Blues boss sets 50-point target

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has set his side a 50-point target to prevent their Premier League season fizzling out.

Saturday's 1-0 victory over Wigan saw Blues reach the magical 40-points – the traditional watermark for top flight safety.

But McLeish wants Blues, who are eighth in the table, to continue their solid form into the last 11 games after successive league defeats as they aim for their highest league finish since 1956.

He said: "It's a tremendous feat, but we're just trying to get as many points as we can. We're going to keep going and try to get to the 50-point mark – why not?"

Birmingham take a break from Premier League action this weekend when they go to all but relegated Portsmouth in the FA Cup quarter-finals, before going to Fratton Park in the league three days later.

Part of McLeish's vision to keep his players in tip-top condition is a long term plan to improve conditioning facilities at the club's Wast Hills training ground.

Blues have seen neighbours Wolves become the first sports club in the country to have an accredited laboratory.

The manager feels the sports science side of the club's operation is not as advanced as he would like, despite the previous protests of former owner David Sullivan.

He said: "There was an article I've kept about Wayne Rooney talking about the fitness guys at Manchester United. Yes, he's already fit and powerful but individuals work in different ways to get the best out of themselves.

"That's evidence. I need to get on with that now. I don't want to wait until the end of the season. We owe it to the likes of James McFadden and the rest of the players to make them stronger and as fit as they could be.

"I want James to look back on his time at this club and say - 'They did everything to try to turn me into a top player' in terms of the sports science.

"We can make him more powerful and stronger. That's what I want when I sit down with the board and ask them about the infrastructure here.

"It's not glamorous spending, but it's worth the value of another player in terms of injury prevention, recovery and recuperation."