HARRY REDKNAPP has delivered a damning indictment on the situation he has inherited.

The new Saints manager confessed he was "desperately short" in certain areas despite the club having assembled one of the largest squads in the Premiership.

But Redknapp, in charge for less than a fortnight, has been unimpressed so far with what he has seen - culminating in Saturday's 5-1 thrashing at Spurs.

"Somehow the club has accumulated a lot of players, but is short of quality," he said. "I can't just make them better, I've not got a magic wand.

"We need to get some players with a bit of character who might just turn us round. We are desperately short in areas of the team. You don't only win two games at this stage of the season if you're any good, it's impossible.

"We are where we are because that's how good we are."

Redknapp admitted he thought "finance is going to be tight" to bring in new faces when the transfer window opens.

But the manager said: "He (chairman Rupert Lowe) has got to know it's no good saying we've got all these good players because they're second from bottom.

"We need to strengthen somehow.

"I'm going to try and pull a few rabbits out of the hat in January - free transfers, loans, beg, borrow and steal a couple of players and see if we can do it."

Redknapp is also hoping to tie up a deal to bring Jim Smith to Saints this week.

"He's got a bit of life about him and we need that in the dressing room," Redknapp said. "He'd get into a few of them maybe and wake a few up."