McLeish’s Blue Sky thinking strikes a Brum note

ALEX McLEISH fancies himself as a “bit of a crooner” and it took a fair amount of self-control for him to resist indulging in a Phil Brown moment in front of euphoric supporters who are still pinching themselves at the manner in which Birmingham City have secured another Premier League adventure.

If anyone has the right to be singing from the rooftops at St Andrew’s it is the Scot who was ridiculed as relegation fodder in August. Unlike Hull and Brown a year ago, Birmingham have not scraped survival by the skin of their teeth. They can have their membership of the elite rubber-stamped next Sunday by recording their highest top flight finish for 51 years.

Yet there was a hefty dose of cynicism among his own supporters as to whether McLeish was the man to retain the club’s status in the Premier League – but the sight of him being worshipped by the thousands that remained behind well after Brian Jensen’s own-goal and Christian Benitez’s first at St Andrew’s had confirmed a 14th unbeaten home game demonstrated the huge swing in favour of the former Rangers manager.