Birmingham vice-chairman Peter Pannu has rubbished suggestions of a bust-up with Alex McLeish.
Vice-chairman thinks manager could sign next week
Birmingham vice-chairman Peter Pannu has rubbished suggestions of a bust-up with Alex McLeish and thinks that the manager could sign a new deal next week.
Quotes had emerged to suggest that a rift had developed between McLeish and the club as a result of the amount of money he was demanding in contract negotiations.
Pannu was credited as saying that he would not be prepared to meet the Scot's apparent requirements because he was 'no Jose Mourinho'.
But the Blues vice-chairman has dispelled concerns, telling the
Birmingham Mail: "This is all nonsense. We are just perhaps inches away from Alex signing a contract, possibly by next week.
"Our relationship is phenomenal, we are very strong and close, and I want to dispel this notion that there is anything wrong.
Sting
"In fact, I spoke to Alex about the Mourinho reference and we laughed about it. In the whole context of the interview I did, it would not have had a sting to it. But to take out the extract like that made it look worse than it was.
"Mourinho came up because I mentioned that the agent who made the initial approach to me about Alex and his contract represents Mourinho.
"Nothing was meant as a slight to Alex in the context of the conversation I had."
McLeish still has a year left to run on his current deal but is being rewarded after Birmingham's first season back in the Premier League saw them finish ninth.
And Pannu is adamant that it is only fine details that need to be finalised: "We have agreed figures, there is only one clause still to be sorted out. It is not pay related."
