3/1 To Win
After six consecutive defeats in all competitions, Lee Carsley has demanded a reaction from Birmingham City’s players when they face Derby County.
The former Rams midfielder is the new caretaker boss at St Andrew’s after Harry Redknapp departed the club last weekend.
It’s still early days, but the Blues head to Pride Park Stadium marooned in the Sky Bet Championship bottom three and without a win since the middle of August when they beat Bristol City 2-1.
Quite simply, Carsley says not only he but the travelling supporters need to see a performance and a reaction from the players.
He told the media: “It’s a good game and a bad game in a way. Obviously, the way that Gary left the club and then getting a chance at Derby shows what a good coach he is.
“And I’m sure he’ll want to put one over on the club. But the opposite of that is that we need to win and we need to get a performance and the fans need to see a real reaction from the players.
“That’s what we’re working on. Gary did well here, they are having a mixed time at the minute down to the fact that Gaz is trying to put his own ideas in and it’s difficult.
“Gaz is a good coach; they have got some really good players there so it will be a good test."
Fourteen new players were signed during the summer transfer window as Birmingham moved to quickly to ensure they avoid any of the relegation problems they had over the 2016/17 season.
Carsley says that with such a big turnover it is a ‘big ask’ to get everything working perfectly in an instant.
Ahead of his first game in charge, though, the 43-year-old says that every member of the first team squad has got a clean slate to go and impress whilst he is at the helm.
"There are some very good individuals,” he added. “The biggest problem we have got is that there are 14 players, brand new ones, who have been thrown into the mix.
“To expect them to play like a team, function like a team and behave like a team is a big ask.
“I think the more they can play together, the more time they can spend together the quicker the process will become."
"You start with a clean slate. I’ve got an idea of the team and the squad. The squad is back together now training.
“The idea is to get the squad into a position when the new manager comes in they’re all fit enough if he wants to start them to start them."
