Birmingham City: Alex McLeish pledges to keep Blues in the Premier League
It’s not so much unfinished business Alex McLeish has got in the Premier League ... it’s business that never really got started.
Big Eck is back in the top-flight with Blues determined to stamp a proper mark.
It pained McLeish not to have stopped Blues’ relegation in 2008, seven months after replacing Steve Bruce.
The margin of error was fine – a solitary point – but it may well have been by Derby County proportions, as the end result was the same and caused as much grief.
“Of course it hurt, it hurt a lot for everybody connected with the club,” he said.
“You can look at it and say ‘well, was it better being a Derby and totally cast adrift, rather than it being so painful as to going to within one point of it?’
“But I think you have got to say we gave it absolutely everything and in the closing weeks we became a wee bit insipid away from home, which was disappointing.
“The home form in general was pretty good. It was one defeat in 13, to Chelsea. Unfortunately the dropped points at St Andrew’s also cost us.
“I’ve said it before that the home games keep you in the Premier League and away points make you climb the league.
He said it was a really good effort by a young, inexperienced squad to bounce back so quickly.
“Sure, we had a couple of lads who had been over the course before in the Championship, like Radhi Jaidi, Martin Taylor and Damien Johnson.
“But by and large it was an inexperienced squad in Fabrice Muamba and Sebastian Larsson and a couple of loan deals.
“Bringing James McFadden in was a shot in the arm and his form was exceptional until his injury.
“Unfortunately, clubs like Birmingham who are maybe fighting at the bottom, cannot afford to lose the quality players out of the team.”
The experience taken on board from that campaign and the influx of new players has given McLeish cause for optimism. Plus, he has been busy addressing certain needs.
