Bruce hopes to bolster in January

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce is hoping to be given funds in the January transfer window to strengthen his squad in the battle to stay in the Premiership.

Bruce has a proven record of bring in players mid-season since the window was introduced three years ago after signing the likes of Matthew Upson, Jamie Clapham, Stephen Clemence, Christophe Dugarry and Jermaine Pennant.

He believes City are well equipped with the current squad to fight their way out of the bottom three especially now the club’s horrific injury list is being reduced.

But Bruce would still like an injection of new blood in a couple of months time if the money can be made available by co-owner David Sullivan, chairman David Gold and the rest of the board.

Bruce, whose side host high-riding Bolton on Monday, said: “We are all bitterly disappointed with what has happened this season. It’s horrible to be at the bottom.

“In squad terms, we are better equipped than we have ever been and these players can get us out of trouble. Then hopefully there will be funding in January to strengthen us a little bit more.

“We’ve got a good track record in the transfer window. The impact of Jamie Clapham, Matthew Upson and Christophe Dugarry when they came in three years ago was immense and played a big part in us stopping up.

“Then last January we brought in Jermaine Pennant and Walter Pandiani and they did something along similar lines for us.”

Bruce knows that Birmingham, who have lost five of their six home games, have to start picking up points sooner rather than later with a fixture list on the horizon of Sunderland, Fulham and West Ham after the visit of Sam Allardyce’s side.

He said: “Our home record is horrific, even though we have probably deserved to get something out of three or four of the games, and we’ve got to start getting points on the board.”