Blues facing their worst nightmare

Apr 9 2007 By Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

BLUES face up to their worst nightmare today - a relegation-threatened team in Barnsley.

Sounds daft? Consider that of their 10 defeats this season, eight have come against sides towards the bottom of the table at start of play, including those in the drop zone.

So why have they consistently failed to deal with these types?

"I don't have a clue as to why that is to be honest," confessed winger Sebastian Larsson. "We would have corrected it if we knew the reason why."

Studying the bigger picture of the promotion battle, fellow winger Gary McSheffrey said that Blues had to be sharper in front of goal and forget what happens elsewhere.

"Maybe too many of us are worrying about the other teams, but we've just got to concentrate on our game and make sure we take chances when they come because we are certainly throwing a lot of chances away at the moment.

"We could have sealed the league if we had won the games we should have won."

As for nerves and pressure coming into the equation, McSheffrey said: "Possibly. It is tense at the top but that's part and parcel of being a footballer and being at a top club. You've got to deal with it."