Good home form is the key

Blues boss Alex McLeish is hoping his side will continue with their good home form to help them get back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

McLeish`s record at St Andrews is a good one, only losing once since taking over as manager.

He told the Birmingham Mail: ‘We think we are unlucky to be out of the Premier League – by a point – we think experience cost us in that department.

‘We know seven or eight Championship teams could compete with seven or eight in the Premier League and form their own league and it would be some battle.

‘Anybody that comes here – as Premier League teams found out last season – will find it a difficult venue to come to, and we hope to continue in that vein in the Championship.’