Birmingham City: Why new signings will have to win other existing players
Dec 5 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
ALEX McLeish has admitted that new players will have to win over not just himself and his management staff but Blues’ ‘strong’ dressing room.
Sammy Yu this week spoke about how January transfer targets had to have not just the right kind of quality but attitude.
And McLeish, who has been stressing such a point to Blues vice-chairman football since the Carson Yeung takeover, said the biggest judges would be the present players.
“I think it is important to get the right kind of players,” said the Blues boss.
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“Anybody coming in has to recognise the work and application levels and the demands of the Premier League first and foremost but especially of the players who are in here giving me that.
“It’s a strong dressing room in there and they will be demanding that from anybody who comes in. They will police that.
“So that is an important aspect for us.
“We know there are a lot of very good players out there but players who will come in and maintain the spirit?
“Roy Aitken, Andy Watson and I have debates about whether we stick to English players, the British-type players, because you know exactly what you’re going to get.
“So we have to consider that side of it as well.”
McLeish is in an enviable position in that Yeung and the regime want to spend heartily in the New Year, they are desperate to ensure Premier League survival and at the same time make a statement.
“We’re talking to some people,” said McLeish. “But it isn’t easy. It depends on the telephone numbers that people ask for.
“But the club seem willing to do it, which is the most important thing, and we are thankful and grateful for that.”
“The next step is getting that player, or a couple of players we feel can enhance the dressing room and also maintain the spirit.
“I’m not so sure I want to bring too many foreign lads into the dressing room in one fell swoop.
‘‘Then you have problems communication-wise, just integrating and settling in. We have got to strike a balance.
“I want to keep the British identity to the team.
“But if we can get a wee added touch of quality in there, and that means a foreign player, then we will do that. English prices are very expensive.’’
McLeish added: “We are moving some things forward but I couldn’t say there’s a signing imminent.
“But things are moving forward in terms of talking and getting some of the figures we feel could be affordable and some of the figures whereby we don’t have to shoot for the moon, rather than integrate the next brick, step by step.”
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