McLeish hails battling troops

McLeish: Plenty of positives

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Alex McLeish felt Birmingham coped admirably with the changes forced upon them against Nottingham Forest.

The Blues were made to alter their starting XI for the FA Cup third round tie at the City Ground, with injuries and the need to rest key men coming in to play.

The Premier League outfit gave a good account of themselves during a keenly-fought contest, though, and emerged with their cup dreams still intact after a goalless draw.

Forest had the better of the opportunities to seal the win, with Robert Earnshaw missing a second-half penalty, but Kevin Phillips also came close to forcing a breakthrough for the visitors late on and McLeish was pleased with the overall performance from his side.

"It was a hard tie," he said.

"We knew when the draw was made that we were facing a Forest side who were in great confidence, albeit we are too.

"We made a few changes, enforced changes with one or two injuries and niggles, and I thought the lads who came in gave us absolutely everything.

Attitude

"They gave 100 per cent attitude and application and Kevin is unlucky not to bag a brace."

He added: "(Stephen) Carr was suspended, (James) McFadden was a bit tight on his hamstring and Scott Dann had a bit of tenderness in his knee.

"Maybe it could be seen as a calculated risk to keep the momentum going if it was a Premier League game but I feel we have enough experience and ability in reserve to come in and they slotted in very well.

"I understand they are perhaps lacking a bit of match practice but that didn't stop those players coming in and giving us everything.

"I would have liked to have won it, but Forest had a lot to say about that.

"They had their chances and we also had our chances, but we'll take the draw. We're still in the cup."

Concerns

While happy to be getting another opportunity to seal a place in the fourth round, McLeish's immediate plans have been rocked by injuries picked up by Lee Carsley and Stuart Parnaby against Forest.

"The two injuries were disastrous for us and it shows the fragility of the squad," he said.

"Carsley caught his studs in the turf. We are concerned about that one and we won't really have an idea about how bad it is until he is scanned on Monday morning.

"Stuart had a recurring back problem. It ceased up and his moving was restricted. He was clearly in distress and we had to get him off.

"But we got away with it and the lads that came into the team can be pleased with how they performed."