da supremo： Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish believes last season's ninth-place finish has raised the bar but warns this may not be achievable this time around.
da bet7： Having gained promotion in 2009, Birmingham weren't expected to finish in the top half of the Premier League but an excellent home record saw them over-achieve.
Having done so well last season, and having spent heavily in the summer, McLeish accepts that fans' demands are only going to increase, especially with the Blues just two games away from a Wembley final in the Carling Cup.
However, McLeish believes the Premier League is tighter than ever this season and says a look at the points difference between the sides shows that the teams are closer than ever.
"There's no doubt when you get a couple of results the confidence levels rise,'' he said.
"But we've got good belief in this club, we have great characters and spirit.
"I know we have expectation levels and people expect us to do better than last year.
"Last year I was re-building a team, so players are now beginning to fit into the jigsaw."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email