Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has warned his
players to "beware of the wounded animal" when they face Manchester
United in Saturday evening's Barclays Premier League clash at St
Andrews.
McLeish knows the Red Devils will be "hurting" after suffering a
shock FA Cup third round defeat against Leeds at Old Trafford last
weekend. But he is still confident his in-form players can give
United - and his former Aberdeen boss Sir Alex Ferguson - the
"fright of their lives."
City will go into the game defending an 11 game unbeaten league
run which has catapulted them into the top half of the table and
already virtually guaranteed their top flight status for another
campaign.
McLeish said: "Manchester United, you can't judge them on the
last couple of results, because they don't normally go a few games
without winning. "You know there will be a bit of a wounded animal
this weekend and extremely dangerous - and if we were to get
something off them then we would still be punching above our
weight.
"But the players are relishing matches like this. Players who
haven't played before in the Premier League relished coming up
against Chelsea on Boxing Day, really loved it, and it will be the
same against Manchester United.
"Some of them played against United this season at Old Trafford
but, at St Andrews, we feel we can be a match for anybody and we
will try to give Manchester United the fright of their lives."
McLeish is continually stressing the need for his players not to
rest on their laurels after accumulating 32 points going into the
New Year means they are only a handful away from safety.
He said: "The points we have amassed so far are way ahead of
where we thought we would be and maybe we have got a few points in
the bank for a rainy day.
"It has given the players a real impetus and a challenge to such
a degree that they are all driving each other on.
"They want to rise to every single challenge and that is the
challenge I have issued to them, that they should not be resting on
their laurels, not be content with the points they have gained so
far.
"They shouldn't be thinking they have got a bit of leeway. "They
have got to keep going and get as many points as they can, as
quickly as they can and be relentless and they have risen to every
one of those challenges so far.
"At some stage we will lose a game, and that's a fact, but we
believe that we can continue the run but they don't come any bigger
than Manchester United."
McLeish played under Ferguson in the successful Aberdeen team of
the early 1980s and believes some of his qualities have rubbed off
on him in management.
He said: "If you go and try and be somebody else, you find you
are not actually being true to yourself.
"I always remember getting that advice when I started out in
management, that you've got to be yourself and you don't really
know what that is until you have a feeling, and you try something.
and think 'that wasn't me.'
"Then you begin to evolve - but, at the same time, a lot of the
advice and things I learned under Alex Ferguson are in my make-up
now, without me actually copying him. "But it is about players.
Let's be honest, Sir Alex has players who are world stars, world
class players, so my players are not quite at that level yet - so
on paper Manchester United should win."
Birmingham defender Stephen Carr will return after suspension
after missing the goalless draw at Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup
while serving a one-game ban for incurring five bookings.
McLeish will have to reorganise his bench as fringe players Lee
Carsley, Stuart Parnaby and Gregory Vignal are all ruled out
through injury. But number two goalkeeper Maik Taylor has recovered
from a back problem after having an injection.
Birmingham are confident the clash with United will go ahead,
despite weather-enforced postponements of other Premier League
games.
A statement from Birmingham read: "Club officials have met with
local authority inspectors who have reiterated that they are happy
for the fixture to go ahead. This followed an inspection earlier in
the week.
"Discussions have also taken place with the emergency services
and the Premier League since the recent bad weather took hold and
club staff have worked around the clock to ensure the St. Andrew's
walkways, car parks and other areas are clear.
"The club's undersoil heating system means there are no problems
at all with the pitch."
