James McFadden: Derby pressure is not to blame

Apr 21 2008 By Colin Tattum

BIRMINGHAM City were not strangled by the pressure of the Second City derby, nor knowing that they were in the Premier League relegation zone.

Playing 24 hours after Bolton Wanderers win at Middlesbrough,  the heat was one to replicate that result.

“I think it was just the way the game was,” said James McFadden.

“We’ve got experienced players and I just think that Villa were a handful and it was difficult for us to get a grip on them.

“It wasn’t that we had a few players who had not played in this derby before.”

McFadden added: “The incentive was the fact that it was our local derby.

“Obviously we wanted to be out of the bottom three, but we wanted to win the game for the fans and people of Birmingham.

“We made a couple of mistakes and were punished for it. But they were too much for us.”

McFadden was booked for a foul - one of a few late tackles in the game - as his frustration got the better of him.

“It did. You want to win every game you play in, especially a local derby.

“You want to give a good account of yourselves and for the fans. We didn’t manage to do that.”