his first effort having been saved, after encroachment in the area but he made no mistake second time.

Both teams had their chances. Notably for Norwich, an error from Darren Powell let in Dean Ashton but Antti Niemi saved fabulously while Jim Brennan headed against a post just after half-time.

This result was a mark of how well Redknapp has done.

Norwich have kept their star strikers, Saints have sold theirs.

But Saints still came out on top.

That is thanks to Redknapp. Now he must be allowed to do his job.

Saints could have something great and groundbreaking taking place - or it could be a disaster.

It is how it is managed that will define its success.