McLeish happy with backing
Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish says it is extremely satisfying to know he has the board's backing should he require it.
With only a few days of the summer transfer window left, clubs all over the country are scrambling together funds and trying to do deals to bring in new players.
The board of a club is pivotal in deciding whether a manager should be allowed to spend large sums of money on key players. McLeish has praised the Birmingham board this summer and said they have made his job very easy.
Birmingham have brought in a lot of good players who will all help the team and this is evidence that the manager is being supported. It's now up to the manager and the players to show the board that the club can compete well in the Premier League.
Positive signings
Birmingham have made a number of positive signings that are proof McLeish has been given everything that he has asked for. The two highest profile arrivals at the club are Ben Foster from Manchester United and Nikola Zigic from Valencia.
Both of these players cost Birmingham the sum of £6 million, which is not pocket money in terms of Premier League standards. These are two players in key positions that have a lot of skill to take the team forward.
It would have been very simple for the board to say no to McLeish with these two signings and to shut up shot, being concerned with only the profit margins of the football club. This proves there is complete harmony between the people who run the club as a team and those who run the club as a business.
McLeish said: "I don't know the ins and outs of the business side. That's for the board to discuss publicly, not me. But I have asked for some help in bringing new players in and it's been given. I'm getting backing to try to enhance the squad before the transfer window shuts and that's what interests me more than anything else."
The proof is in the pudding
It's now down to the manager to produce the results on the pitch over the course of the season that justifies the spending. This is pressure that will not be new to McLeish and it is pressure that he would have expected.
The reason why this pressure is in place is because of the need for clubs to stay in the Premier League, also the fact that McLeish may need backing in the future. If his new signings don't play well then Birmingham will not release money further down the line.
McLeish added: "There are a few we are interested in but it's difficult getting them over the line. That's going to be the hardest part with the deadline coming on Tuesday. Getting medicals in place is going to be the most difficult thing, with it being a bank holiday on Monday."
Betting advice
Birmingham have a lot going for them this season but the best they can hope for is a mid-table finish. The signings the manager has made have been positive and they should ensure that the team score a few more goals in attack and concede fewer in defence. Zigic will be a candidate to score at any time in any game.
The club enjoys a lot of support and the fans will be hoping for a little bit of flair during the season. Birmingham are more than capable of playing a smaller team off of the pitch so remember this when you are looking over the fixtures and judging results.
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