Olivier Kapo: Birmingham City will beat the drop

Apr 18 2008 By Colin Tatum

OLIVIER Kapo today expressed his confidence in Blues ability to beat the drop.

The attacking midfielder, who is fit to return to Blues squad on Sunday at Villa after a seven-game absence, said Blues had a bit of everything that was required.

“I want us to stay up and I think we can,” he said.

“We have good players and we can fight as well, we have that fighting spirit.”

Kapo, who has overcome a hamstring tear, warned Blues not to get too caught up in the derby maelstrom.

“Before St Andrew’s, everyone was saying ‘Aston Villa, Aston Villa’,” he reflected.

“There was a lot of talk about it and a lot of attention.

“But when you get out on the pitch, you just play. It is us against them, players against players, whether they are Aston Villa or not.

“You have to remember that and don’t let everything else get to you.

“Of course it is an important game and we know what it means - they all are all big games now.”

Because of injury and suspension, Kapo has only started in the same side as another mercurial talent James McFadden three times.

And we have yet to see that pair and Mauro Zarate do their stuff in tandem, apart from the last 16 minutes at Sunderland when Zarate came on as a substitute.

Kapo said he felt he was on the same wavelength as the others, which would bode well for the run-in as Blues would have more ingenuity and be less stodgy.

He added:  “I think that had we all been together before our injuries, then we would have been out of trouble.”

Kapo’s future has been the subject of intense speculation since Steve Bruce left. But he told the latest edition of Blues Magazine, which is out today, that he had no intention of leaving.

 “I like it here, my family like Birmingham,” he said. “For me, in my head, I am staying here.

“I signed for three years and after three years, if Birmingham want me for one more or two more then yes, why not?”.

ends