They're all out to get us – Garry O’Connor
GARRY O’Connor today revealed that if Blues were at first a little unsure of what to expect in the Championship, they know now for certain.
The first seven games, culminating in defeat by Blackpool, has firmly focused their minds.
More than half the side are adjusting to the division for the first time, or are back at second-tier level after a number of years out of it.
And they have found Blues is the prized scalp.
O’Connor, available again for tomorrow’s match at Cardiff City after injury, said: “We’ve not really said it amongst ourselves but there is a definite feeling that the opposition try a lot harder against us, that you can see it in their eyes as well.
“I think we’re regarded as the team to beat and, even though we lost last week, probably the favourites for the title. And rightly so because of the squad we have.
“And we have to come to terms with all of that and make sure we are up on our game 110 per cent, every game.
“We weren’t against Blackpool and look what happened. If we’re not fighting for our lives and bettering what the opposition throw at us, then we won’t be successful.
“If our attitude is right, then it doesn’t matter if we O’Connor: We must up our game
win ugly because three points is three points.
‘‘We know now, for sure, that we have to work even harder in this league because the teams really want to upset us.”
O’Connor dismissed notions that Blues have, and would, fall into the trap of complacency because of their big names and strength of squad.
“I’m not so sure it was complacency last week, the lads were in a good mood, our preparation was normal.
“A few did say they felt tired and we were just off the pace of it as a team for some reason.
“I don’t think it’s a case of us being complacent, just thinking we’re more than a match for anyone. We know we have to prove it.
“The lads do some unbelievable things in training, we’ve just got to make sure we do them in matches as well consistently.”
Cardiff were wound up the last time Blues visited, inflicting on them their first defeat of the 2006-07 Championship promotion-winning campaign.
O’Connor said: “It’s going to be one of the hardest places we go away to.
“The gaffer has been on about that to us all week.
“They are coming off the back of a disappointment in the derby to Swansea City, so they will be trying to win some respect back.
“It’s going to be a tough game but we have a determination about us to take something out of it.”
Manager Alex McLeish stated that second-placed Blues should be sharper tomorrow.
“We beat ourselves up for a few days after Blackpool. I think that’s normal. We weren’t happy about it,’’ he said.
“We have got to look at certain aspects of the way we played to try and improve it.
“But I think that more than anything, it’s about getting two or three of the players fresh again.
“The international lads went through a bit of a tough spell. I’m probably referring more here to Larsson and McFadden.
‘‘They were asked to play 70 minutes with 10 men as well in the Doncaster game, immediately after playing two internationals.
“We need these guys in the team and playing to their level because we don’t have ready-made replacements as such.”
