Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish terms Carling Cup triumph his greatest-ever achievement
Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has claimed that leading his side to the Carling Cup trophy is the greatest achievement of his career. The Blues defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the final at Wembley on Sunday to lift the prestigious trophy.
It’s not as if Alex McLeish has had trouble winning titles in the past. The enigmatic manager enjoyed plenty of success with Scottish side http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Rangers-c40314. However, he believes that leading Birmingham to the Carling Cup title tops all of his previous achievements.
McLeish told reporters, “Relatively speaking, it is my greatest achievement. With Glasgow Rangers I was expected to win trophies, even though it is difficult against Celtic. To come to England and for a club like Birmingham to beat the might of Arsenal is
a dream come true.”
He added, “It is especially so for the fans who have had a long wait, those long-suffering Blues fans.”
The match seemed destined to go to extra time, with the scores locked at 1-1. However, with just minutes left to go until full time, Arsenal handed Birmingham the trophy on a silver plate. There was a dreadful mix-up between Arsenal keeper http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Wojciech-Szczesny-c36998
and defender http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Obafemi-Martins-c28273. The Nigerian international could hardly believe his luck, as he tapped the ball into an empty goal, sending the Birmingham fans at Wembley into raptures.
Alex McLeish claims that he could envision himself lifting the trophy as soon as Martins scored the decisive goal. The Birmingham manager said, “No one gave us a prayer, we were underdogs. But sometimes the bookies don't get it right. After the goal I really
did have the vision of the cup in my hands.”
Alex McLeish will have to come back down to Earth, as Birmingham face West Bromwich Albion and then Everton in quick succession in the Premier League. However, the Carling Cup success will no doubt give Birmingham City a huge morale boost. After yesterday’s
performance against the Gunners, Birmingham might also just have put any lingering fears of relegation to bed.
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