Sullivan: No problem with McLeish

By PA Sport  May 18, 2009
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Sullivan: No problem with McLeish (©PAphotos)
Sullivan: No problem with McLeish (©PAphotos)


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We're busy planning for next season with the manager, he's happy here and we're happy with him...
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David Sullivan has again moved to clarify there is no rift between Birmingham`s board and manager Alex McLeish.

McLeish and his side were certainly under pressure from the club`s hierarchy at times during their nerve-jangling promotion-winning season from the Championship, with managing director Karren Brady recently stating the board themselves were under pressure to oversee an immediate return to the Premier League.

Sullivan told the Birmingham Mail: "We're busy planning for next season with the manager, he's happy here and we're happy with him. I've never had a cross word with him. Alex does hold his cards close to his chest, sometimes you're not sure what he may be thinking. But we all enjoy a very good working relationship."



McLeish`s future came into question before and immediately after Blues secured second place with their final day victory at Reading. But with the former Scotland manager firmly staying put at St Andrew`s next season.

He continued: "At the same time, I did have to tell him after Christmas when we had taken 11 points from 10 games that it wasn't good enough. He understood that. Promotion was our aim and the form at that time wasn't promotion form.

"Then Reading stopped winning and Alex found the right formula. We would have liked it to have been a lot less close than it was in the end, but we got there. I always said I believed we would win promotion and there would be ups and downs along the way."

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