McLeish: Sunday win is crucial

Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish says Sunday’s season finale at Tottenham Hotspur is his most important as a manager.

McLeish’s men are only out of the drop zone on goal difference and the battle for survival is set for a grandstand finish.

“It probably is the biggest game of my managerial career and I think we can stay up so bring it on,” McLeish said.

“We have trained well this week, there has been a good tempo to the training ground and we have tried to shape up.”

“We are in this position because we have not won enough games and not claimed enough points.”

“In another year, 39 points at the end of the season would have been fine.”

“Three teams have to go down and those will probably be teams who do not deserve to.”

“There is obviously going to be a lot of pressure but the comforting thing is we have been under pressure all season.”

“We have just got to go and do the job for ourselves on Sunday.”

Supporters were up in arms when Birmingham were dragged back into the quagmire with a disastrous 2-0 defeat at home to Fulham last weekend. McLeish admitted it was a poor performance but said it could be put down to the fact that players were missing.

“It was not the best performance when we lost 2-0 at home to Fulham last weekend.”

“We had players missing and we are definitely weakened as a team, no doubt about that.”

“It was a bad performance and we made some individual errors. Fulham were better than us, no doubt about that.”

“It was a dangerous game and I was worried when I saw how many players we would have missing.

“But we need to put that behind us on Sunday and not be afraid. Whatever happens we have to keep our cool at Tottenham and put in a performance that merits the Birmingham team.”

Birmingham will be without goalkeeper Maik Taylor, defender Scott Dann (calf), midfielder Enric Valles (ankle) and forwards James McFadden (knee) and Obafemi Martins (groin).

Forward Nicola Zigic will face a late fitness test on his groin.