Alex McLeish on Birmingham City avoiding relegation, new players and Aleksandr Hleb's latest outburst
Jan 3 2011 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
ALEX McLeish has insisted Birmingham City can pull away from the Premier League relegation zone.
And the manager stressed the club were doing all they could to land the necessary players in this month’s transfer window.
Blues are 19th in the table following the heaviest defeat in 70 St Andrew’s matches of McLeish’s reign, against Arsenal, on New Year’s Day.
“A lot will depend on our fortune, how we do in the second half of the season,” he said. “The league is not decided yet.
“I don’t think we have disgraced ourselves being in the relegation zone, or embarrassed ourselves this season. I don’t think it is a true reflection of the way we’ve played. But the bottom line is we’ve not scored enough goals to have us further up the table.
“We have dropped points against teams people expect us to do better against. So that has also got to be rectified this new year.
“We certainly haven’t converted the chances. That’s why we are where we are. It’s been difficult for us.
“We need, quite simply, to score more goals. To finish ninth, with the amount of goals we scored last season (38), was unbelievable.
“It tells you a little bit about where we are strongest. The back five are very, very strong.”
Robbie Keane and David Bentley are of highest interest to McLeish, but competition for the Spurs pair is fierce.
It would be inconceivable to think that McLeish won’t also be in the running for Federico Macheda, who is up for grabs on loan from Manchester United.
“I can’t name any players publicly, it wouldn’t be the correct protocol,” said McLeish. “But we are definitely trying to be in the market.
“The January window is a very difficult one, notoriously. Prices are inflated. So we have got to be very careful what we do.
“Loan or permanent? There are both options and we are not going to kill the club by paying excessive money, which can happen in the January window.
“I’m working together with the board to try and enhance the options to get us goals, players to help the front area, to increase the competition there and somebody who can put the ball in the back of the net with regularity.
“I’ve already sat down with Peter Pannu last week and we’ve agreed that we are going to try and bring some players in.
“But I would hate to think it goes to the last day of the window because past experience has been horrendous in that respect.”
