Bruce: Fans reaction is huge test

Steve Bruce admits he needs to keep Birmingham’s disgruntled fans onside if he is to drag the club out of trouble.

The injury-hit Blues slipped to second-bottom of the Barclays Premiership table with last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Newcastle and left their manager facing a huge game against Bolton next week.

“I’ll make sure I don’t get into a position where it gets embarrassing here,” Bruce told the News of the World. “I know that in football if the crowd starts, if they become unbearable towards me, it’s a test of pride, morale and all the rest of it.

“The simple fact now is that we must turn it around. I’m fed up with hard luck stories.”

Meanwhile, on-loan midfielder Jiri Jarosik’s hopes of returning to CSKA Moscow may have been dented by his decision to opt for a temporary move from Chelsea.

“There was a point when we wanted to bring him back from Chelsea, but he chose Birmingham,” CSKA coach Valery Gazzayev told the Sunday Mirror.

“Sure, Jarosik is a very good footballer, but our young players are getting better by the day. I think we have made the right decision by giving them a chance.”