Cup win seems a lifetime ago for worried McLeish

FROM defeating Arsenal to win the Carling Cup to plummeting down the table after defeat at rock bottom Wigan, Birmingham’s season is in serious danger of imploding.

It is only three weeks ago that Alex McLeish was dancing on the Wembley pitch after Obafemi Martins’ winner earned the club major silverware for the first time in 48 years.

But an equally dramatic winner from Maynor Figueroa, Wigan’s Honduras international left-back, left McLeish crushed as Birmingham’s top-flight status was thrown into jeopardy.

This was Birmingham’s fourth successive game without a win and unless McLeish can stop the rot, the Carling Cup winners face heading into next season’s Europa League as a Championship club.

“We have not been able to play the same team since the Carling Cup final because of the number of injuries,” McLeish, who started with eight of his Wembley heroes at the DW Stadium, said.

“(Nikola) Zigic is out, (Lee) Bowyer is out, Keith Fahey is out, they are all valuable players and they all played a part in helping us win a cup final.

“Everyone in the bottom half’s still in it certainly, but if we pick up points in our next home game and others don’t we will suddenly be looking at a brighter picture again.

“The players have shown they can bounce back before and we really need a big one from them now.”

Wigan had started the day four points from safety and their six-season stay in the top tier looked over when Liam Ridgewell fired Birmingham into an early lead.

But Tom Cleverley, the on-loan Manchester United midfielder, levelled before Figueroa sparked scenes of wild jubilation among the home supporters with a stunning right-foot finish in the dying moments of an entertaining game.

Figueroa’s winner was his first in 15 months and he celebrated with a spot of Bebeto-style rocking-of-an-imaginary-baby after recently becoming a father for the second time. He now links up with Honduras for friendlies away to South Korea on March 25 and China four days later.

It is the second time in three league home games that Wigan have come from behind to win and relieved manager Roberto Martinez said that statistic proved his side have the stomach to get out of trouble.

“You sometimes find that when teams are struggling, players don’t want to play and are suddenly on the injury list,” the Spaniard added.

“But it’s the total opposite here. Every player wants to help and contribute. Hugo Rodallega hasn’t trained really for two weeks since he took a knock at Manchester City but he wanted to be here.”