It’s now or never for Blues in these final eight games

The international break is over and it’s now time for club football to take centre stage again with just a few weeks of the season left to play.

In the last two years, Blues have been sitting pretty in the top half of the season with their position in the Championship for the next campaign safe and secure.

This season, however, has taken a turn for the worse since Gianfranco Zola came in. It seems like most of his games since he arrived at the club have been branded ‘must win` for him but we are now at the stage where each of the eight remaining games are exactly that.

Blues are just five points above the drop zone and still have to play four of the bottom eight as well as three of the top 10- not to mention the small matter of a Second City derby at Villa Park.

You would hope that we have enough to survive but when you see us fail to turn up for the crucial games against the likes of Wigan, our position does seriously worry me.

I’d look at the Easter weekend games against Rotherham and Burton as the games that should get us over the line.

The game against Burton in particular is a game that could really shape the last few games after that because Bristol City and Blackburn play against each other on that day as well.

Picking up points against Huddersfield and Brighton would be a bonus and crucial ones at that but I have to single out those four against Ipswich, Rotherham, Burton and on the final day at Bristol City.

Here’s hoping we`ll be safe by the final day as I don’t think any of us will be able to take it if it goes down to the wire.

I would say that unless Wigan really go on an amazing run, there is only one relegation spot to fill out of seven teams.

Blues have to find a way of winning the games against the sides in and around them because, essentially, those games will be the difference in us either pulling away from the drop zone or getting dragged further into it.

They’re the ‘six pointers`, if you like. We haven’t been used to winning games under Zola but, somehow, we’ve got to find that winning formula.

It’s the job of Zola and the players to do that if they are put a stop to what has been a disastrous second half of the season.

Another two wins should secure it for Blues but let’s keep in mind the fact that we’ve won just twice since mid-December. I expect us to be fine, but only just.

Points predication for the final eight games: 8/24