Gold offers Savage olive branch

It's my duty to try and work this out Birmingham chairman David Gold

Birmingham chairman David Gold has thrown a lifeline to unsettled Robbie Savage and admitted he would be pleased if he withdrew his transfer request.

Blackburn have had two bids rejected, and Savage was booed by fans when he played for the club's reserve side.

But Gold said: "The fans are getting angry and saying 'stop his wages.'

"I'm saying 'give him a break. Don't let's slam the door.' Let's carry on working to resolve these problems. It's my duty to try and work this out."

Gold added: ""I am an optimist and I like to give everyone a faircrack of the whip and I'm hoping that Robbie will weigh up all the pros and cons and says 'okay I'm withdrawing my transfer request' and see out this season.

"I am saying to everybody 'give the man a chance.' He is a young man at thepeak of his career. He is in turmoil and I'm hoping he will say 'I've made aterrible mistake and I've been ill advised.'

"Steve Bruce is hurt and we all are but we are keeping our fingers crossedthat this can all come out okay in the end, that we can get on with our livesand Birmingham City will see Robbie out there doing what he does best."

Blackburn have had bids of £2.2m and £2.7m turned down for the Wales international, and have been told they will have to pay £3.5m if Savage is to move to Ewood Park.

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Blues co-owner David Sullivan has warned the want-away midfielder he will not be able to leave St Andrews without a fight.

Savage angered the Blues by claiming he wants to join Blackburn so he can move nearer to his family in north Wales.

And Sullivan said: "No player has left us on his terms in my 12 years here.

"What he ought to know is the more he moans and the more stories we see, the more determined it makes this club.

"Robbie is second only to Christophe Dugarry in my all-time list of favourite Birmingham City players and I will never forget his contribution over the last two-and-a-half years.

"But now I find his attitude sickening and depressing.

Birmingham reject new Savage bid

"He signed a new four-year contract and then, when offered more money by a rival club, thought he could ignore it and walk away on the cheap.

"We've heard all the sob stories about Robbie moving nearer to home for the sake of his family but basically this is not the real issue.

"The bottom line is that he is an adult who signed a contract and should honour it. We all have problems in life that we have to overcome.

"Why he thinks he is such a different case, I don't know.

"This club is not a voluntary organisation. You just can't turn up and think you can do what you please."