Lack of home wins the key to Birmingham’s precarious position

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ALEX McLEISH has admitted Birmingham’s failure to turn positive performances in to points at St Andrews could cost them their English Premier League status.

But the former Dons player insisted the players should not be lacking in belief in tomorrow’s home clash with Blackburn after the way they have acquitted themselves in front of their own fans.

Birmingham need to overcome Mark Hughes’s side and hope that Fulham and Reading fail to win at Portsmouth and Derby respectively if they are to survive.

City lost only one home game under McLeish courtesy of Joe Cole’s goal for Chelsea in January.

But eight of the other 11 home games have ended in draws and points have been frittered away on too many occasions against the likes of Reading, Fulham, Derby and Newcastle.

Birmingham’s last home game summed up their season when they were totally in control against Liverpool but contrived to throw away a two-goal advantage.

McLeish said: “I think the bottom line is if we had won more home games, we would be safe. That’s how you stay in the Premier League. If you win your away games, you climb the league.

“But eight draws out of 12, three wins and one defeat is something that sees us fighting where we are rather than being out of sight of the bottom three.”

McLeish knows that his players must approach Sunday’s game brimming with confidence rather than being scared.

He said: “I think it is all about confidence. I don’t think you could ever accuse any of the players of not fighting or trying.

“That is the key. If I had a jar full of confidence and could open it, give some to the players then I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you with us in our current position.

McLeish admitted he had a quiet word earlier in the week at a media function with Derby boss Paul Jewell whose side could save Birmingham by overcoming the Royals.

He said: “I said to Paul ‘You’ve got to win one, come on, you have to via the law of averages!’

McLeish is hoping striker James McFadden and defender Liam Ridgewell will both be fit to face Rovers.