Striker shortage irks McLeish

Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish is frustrated after failing to bring a striker to St Andrews before this weekend’s trip to Old Trafford.

Ireland striker Robbie Keane reckoned Blues were never serious about signing him, indicating the club’s pursuit of the much travelled forward was all for media exposure.

And Turkish club Bursaspor convinced Scotland striker Kenny Miller his future lay with them instead of joining his old boss at Birmingham.

McLeish wanted at least one of the deals done this week and though given the opportunity the former Scotland manager did not question Keane’s doubts that City never really wanted to sign him.”We’ve already lost out on a couple this week in Keane and Miller,” he explained.”We wish the two guys well in whatever they do and we’ve just got to move on and look at the other names we have on the list.””It is always frustrating this time, this transfer window, and this one has proved to be the case yet again.”

“As far as I’m concerned, I asked our board if they could get Robbie and they tried for him.”

“That is up to them. They handle the financial side. We work together on that on the basis that I identify the players and they do the finances.”

There are a few areas that McLeish would like to strengthen but a striker is the priority.

“If I could get one quality goalscorer that would be excellent,” McLeish explained. “I do believe there are goals in the players that are here because we have created chances and I believe they will score goals.”

McLeish is relishing pitting his wits against his old Aberdeen manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

He said: “We know Old Trafford is a very difficult place to go and win but it is a great challenge for the players. It is not worth getting out of bed in the morning if you don’t think you can go and do something.”