Alex McLeish
Ginger Returns to the Reebok Stadium
Sunday, August 29th, 2010 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Gary Megson | No Comments
It’s a disturbing thought isn’t it? A ginger manager at the Reebok Stadium again. Fortunately it’s not that ginger one, but another with thinning copper locks, namely Alex McLeish, whose Birmingham City side take on Bolton Wanderers this afternoon.
There’s another tenuous link with the Whites provided by bean-pole striker Nikola Zigic who signed for McLeish recently. Sam Allardyce and Harry Redknapp watched the Serb as he played for Crvena Zvezda against Cork City back in 2006, with the possibility of recruiting him. Sam’s thoughts aren’t recorded, but ‘Arry wasn’t impressed.
Not a Pretty Sight
‘I don’t think five million will buy him,’ advised Zigic’s agent after the game.
‘I know, I’m one of them,’ replied Bagpuss.
Birmingham were last season’s surprise package. They were expected to struggle but survived comfortably, thanks to some stout organization and occasional last ditch defending.
So far the two sides have identical results, one draw, two wins and entrance to the next round of the Carling Cup. The performances of Owen Coyle’s side have been patchy. They were disjointed against Fulham and overrun in the first half at West Ham, before finishing as comfortable victors. Yet the points tally so far is satisfactory.
Coyle has an almost full squad to pick from, bar Ivan Klasnic and Sean Davis, who was only kept on to keep the medical staff busy now that Ricardo Vaz Te has transferred to the treatment room at another club.
The defence is a worry and the midfield hasn’t gelled yet, although individually there seems to be potential there. The most encouraging thing so far has been the improvement in Johan Elmander. Let’s hope it’s not another false dawn.
The last game at the Reebok between these two ended in a 2-1 victory for the Whites, but as all parties involved had already booked their summer holidays, it has limited relevance. Expect a tightly fought encounter with (optimistic hat on) Bolton running out the eventual winners.
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