Blues boss tips Michel to come good

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has tipped midfielder Michel to come good next season after admitting the Spaniard is still finding his feet in England.

McLeish handed Michel just his second Premier League start as Blues went down 3-1 at Sunderland on Saturday.

But the manager is adamant his £3million January signing from Sporting Gijon will get to grips with the demands of English football.

He said: "I have got to see what other guys can bring us and sometimes that can disrupt momentum, because players have been used to playing with others and there is an understanding.

"I made a change to central midfield and brought Michel in. I still feel he's got sharpness to find in the Premier League and he has got to be considered for next season. That's what we are looking to.

"We will try to feed him in, we will try to rotate between now and the end of the season, but not at the expense of losing games. I thought in the second-half at Sunderland he was much, much better.

"He was just finding his way into the pace of the game in the first-half. That was difficult and that's the difference between the English leagues and La Liga.

"In Spain, La Liga is more cultured in their touch and passing and teams wait for you more whereas in England they are in your face.

"He's got to adjust to that and Saturday will hopefully have done him the world of good, in terms of his future and his education in this country."

McLeish has also paid tribute to striker Cameron Jerome for his efforts in the Premier League.

The manager said: "Cameron has really taken it to another level.

"His coverage of the pitch, his high-intensity runs, his distribution, his retention of the ball – he's upped his level in the past three or four games in particular."