THE attraction of Sir Clive Woodward is there for all to see.

Passion, leadership, a meticulous attention to detail and revolutionary thinking were all evident in him masterminding one of this country's finest sporting achievements when England lifted rugby union's World Cup.

How could the involvement of a man with such pedigree not be a good thing for Saints?

Very simple: If it were to undermine the managerial harmony that now shines brightly at St Mary's.

The past 14 months has been a roller-coaster ride for pretty much everyone associated with the club, especially the players.

They have seen Gordon Strachan, Garry Pendrey, Paul Sturrock, Kevin Summerfield, Christian Damiano, Steve Wigley, Redknapp, Kevin Bond and Jim Smith all make trips either in or out of the revolving door.

Yet a corner appears to have been turned in recent weeks.

The transformation in the confidence of the players has become evident and there is a mounting belief that relegation will be avoided.

For that reason, even the whiff of more upheaval is unwanted and the timing of news of Woodward's likely arrival during the summer isn't ideal.

That's not to say his involvement with Saints can't be mutually beneficial, just that there are questions still to be answered about his planned role.

Woodward may want to quietly involve himself away from direct involvement with the first-team, but he remains a massive figure in sport.

Rightly or wrongly, there will be no shortage of people thinking that he is being groomed for the St Mary's hotseat.

Thankfully, Redknapp appears unfazed by the prospect of Woodward involving himself with Saints.

Maintaining that stance will be crucial for any arrangement to work.

If one lesson should have been learnt from the Sturrock and Wigley eras, it was that the manager must be the single most important person at any football club.

Redknapp must surely have a veto over any footballing appointments.

The arrival of Velimir Zajec at Portsmouth was a case in point and it is sensible that Woodward appears willing only to come with the blessing of the Saints boss.

None of this, however, is to suggest such an exceptional individual as Woodward could not offer much in football.

There is logic in the move. The premise is not that one person can master one sport and then master another, but that certain 'winning' organisational skills can be transferred across different environments.

Woodward has already proved this once before, when he ran his own small but successful lease-hire company before becoming England head-coach.

There has been a rather strange idea in football for too long that you need to have been a great player to be a great manager.

The two are certainly compatible but the idea that it is some sort of prerequisite is nonsensical.

Woodward is known for his ability to breakdown the specifics needed to achieve success.

For example, under his leadership, England had a designated kicking coach, throwing-in coach, scrimmaging coach and even periphery-vision coach.

Who's to say football and Saints could not benefit from some fresh thinking?

For now, though, whether his skills are potentially transferable is not really the point.

One great lesson from Woodward's successful tenure with England was the value of continuity.

It seems unthinkable now, but there were several occasions when his position was questioned.

The RFU rightly backed their man and the nation reaped the rewards.

For their part, Saints have already got themselves a strong, charismatic and proven manager who is getting results and really lifting the club from top to bottom.

Woodward clearly has numerous qualities, but Lowe's priority must be to safeguard what is working increasingly well.