Source: Team_Talk
McLeish: Blues learning to respect refs
Alex McLeish believes his Birmingham players are starting to take on board his demand for them to show more respect to referees.[LNB] McLeish is particularly full of praise for the change in attitude of central defender Roger Johnson towards match officials.[LNB]And he revealed World Cup final referee Howard Webb gave the thumbs up to the greater self-control being shown by City after the recent derby with Aston Villa.[LNB]McLeish said: "When I matured as a player I did learn to talk to refs in the right way.[LNB]"I always had a good rapport with refs later in my career and certainly I don't berate refs in the modern day.[LNB]"We are all aggrieved at certain decisions, there is no doubt about it, and you can't hide that emotion, but at the same time it is a tough job the refs have got."[LNB]McLeish, whose side visit Stoke on Tuesday evening, added: "Take Roger Johnson, he has been much better behaved in terms of talking to refs.[LNB]"I think there is a nice way to do it and a better way than slaughtering the ref for a decision on the field of play. Roger has got better at that.[LNB]"But after the recent Villa derby Howard Webb told me the disciplinary side of things with all our players was exemplary.[LNB]"It is a big credit to the players and it shows they are learning."
