As the lights dim on the first half of the 2009-10 season and the second phase just one game old, with Birmingham City sitting eighth in the Premiership, a few words of praise must, I feel, go out to Alex McLeish. With thirty two points on the board already the Blues are, in theory, a mere eight points away from the magic forty-mark indicative of top-level safety.
A master of the art of defending, McLeish, alongside Willie Miller, was the heart of Alex Ferguson’s all-conquering Aberdeen side of the 80’s that helped itself to an incredible twelve trophies during his time there, including a memorable European Cup Winners Cup victory over Real Madrid.
More than mere coincidence, then, that Birmingham have the joint-second best defence in the league to date, having conceded a mere eighteen goals, just two more than leaders Chelsea. The boys from St Andrews have also chalked up the second best amount of clean sheets; nine from twenty games, defying expectations of an immediate return to the Championship.
Whilst his time as Glasgow Rangers boss brought in the trophies, it is as manager of the proverbial underdog that McLeish has truly proved himself; leading Motherwell and Hibs to second and third in the Scottish Premier League respectively, whilst defeats of the likes of Ukraine and France make him, statistically, the most successful boss in Scotland’s history, with an almost-improbable win rate of 70%.
With Blues new owner Carson Yeung promising the club a £20m-£40m war chest in this month’s transfer window, McLeish, ironically, could be about to face his biggest challenge yet; how to spend the cash without disrupting a perfectly settled squad. Such is the strand of consistency currently running through the club, the Scot has now named the same starting line-up for eight consecutive games.
As the rumour mill buzzes and clicks into overdrive with possible St Andrews acquisitions an intriguing January awaits then, though McLeish’s summer recruitment drive has already shown his capabilities with a chequebook; the likes of Joe Hart on loan, Roger Johnson, Scott Dann and Barry Ferguson all proving integral to the club’s success so far.
With his team entering the New Year on the back of an eleven match unbeaten run (their best in top-flight football for 101 years) it’s a big hats off to Alex McLeish, my Manager of the Year for the first half of the Premiership 2009-10 season.