Source: Daily_Mail
Everton 1 Birmingham 2: McLeish’s believers marching on regardless
The statistics are impressive, but an insight into Alex McLeish's transfer deliberations revealed just as much about how far Birmingham have progressed this season.[LNB]An FA Cup win at Everton that owed as much to the resilience of defensive discoveries Roger Johnson and Scott Dann as expertly-crafted first-half goals from Christian Benitez and Barry Ferguson made it 15 games without defeat.[LNB]McLeish feels his team belong in the top half of the Barclays Premier League, not to mention the fifth round of the Cup, and he confirmed that with his update on how the search for reinforcements up front was faring. [LNB] Midfield tussle: Birmingham City's Christian Benitez (right) and Everton's Steven Pienaar battle it out[LNB] McLeish reflected on links with Tottenham's Roman Pavlyuchenko, Ryan Babel of Liverpool and Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones, but so far signing only £3million Sporting Gijon midfielder Michel. [LNB]He said: 'Belief has a powerful impact on a dressing room. You can have one or two mavericks who can win you games, but they won't win you as many as a dressing room with as much power as we've got.[LNB]'I'd pay big money for an individual but he would have to have the right character.[LNB]'It would be easy to bring in a South American you're not sure of because we've been recommended hundreds. Pavlyuchenko? We would have to see what his wages were like.'[LNB] Battle of the Scots: David Moyes and Alex McLeish[LNB] Benitez's early header and Ferguson's 40th-minute finish looked to have settled the tie.[LNB]Leon Osman hit back in the 56th minute and Louis Saha, Marouane Fellaini and James Vaughan all went close.[LNB]It was a rousing fightback by Everton but not enough to quell David Moyes's anger. 'There are one or two who won't get selected if they perform like that again,' said the Everton manager, who has signed Arsenal centre-back Philippe Senderos on loan for the rest of the season.[LNB] BIRMINGHAM CITY
