Jaidi admits stakes are high

Birmingham central defender Radhi Jaidi has admitted the stakes could not be higher as he prepares to “go to war” in tomorrow’s crucial clash at relegation rivals Fulham.

Birmingham could be relegated if they lose and Bolton and Reading win and Tunisian international Jaidi said: “I think this is the most important game in which I have been involved since I came to England four years ago.

“There has always been a lot of pressure on Birmingham. Last season we were seeking promotion and it went to the last game.

“This season we are fighting against relegation and it looks as if it will also go to the last match against Blackburn Rovers.

“We need to concentrate and to try and get two good results. But we know the Fulham match will be very hard.

“Against Fulham we have no choice. We will go to war and I think the game will be decided in the head rather than on the pitch.”

Birmingham have a dismal away record as they have one just once on the road since Alex McLeish was appointed – his first game in charge against Tottenham in December.

Jaidi is desperate to use his experience to try to end that barren run and he added: “We have a lot of young players here so we need to help them as much as possible to enable them to play as well as they can.

“There is greater pressure on us to remain in the Premiership than there was to win promotion last season.

“Going down indicates you are a poor team and you have to ask yourself why you are in such a position.

“The manager, Alex McLeish, has tried to explain what type of game we need to play against Fulham and also the tactics we need to operate both in defence and attack.”

Jaidi had a two-year spell at Bolton before moving to Birmingham and would have no qualms about seeing his old club relegated.

“It really doesn’t concern me at the present time as most of the people who were with me at Bolton have since left the club,” added Jaidi.

“At the moment I do not have any feelings about what will happen to Bolton.

“All I am concerned with is that Birmingham remain in the Premiership. Life is like that. You have to fight for yourself.

“We have some quality players here at Birmingham but there is a need for more confidence in the team.

“We play well at home but struggle away. Playing in front of our fans they encourage us but away from home the younger players are frustrated.”

Jaidi has his own key role in the survival battle by doing his best to put off opposition goalkeepers whenever Birmingham get a free-kick around the penalty area.

The move has paid off against both Everton and Liverpool and Jaidi added: “There is no rule about where I should stand for a free-kick.

“I can stand very near to the goalkeeper if I do not touch him as that would be a free-kick against me.

“If it helps my team to stay up I will continue to do it against Fulham and Blackburn.

“We have players who take good free-kicks like Sebastian Larsson, James McFadden and Mauro Zarate.

“They have scored some fantastic goals from free-kicks and I try to help my way, the Tunisian way!

“This tactic was first tried at Bolton so I thought about trying it at Birmingham.

“It is part of the game. Many things can happen between the players and the fans would discover a lot of things if they could hear what goes on during a match.”