Colin Tattum's Birmingham City pre-season report
The issue of athleticism and legs is interesting. It’s an exaggeration to say that Blues are likely to be a plodding side; they can play at a tempo and will be as vigorous as the next team.
McLeish has spoken about the need for another younger and dynamic midfielder. Michel and Craig Gardner were put high on the list of wants.
But don’t expect Blues to be ripping teams apart through power, pace and movement. That’s top end stuff in the Premier League.
From a boardroom perspective, the directors know that they could faced with the unwanted prospect of a hat-trick of Premier League relegations on their CV, and all the flak that that would bring.
Remember, it was an absolute mess last time out in the Premier League. The Carson Yeung farce didn’t help at all.
The board have recognised the need for unity, to support the manager without going potty and to engage the fans.
It’s easy to be cynical, but the ‘ten-point pledge’ has been acted upon, and there have been up-grades to and around the ground, most notably the pitch and the long-awaited big screen.
It will still take a while to win back the disillusioned missing thousands. That was always going to be a slow-burning process after the yo-yoing and inability to kick on when Blues had the platform to establish themselves in the Premier League.
Sullivan, though, does seem to have had his enthusiasm rekindled and a determination to sell up has been shelved.
At St Andrew’s, it’s hard to imagine the tingling atmosphere of that first campaign among the elite in 2002-03.
The place was rocking, just like Stoke City found the Britannia Stadium during their inaugural Premier League season. They were last playing top level football in 1985.
McLeish and his players will need the help of the fans, not the fidgety moans and groans, and outright hostility, that has marked the two recent stints in the Championship.
Of course, that’s a two-way thing. Blues have got to give the faithful something to cheer, something to get behind and enjoy.
The Premier League should not be a division to give Blues nightmares. There are teams they can beat, frustrate with maybe one or two upsets along the way.
The underdog tag, the plucky fighter having to punch above his weight, does tend to sit better with them too. That ‘top 17’ finish again, whereas the Championship is just such a burden and pressure-cooker.
