McLeish proud of season

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish moved quickly to hail his players' performance over the despite defeat on the final day of the campaign.

The Blues finished in the top half of the Premier League table in ninth position despite losing 2-1 to Bolton at the Reebok Stadium, an excellent return for their first season back in the top flight.

Despite McLeish acknowledging his frustration at the defeat, he admitted that the achievements of his players to finish where they had was one they could be proud of.

"I had my little moan at the lads after the game and then quickly emphasised how fantastic the season was for them in the league," he said.

"To finish ninth for a club like Birmingham with our resources and coming up from the Championship especially is just a great achievement.

"The secret is to do it again next year but I've heard from even more experienced managers that even to stand still it costs a lot of money, so we're mindful that everyone else will want to be above us at the end of the season.

"It will be tougher and we've got to be prepared for everything which is why we have to redo our quality in the market."

Stability

The majority of the line-up fielded had played over 30 games for the club this season, with the Scottish boss able to field the same team 12 times in a row at one point.

This stability was cited by McLeish as a key reason why his side have proved so successful and been injury free, but also admitted he would try to make signings in the coming summer.

"I was lucky enough to have consistency which helps as the players get to have an understanding of each other and some telepathic partnerships," McLeish added.

"We're already trying to sow some seeds but it's so difficult to get players in to enhance the quality. I can bring players in no problem, but I don't want to waste the club's money.

"I want to try and make sure that each piece of the jigsaw is correct and team building can be something that's very difficult to do if we don't get the right people.

"We're pulling out all the stops to try and get the right players in but in many cases we'll be competing with other clubs for the same players."

With regards to goalkeeper Joe Hart, who ended his outstanding season with the Blues, McLeish was unsure whether the 23-year-old should go to the World Cup as England's No.1, stating that manager Fabio Capello would know best.

"Fabio Capello is a hugely experienced coach and he'll know what's best for England. I've said that Joe's not had much experience between the sticks but I trust him," he said.

"Playing international level is a whole new ball game and whether Fabio feels he has enough experience is up to him.

"I would trust Joe but Fabio is a far more experienced coach than I am."