Alpine trip will prepare Birmingham City for Premier heights
May 14 2009 by Andy Walker, Birmingham Post
He said: “We’re returning to familiar surroundings because it was successful, so why not go back? The likes of Arsenal and other top clubs, go back to the same bases every year because of the continuity factor.
“We were very comfortable in Austria last year and the facilities were very good. The players had a great bonding period throughout those ten days.”
Last summer wasn’t just an opportunity for his players to bond. On that occasion, McLeish was still also assembling his team of backroom staff and it gave everybody associated with the club the chance to finely tune Operation Premier League in relaxing surroundings.
The opposition laid on last time round also proved to be a gradual step up in terms of the quality of competition. A 7-0 thumping of non-League Austrian side Kirchbeg eased in the Blues, a 3-1 victory over Viktoria Plzen from the Czech Republic lifted the standard a notch before a 2-1 defeat of Germans Nurnberg tested Birmingham against a side who had similarly just been relegated from their own top flight.
Once again three fixtures have been planned – on July 20, 23 and 26 – although the opposition is yet to be confirmed.
Having flittered between Germany, Norway, Spain and, going further back, Ireland in pre-seasons gone-by, McLeish has introduced continuity to Birmingham’s summer schedules. Only time will tell if he is able to do the same to the club’s Premier League status.
* Birmingham have announced that they will play a pre-season friendly against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on August 1.
