Alex McLeish is proud of the job he has done at Birmingham, but admits there is a lot of hard work ahead.
Blues boss warns players they cannot rest on their laurels
Alex McLeish is proud of the job he has done at Birmingham, but admits there is a lot of hard work ahead.
The Scottish coach arrived at St Andrews in November 2007, inheriting a side struggling towards the foot of the Premier League table.
He was unable to preserve their top-flight status on that occasion, but guided the Blues back into the big time at the first time of asking.
This season Birmingham have been able to establish themselves among England's elite, with a top-half finish on the cards.
McLeish admits he has overseen a remarkable turnaround in the Midlands, but knows the club cannot allow complacency to set in if they are to carry on improving in the future.
"Two years ago, we were out of our depth," the Blues boss told the
News of the World.
Stronger
"When I came to the club, I looked at all the squads. The Bolton squad, the Fulham squad, the Wigan squad all looked stronger than us and I thought 'this is going to be some job'.
"And that's why this season safety is almost like winning a trophy for me.
"But the players can't be resting on their laurels. To prove they are Premier League players, they have to do it again."
McLeish is set to be rewarded for his fine work at St Andrews with a new contract, although he is no rush to pen fresh terms as he is already tied to the club until 2011.
He is, however, determined to stay and finish the job he has started and has no plans to take on a fresh challenge any time soon.
"I want to be a few more years at Birmingham and see if we can take this team further," he said.
