Alex McLeish: Blues have earned respect with winning run and must use it to their advantage
Dec 15 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
ALEX McLeish has encouraged Blues to use their new-found respect in a positive manner.
Blues take on Blackburn Rovers tonight at St Andrew’s seeking the victory that would provide their Premier League best of five straight wins and nudge them up to sixth position, level on points with Spurs.
Dismissed as relegation fodder before a ball was kicked, Blues have not looked out of place on their return to the top flight and are the division’s in-form team.
The opposition are now tending to recognise their capabilities and treating them with less disregard, as West Ham United showed in their cagey start on Saturday.
That can cause problems in that there is a greater onus on Blues and expectations are rising.
Nothing to be worried about, stressed McLeish.
“It can be a powerful tool for the players,” the manager said. “They can grow in stature individually, if they learn to use that power, no matter who they play, because it does create some apprehension for the opposition.
“They know ‘oh-oh we’re going to Birmingham, a tough place to go’. But the players have to keep earning that right, as they have done so far.”
In their previous five Premier League campaigns, Blues have never had as many as the current tally of 24 points after 16 games. They posted 23 at this stage in 2003-04, when they went on to finish tenth.
So they are just effectively five more wins – and the widely-regarded magic mark of around 40 points – from survival.
Said McLeish: “It sounds dead easy, doesn’t it? But we don’t want to even start talking about that.
“I think the word ‘survival’, I don’t really like using words like that. We look for Premier League status. That was our goal at the start of the season, we’re heading towards that goal quicker than I expected.
“But the job is not nearly done now, and that’s what we have to guard against in the dressing room, thinking we’ve arrived. But I believe the type of player I’ve got in there doesn’t look at it that way either.”
McLeish, who is set to field an unchanged starting XI for the fifth game in a row, said Blues should go into tonight’s clash with confidence as well.
“Top-of-the-table form, no doubt about it. You can’t disguise that fact. Even if we wanted to.
“To win four games back-to-back in the Premier League is a very big task, because it means you’ve been away from home as well and done the business.
“We want to maintain the form for as long as we can and not get to a comfort zone, because I want the players to challenge themselves every week and keep showing how good they can be.
“Not just for one week only, or two weeks, but time after time after time and maintaining the edge is key for us.”
Lee Carsley has reported a stiffness in his back after doing extra work in the gym on Sunday but should be available among the substitutes.
One-time Blues record signing David Dunn is likely to remain sidelined for Rovers (calf), who have drawn their last three matches 0-0 and lost 11 of 13 on the road.
McLeish said the crowd for West Ham’s visit – 28,203, Blues’ biggest since September – was heartening.
“It lifts the players, absolutely no question about that.
“You can have a full house and the fans are against you, that doesn’t lift the players.
“But the way we are playing, the quality on show, the application, the fans can’t help but admire this team.
“You can feel the positivity from them. I said a few weeks ago there was a kind of resurgence and we’re looking forward to them getting back to the days of unnerving the opposition and giving our own players a massive lift.”
BLUES (from): Maik Taylor, Carr, Parnaby, Ridgewell, Vignal, Queudrue, R Johnson, Dann, Espinoza, Larsson, Ferguson, Bowyer, Carsley, D Johnson, O’Shea, Fahey, McFadden, McSheffrey, Jerome, Phillips, Benitez, Doyle.
