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10:46 GMT, Sunday, 4 May 2008 11:46 UK

McLeish gets Birmingham backing

Alex McLeish

Birmingham Chairman David Gold has insisted Alex McLeish will remain as manager even if the club are relegated.

Birmingham lost to Fulham on Saturday and need at least a point next week and for other results to go in their favour to beat the drop.

But Gold told BBC's Five Live: "We've got great faith and we believe in Alex McLeish and his backroom staff.

"You know the tradition of the board at Birmingham, 16 years in charge and we've only sacked two managers."

Fulham and Reading travel to Portsmouth and Derby respectively on the final day and if either club wins Birmingham will be relegated regardless of their result.

"There's no denying the board made mistakes by allowing the takeover to take some three months to collapse"
David Gold

McLeish resigned as Scotland manager to succeed Steve Bruce on a three-and-a-half-year deal at St Andrews in November.

A protracted takeover deal with Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung, which ultimately collapsed, forbade Birmingham from sanctioning a new contract for Bruce and the former Manchester United defender left to join Wigan.

But while Bruce has gone on to lift Wigan from the foot of the table to Premier League safety, Birmingham have struggled, winning just four league games since McLeish's arrival.

Steve Bruce (left) and David Gold Gold, however, said that although the club had made mistakes during the takeover talks, describing it as a traumatic period for the board and players, he refused to blame McLeish for Birmingham's current plight.

"We lost our management but the one silver lining is we managed to get a management team, headed by Alex McLeish, which we've got great faith in and we look forward to the future," he said.

"[Had Bruce been in charge] we may still have been in the position we are today. After all, it's basically the same team.

"There is every chance we may already have been relegated. We're in a situation now where we do have a chance of survival.

"We're in serious trouble but it's not over until the fat lady sings. We're still hopeful. We are planning for the worst but hoping for the best."

Gold added that the board did not want to sell the club, although he did admit they would listen to bids.

606: DEBATE
"All we need is a win and other reults to go our way!
Three points against Blackburn will do it!"

The Blue KRO

"There's no denying the board made mistakes by allowing the takeover to take some three months to collapse," he said.

"We would never make the mistake we made last time. The only way we would sell the football club now would be to a seriously wealthy owner, potential owner, that is capable of taking this club further and forward.

"Owners that can seriously challenge the top six, otherwise there is really no point in us changing. If bids come along we will always view them."




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Related to this story:

Fulham 2-0 Birmingham (03 May 08 |  Premier League )
Premier League as it happened (03 May 08 |  Premier League )
McLeish ready for day of destiny (03 May 08 |  Premier League )
Saturday's football photos (03 May 08 |  Football )
How to watch Match of the Day (08 Oct 07 |  Match of the Day )

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