Peter Pannu on Carson Yeung and the first 12 months at St Andrew's

Oct 14 2010 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

To mark the first anniversary of Carson Yeung’s buyout, his right-hand man Peter Pannu granted the Birmingham Mail’s Colin Tattum an exclusive interview to talk about Blues’ Chinese revolution. Pannu provides a fascinating insight into the club under the Hong Kong tycoon’s control and, in our concluding part tomorrow, reveals the way ahead and a shift in future transfer policy.

How would you sum up the last 12 months?

"The excitement of the acquisition has to settle, and I think it has settled. The enthusiasm Carson displayed is still there, but in a different fashion. He’s still passionate about the club. He wants to build the club, but he’s also equally mindful of the pitfalls of improving at a pace that could cause problems for the club. It has to be done at a more sustainable level, step by step."

What do you think the achievements have been?

"I wouldn’t use the word ‘achievements’; it’s the contribution in the onward improvement strategies that we have. People may agree that, as a club, we have in fact made some progress, in terms of infrastructural improvements. We have improved the long overdue need for an underground heating system at Wast Hills, so that the boys can train in bad weather rather than coming across to the stadium and destroying the turf. We have improved the stadium, as the fans will note. We have put in a beautiful F&B area, called Bar One and we have improved the customer experience by having a centralised concourse AV system. The fans may also have noted the improved audios from the tannoy systems - the sound doesn’t break up anymore and provides a better overall audio experience - and we are exploring the possibility of building some catering area/boxes at the Tilton side, on the same level as the boxes on the Kop side. There are also a few other projects in the pipeline and may take careful considerations and time to materialise. As for the fans, overall I think they are pleased with the progress the club is making. They can see the team is being built gradually.

"I understand that seven games into this season, there are some fans exhibiting some impatience, which I fully understand. Nevertheless, the way I see this is when they voice their opinions, it is a sign that they care. I will be worried if they are dead mute and aloof to any club stimulus (good or bad).

"Having said that, I would call for them to demonstrate a bit more patience.

"The team needs some time to gel. By and large the fans are behind the manager, who has done a good job last season, and I am sure that form will continue this season too.

"He and the boys down on the pitch deserve all of our support and backing.

"I speak to Alex McLeish regularly and rest assured he is listening to the fans, who are legitimately raising their concerns. Their constructive views are not ignored, they are taken on board."

The team’s fortunes transformed almost immediately after the takeover was completed; why?

"I am not going to say it’s the Feng Shui masters’s spin rituals down at the corner of the pitch, although I am not going to dispel them as well!

"But there are some people in the mystical world (and at times that includes myself as well) who believe that. As long as it works and it calms people karma, why not?

"Be that as it may, I believe it is down to a combination of various things.

"Firstly, there was a feel good factor. Secondly, it inevitably may have happened because I think Alex at that time was trying to arrange his strategies with the players, and they gelled.

"I understand that it took some time to put the formula together but when it clicked, it clicked very well and they went on a very good spell.

"This season, obviously he is also experimenting with new combos and tactics and I am hopeful that once the right formula is found, we can go again. I am quite sure that will happen.

"Last season, it was a combination of the feel good factor, the team clicking and they built on that confidence. It’s one of those things that usually happen when you come back from the Championship. We are seeing what West Brom is doing now, for instance.

"All these factors will have a psychological effect on the team and they display that on the pitch. That’s my belief, it may be right and it could be wrong."