Birmingham City boss speaks exclusively to the Mail about his bond with the board
when the club was on its knees.
“We could have been out of existence at one time.
“But maybe, to take it the next level, it is not necessarily going to be his domain. But I think we have to respect what they have done for the club over the last few years and to go to the next level then obviously I’d need a bit of backing.
“But they [at the moment] need all the backing they can get as well from everybody with Birmingham City within their heart.”
Ahead of the January transfer window, McLeish has already been arranging matters with his paymasters.
Keith Fahey, of St Patrick’s Athletic, looks to be on his way in. He is more of a punt; McLeish would love to land a biggie.
“If somebody really stuck out and I felt that the board would really do it, and I felt that the player would really make the difference,” he said.
“I never really saw that player in the summer, or we never targeted individuals who would come to the Championship. So we were unable to do anything really significant in the transfer market.
“We managed to keep all our good players and add one of the best goalscorers the British game has ever seen in Kevin Phillips. If we were to see somebody - a guy who sticks out a mile and helps take us up an extra level - then I would speak to the board. It just depends on the circumstances.”
“The loan system is beginning to open up a little bit,” McLeish added. “With clubs evaluating their squads in the second-half of the season, one or two could be available.
“I think we’ve got to remain as prudent as we can in our dealings without necessarily jumping in on a huge, big transfer target.
“But if we are going to go into the January market [in a major way], then I’d like to bring in somebody who knows what the English game is all about.”
