Monday Mar 17 2008 09:14
Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish is confident his side can avoid an immediate return to the Championship, even if they fail to beat
Newcastle United at St Andrew's.
The Blues are only one point above the relegation zone as they prepare for a potentially crucial encounter with Kevin Keegan's free-falling side.
But former Scotland boss McLeish said: "There's nine games to play, 27 points available, and we've got to get as many as we can to maintain our Premier League status.
"That's our intention and that's what we'll keep preaching to the players.
"It's our intention to get three points against Newcastle. I'm not saying we will but, if we play as we have at St Andrew's in recent games, then we're a match for anybody, make no mistake about that.
"I'm not seeing signs of a nervous team. I can't praise these guys high enough in terms of their commitment to Birmingham and there's individual pride there.
"We can only look back at some of the mistakes. I don't think there's any fear about them. I don't see a team that's frightened in recent games.
"Sometimes circumstances prevent you from doing that but that is how I came into this job, believing I could improve the players and the points ratio shows we are slightly above from where I came in.
"We know we need more than that to maintain Premier League status, and that's what we're trying to get."
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