All eyes were on Jermaine Pennant at the weekend as he returned to action with Birmingham City, wearing an electronic tag on his ankle. But whilst everyone was looking for Pennant to shine, Birmingham's star performers were their back-line who were overworked by Spurs for 90 minutes. Matt Upson and Kenny Cunningham were rock solid and kept Tottenham's lively forwards in check. It has been another good season for Upson who even earned a recall to the full England squad for that notorious friendly international in Spain earlier this season. With another impressive display behind him, Matt can look forward with confidence to next week's clash with Chelsea - or can he? Ian Clarkson found out.
Q:YOU LOST AT CHELSEA 2-0 IN AN FA CUP TIE IN JANUARY AND THE FIRST GOAL WAS CONTROVERSIAL WHEN JOHN TERRY BLOCKED MARTIN TAYLOR WASN'T IT?
A:They did exactly the same sort of thing against Barcelona when Ricardo Carvalho blocked their keeper and John Terry scored. It was a foul, but it was very clever how they did it. They are a street-wise team, but I think they have helped themselves by sticking with the same formation every game. They have a core of players every week who know exactly what their teammates are going to do. They also have some outstanding players, which obviously helps.
Q:CAN YOU BEAT THEM AT STAMFORD BRIDGE?
A:If you are going to beat a team like Chelsea then you have got to go there with a positive attitude. We let ourselves down in the first half of the FA Cup tie because we didn't get at them. You know it is going to be tough and that they will keep possession for long periods, but, if you have a negative vibe, then you will lose.
Q:WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR VERDICT ON THE SEASON AS A WHOLE?
A:No-one expected us to be involved at the wrong end of the table in March. The three points we picked up against Villa two weeks ago were absolutely massive and, while we aren't safe yet, we can now approach the rest of the season with a different mentality.
Q:WOULD YOU SAY THAT CONSISTENCY, OR LACK OF IT, HAS BEEN THE PROBLEM?
A:There have been some positives and disappointments this season, but there are a variety of reasons why it hasn't gone according to plan. The main one is injuries. If you bring David Dunn and Muzzy Izzet back into the equation for next season then it looks a lot healthier. And I am sure the manager will make some signings as well, so we need to kick on again next season.
Q:DO YOU THINK THIS SPELL IN PRISON WILL HAVE HELPED JERMAINE PENNANT?
A:There is a really good side to Jermaine and he is a kind-natured lad. He has got to get himself together but he has definitely grown up from when I first met him at Arsenal. The spell in prison must have made him grow up even more. He has made some poor decisions that have cost him dearly and it is totally in his own hands now. He had the possibility of a jail sentence looming over him when he first arrived at Blues, but this is a chance to start again. It's up to him.
Q:YOU KNOW HIM AS WELL AS ANYONE AT THE CLUB – HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO HIM AT ALL ABOUT WHAT HE NEEDS TO DO?
A:I do talk with Jermaine about what he needs to do. We spoke quite a lot when he arrived at Blues and he is an extremely talented player. He is the sort of player that Steve Bruce loves and we really need in our team. He gives us great width and his delivery is excellent. I think he has already created two or three goals in his short time at the club, as he whips in a great cross.
