Source: Daily_Mail
Kevin Phillips issues rallying call to relegation-threatened Birmingham City
ShareKevin Phillips has challenged Birmingham's players to 'show what we are made of' as they prepare for a last day of the season battle for Barclays Premier League survival.[LNB]The Carling Cup holders could become the first club to win a major trophy and be relegated from the top flight since Norwich won the League Cup in 1985.[LNB]The 2-0 home reversal by Fulham leaves Alex McLeish's side only out of the bottom three on goal difference. Now Blues have to equal the results of fellow strugglers Blackpool and Wigan when they visit Tottenham on the final day to survive.[LNB] Under pressure: Birmingham are just a point clear of relegation going into the final game of the season[LNB]Phillips said: 'It just wasn't our day and, with the results elsewhere, the pressure is on. Now we've got to show what we are made of. We've done it many a time. We believe we can go to Spurs now and get a result and we've got to go there and do something.[LNB]'Our goal difference is better than the others so we were getting that message onto the pitch towards the end saying "let's try and not concede anymore".[LNB]'It is disappointing but we are still in with a shout and will go to White Hart Lane and give it our best shot. [LNB]'Spurs haven't got an awful lot to play for so we'll go there and we've just got to up our game and we've got to be more solid. We will work hard this week with that in mind.'[LNB] Feeling Blue: The latest defeat came at home to Fulham thanks to two Brede Hangeland goals[LNB]Phillips insists Birmingham have to concentrate fully on obtaining a result at White Hart Lane rather than worrying about events involving Wigan and Blackpool at Stoke and Manchester United respectively.[LNB]He said: 'All we can do is effect our own situation. We aren't going to worry about the others. It is a huge game, we know what is stake, and we've got to start preparing straight away, simple as that. We've got a massive job to do but we can do it. It's in there. We've got to lift ourselves and go again.'[LNB]Give me more: Phillips expects more from his team[LNB]Phillips believes Birmingham's lengthy injury list has taken its toll and they ended the Fulham game with 10 men after Lee Bowyer, Stuart Parnaby, Martin Jiranek and Alexander Hleb all came off injured.[LNB]He said: 'That has been the story of our season. You've seen many of our games and we've had depleted squads. Players have had to play who haven't played for a while.'[LNB]Fulham boss Mark Hughes is targeting pipping Everton for seventh spot after achieving back to back away wins.[LNB]He said: 'Certainly in the first part of the year, we didn't have quite enough to really see games out and have the mental strength and physicality you need to win games in the Premier League.[LNB]'In recent times, we've got players back who give us the opportunity to win games on the road and I just thought at Birmingham our mentality was good.[LNB]'We knew what we had to do and we got the job done and that's maybe a change from in the past. If we can win our last home game against Arsenal, there is a possibility, if Chelsea beat Everton, that we may be seventh.[LNB]'That would cap a fantastic season for us given the initial problems we had with injuries. We've come really strong and it would be a real achievement for us.' [LNB] Birmingham 0 Fulham 2: Hangeland double leaves Blues on the brinkMcLeish warns against burn-out following Foster's England retirement All the latest Birmingham news, features and opinion[LNB] Explore more:People: Stuart Parnaby, Lee Bowyer, Mark Hughes, Kevin Phillips, Alex McLeish Places: Birmingham, Norwich
