McLeish Quick To Praise Side After Win

Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish was full of praise for his side as they put in a great performance to beat Sunderland in front of the new owner Carson Yeung.

Last week`s bad boy Liam Ridgewell opened his account for the club with the first goal and then James McFadden put Blues in total control of the game when he netted a fine goal to make it 2-0.

Sunderland did get one back late on when Scott Dan put the ball into his own net but Blues never looked like getting anything but the win.

McLeish said after the game: 'We are persevering right to the very end, we are showing that real strength of character when under the cosh.

'On another day, we should probably have been more goals up than the two, but we gifted them a goal and it put us under a bit of pressure.

'But we withstood it and credit to the new players who have come to the club.

'I said to them before the game 'it's not a dress rehearsal, so enjoy it in the Premier League', and they looked as if they enjoyed their football today.

'But they have got to prove themselves every week. You can say they have nothing to prove, top players, but for me, you go out every week to prove yourself.

'I didn't put any pressure on them and say they were playing for their places.

'They know on the horizon, there might be new players to augment the squad, because we have had problems injury-wise and the fragility of the squad has been evident.'

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