Taylor: Blues have staying power

Maik Taylor believes Birmingham City now have the experience and quality in their squad to sustain a push for a European spot – and avoid a repeat of last season’s fade-out.

Blues were challenging strongly for a UEFA Cup spot for most of the 2003/04 campaign until a run of five points from the final 24 meant they had to settle for tenth spot.

But ’keeper Taylor – included in the FA Premier League supporters’ team of the season – is confident that Steve Bruce’s crop of summer signings will ensure Birmingham are a force for the entire campaign.

Emile Heskey, Muzzy Izzet, Julian Gray and Mario Melchiot have already joined City while Bruce is still chasing the signature of Chelsea’s Jesper Gronkjaer.

Taylor said: “I just can’t put my finger on what happened at the end of last season and certainly it wasn’t intentional.

“People weren’t easing off, thinking of their summer holidays, just because we were mathematically safe.

“It’s just that in the last eight or nine games, nothing really seemed to go to plan for us. After achieving so much early on, being fourth in November, it was disappointing that it went so flat at the end.

“But the signs are more positive for next season, though, with more quality having been added to the team during the summer.

“The club has already shown that the ambition is there with the names that have already come in and the others that are being bandied around. No doubt it will be the same objective as last season with 40 points the first target.

“But this time, instead of fading away, we should have the experience and the quality so that the European spot wouldn’t be out of the question.”