Source: Team_Talk
McLeish explains Bowyer substitution
irmingham boss Alex McLeish has admitted he substituted Lee Bowyer to avoid the risk of him being sent off in the 3-1 defeat at West Brom.[LNB] Bowyer retaliated after being on the receiving end of a challenge from Baggies defender Gonzalo Jara and reacted with a lunge at Gabriel Tamas which resulted in him picking up a yellow card.[LNB]McLeish instantly substituted Bowyer, who was then involved in a verbal exchange with a female fan situated behind the City dugout.[LNB]McLeish said: "I just didn't want to take a chance. Lee is mature but I didn't want to take a chance and get egg on my face.[LNB]"We were talking about taking Alexander Hleb off at that time because he has not played a lot of football and he looked fatigued.[LNB]"Then Bowyer got the booking and I took him off just in case. He is more mature now and he maybe would have seen it through but I didn't want to take any chances."[LNB]As regards the Bowyer-fan confrontation, McLeish said: "Someone lambasted Lee when he came off and I saw 'Bow' trying to pacify them.[LNB]"That's the only thing I can tell you about it. I know some people were having a go from the seats behind the dugout. When I turned around 'Bow' was telling them to calm down.[LNB]"It is difficult when you are coming off the pitch, have been booked, been taken off when you don't want to come off, and someone is lambasting you from the terracing."[LNB]McLeish admitted his side paid for some sloppy mistakes as Albion recovered from a 1-0 half-time deficit.[LNB]He said: "I am stunned by the mistakes we made, human errors.[LNB]"I've been telling you every week about the character in this team. Today that wasn't evident in the second half, unlike us.[LNB]"West Brom changed their shape which I thought they might do but it was very unlike us to capitulate.[LNB]"The mistakes gave them a way back into it, nothing to do with systems, and after that we were never really at the races.[LNB]"It was very untypical of this team. We said that in the dressing room and some of the players admitted that as well."[LNB]Baggies boss Roberto Di Matteo replaced striker Marc-Antoine Fortune with midfielder Graham Dorrans at half-time and pushed Peter Odemwingie further forward - a move which paid dividends.[LNB]He said: "The aim was to get a win and we did it and it was a good performance.[LNB]"We controlled the majority of the game and managed to score three goals in the second half.[LNB]"It was a bit disappointing the goal we conceded from a set piece -[LNB]but apart from that we didn't give them any chances.[LNB]"We didn't get hold of midfield in the first half. It is a bit of a risky move because you are 1-0 down and we removed a striker.[LNB]"But I felt I had to get another midfielder on but I put Peter up front and it worked.[LNB]"It doesn't always come off. It's the players who have to perform and they did brilliantly in the second half.[LNB]"Peter was a threat, a good outlet, but it was not just him. The whole team stepped it up in the second half."
