Bowyer - Reality bites

Midfielder admits Blues could not sustain run

Last updated: 25th February 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Bowyer - Reality bites

Bowyer: Blues must be realistic

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Birmingham midfielder Lee Bowyer believes the club's recent slide in the Premier League was to be expected.

Blues earned deserved plaudits after embarking on a club-record 12-match unbeaten run in the top-flight.

Alex McLeish's side have stuttered in recent weeks, suffering back-to-back defeats as part of a spell which has seen them win just one in six.

Bowyer believes the St Andrews outfit were briefly punching above their weight in England's elite division and that recent results are a more realistic measure of their abilities.

But he insists that they can continue to be competitive provided they stick to the principles which have served them well after earning promotion from the Championship.

Battling away

Bowyer said: "What we were doing before was not realistic. We are coming down to our level now.

"We are realising we are not going to go away and win every game. We are going to lose at places like Fulham. That's the reality of this league.

"At the start, had people been offered 17th place they'd have taken that.

"But all of a sudden because of what we did, they have expected us to keep going up and up.

"We have to be realistic. Nothing has changed from the start of the season to now. What we did before - the unbeaten run - was astonishing.

"But now we have to understand that we have to keep battling away and working hard - you have to work and nick games."