Steve Bruce
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Our players deserve a pat on the back. I thought we were first in every department. I thought it was more difficult against ten men because you cannot move the ball as quickly across the pitch. Until the sending off I thought we just blew them away.
They [the defence] have done fantastic and it is another clean sheet. We've made it a bit of a fortress and we have needed to do that.
Last week Ryan was in despair. He missed a penalty and results had gone against us and in the space of a week it all changes around as he scores twice and he has played really, really well.
We cannot say we are safe until it is mathematically impossible for us to go down because teams could easily win three on the trot, but we are a step closer.
Alex McLeish
It was a scrappy game up to their first goal and that was another gift after we surrendered possession. It was a sloppy goal that left us chasing the game and then the sending off gave us a mountain to climb.
We are where we are because of the lack of consistency in the team and Wigan had far too much experience and strength for us today, especially when they were against ten.
We need to strengthen the squad and hopefully we can stay in the Premier League and we can get some more quality in certain areas of the pitch.
[Speaking about the red card] The lunge is something that has been outlawed in this country.
You still see some players getting away with it so the referees have to make sure that this happens across the board. Kilbane got up straightaway and I don't know whether he was trying to protect Damien from the red card.
Damien didn't catch the guy but it was the gesture. I'll be speaking to him on Monday. We had to make another change this week after the sending off of Franck Queudrue last week. Martin Taylor came in and did quite well but to be chopping and changing the way we are is not ideal.
Martin came off towards the end with a groin injury and that's probably down to the big man not playing for a few weeks. All I can do is compliment the Birmingham fans that turned out and I'm sorry that we didn't give them something to cheer.
The Table
| Latest match Saturday, 5th April 2008 | Pld | Home | Away | Overall | Pts | GD | |||||||||||||||||
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | |||||||||
| 1 | Manchester United | 32 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 10 | 24 | 4 | 4 | 68 | 15 | 76 | +53 | ||||
| 2 | Chelsea | 33 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 32 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 13 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 58 | 23 | 74 | +35 | ||||
| 3 | Arsenal | 33 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 34 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 29 | 16 | 20 | 11 | 2 | 63 | 27 | 71 | +36 | ||||
| 4 | Liverpool | 33 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 39 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 12 | 4 | 57 | 25 | 63 | +32 | ||||
| 5 | Everton | 32 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 28 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 20 | 14 | 17 | 6 | 9 | 48 | 27 | 57 | +21 | ||||
| 6 | Portsmouth | 32 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 24 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 22 | 21 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 46 | 33 | 53 | +13 | ||||
| 7 | Aston Villa | 33 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 29 | 19 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 27 | 25 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 56 | 44 | 52 | +12 | ||||
| 8 | Blackburn Rovers | 33 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 22 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 22 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 43 | 39 | 51 | +4 | ||||
| 9 | Manchester City | 33 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 23 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 37 | 39 | 49 | -2 | ||||
| 10 | West Ham United | 32 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 21 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 35 | 39 | 44 | -4 | ||||
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur | 33 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 44 | 30 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 62 | 56 | 40 | +6 | ||||
| 12 | Newcastle United | 33 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 23 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 34 | 10 | 8 | 15 | 40 | 58 | 38 | -18 | ||||
| 13 | Sunderland | 33 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 34 | 10 | 6 | 17 | 32 | 50 | 36 | -18 | ||||
| 14 | Wigan Athletic | 33 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 20 | 14 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 33 | 9 | 7 | 17 | 30 | 47 | 34 | -17 | ||||
| 15 | Middlesbrough | 32 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 26 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 28 | 45 | 34 | -17 | ||||
| 16 | Reading | 33 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 18 | 39 | 9 | 5 | 19 | 37 | 61 | 32 | -24 | ||||
| 17 | Birmingham City | 33 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 23 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 32 | 7 | 9 | 17 | 38 | 51 | 30 | -13 | ||||
| 18 | Bolton Wanderers | 33 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 34 | 6 | 8 | 19 | 30 | 52 | 26 | -22 | ||||
| 19 | Fulham | 33 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 20 | 29 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 27 | 4 | 12 | 17 | 30 | 56 | 24 | -26 | ||||
| 20 | [R] Derby County | 32 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 27 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 6 | 40 | 1 | 8 | 23 | 16 | 67 | 11 | -51 | ||||
Next Game
The next game is a difficult trip to Stamford Bridge on Monday the 14th of April. Tickets are still available for this game and are priced at one arm and one leg.
The game will be live on Sky Sports and kick off is at 8pm.
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