Wigan 2 Birmingham City 3: Colin Tattum's big match verdict
Dec 7 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
ALEX McLeish is too long in the tooth to get carried away with Blues’ continued push up the Premier League table.
He can understand the growing excitement caused by their unbeaten run, extended to six games on the back of a spirited second-half turnaround at Wigan.
And the arrival of Carson Yeung has brought clear blue skies over St Andrew’s where there had been gloomy, rumbling dark ones in recent years.
Blues have not be in such a lofty position since the back-end of 2003-04, when they were fifth with just nine games to go before falling away.
But as much as everyone wants to look up from the eighth place Blues nestled into on Saturday night rather than over the shoulder, McLeish cautions against giddy feelings. And his players remain rounded and don’t go in for, to borrow his phrase, ‘shouting from the rooftops’.
And this has been a factor in Blues resurgence from the third week in October, when they had seven points and were only out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
There is a humility and realism about Blues to go with their calm, honest play and dogged efficiency.
One good result doesn’t make a Premier League season, and that message is coming through loud and clear.
The bond and spirit that courses through this group of players and the management is the best it’s been since those early Premier League days, just after Blues won promotion via the play-offs in 2002.
And there is a good balance to the side and the way it plays, as well as know-how and hunger.
But three straight wins doesn’t mean much to McLeish if it’s not followed by a fourth, and so on.
That’s his Aberdeen playing roots. His Rangers demands. His charges have all bought into such doctrine.
