The arrival of the new Birmingham City board has sent shockwaves...through the club, through the fanbase, through the Premier League, and poignantly, through the team.
Two fantastic home performances against quality opposition have given new belief to a side in need of insipration.
The visit of Manchester City brought with it a frustrating night where the ball just wouldn't drop for the forwards, but first came the visit of Sunderland and a trio of men who were extremely familiar to the Blues faithful.

Steve Bruce returned to St Andrews for the first time since his defection to Wigan Athletic 2 years ago, supported by Assitant manager Eric Black and goalkeeping coach Nigel Spink. If that wasn't enough for you, the arrival of Bruce co-incided with the arrival of Carson Yeung and his entourage, after Yeung's actions directly led to the defection of Bruce to Wigan.

There was a sense of excitement in the stands, as Bluenoses reflected on the events of previous weeks. Their club had finally been taken over, and with promises of pots of Gold waiting at the end of the rainbow, fans questionned whether it was actually true. They were soon brought back down to reality by a bizzare annoucement from Victor Hui, the new Chief Executive. Hui came onto the pitch before reading a prepared speech to the Bluenoses, asking them to stick with the club, whatever happens. His final message, that 'we are family' was reinforced by the resident DJ, who went on to play 'We Are Family' by Sister Sledge over the tannoy...only at St Andrews...

However, if the music was tacky and a bit lacklustre, the start by the home team was in direct contrast. The side started well, with movement, belief and a determination superior to anything produced by Sunderland. Cameron Jerome and Christian Benitez were given the nod up front, and they gave the Sunderland pairing of Michael Turner and Anton Ferdinand a day to forget. The front two defended from the front, inspiring others and encouraging the rest of the team to push on and attack our opponents.

In recent weeks, Alex McLeish has said that Blues would rely on James McFadden, Seb Larsson, Jerome and Chucho, the Big 4, to produce their best form if Blues are to survive, and it appeared that the takeover had finally got the message through. All 4 produced their best performances in a Blues shirt for a long time, with Seb Larsson finally starting to look like the Larsson of two years ago; skillful, determined and full of running.

Approaching half-time, it appeared as if missed chances would come back to haunt Blues, with the score locked at 0-0, but all that changed in one moment. An inswinging free-kick form Seb Larsson was nodded on by Cameron Jerome, before taking the slightest of deflections off the returning Liam Ridgewell, deceiving Craig Gordon and giving Blues the lead. It was a deserved bit of luck for Ridge, who enjoyed a good performance on his return to St Andrews. This was his first game at St Andrews since his last game, where he broke his leg; his recovery has been something of a miracle, and if anyone deserved to get their name on the scoresheet, it was Ridge.

The message at half time was clear; don't let up. The response was also just as clear...they didn't. Blues pushed on, and a nice move resulted in a classy touch by Cameron Jerome, setting up James McFadden. Faddy still had a lot to do, but he turned inside his man and finished with aplomb, giving Blues a second goal which would turn out to be crucial.

The team battled on, in spite of whatever was thrown at them by Sunderland. The defence looked settled and comfortable, but a late free kick into the box resulted in a horror moment from Joe Hart. He came to collect a free kick when he had no chance, and Turner's header on was cruelly knocked into his own goal by Scott Dann. In trying to clear the ball, Dann knocked it into the goal, and that was probably his only mistake on a day when the Blues back 4 was impressive in every sense.

One good win, and the already changing mood around St Andrews continued its change from dejection to belief. When big-spenders Man City came to town, it was always going to be a struggle for McLeish's men. However, with morale on the up, a strong start would set up the side perfectly to launch an assault on the opposition goal...and that is exactly what happened. Blues started strongly, with Chucho going close twice. Barry Ferguson had another half-chance, as Blues looked to break the deadlock. Man City started to get into the game as we approached half time, but Blues were still on top and looking comfortable. However, as half time came and went, the scores remained deadlocked at 0-0.

The nagging doubts about whether we would score or not seemed to be put to rest when Blues were awarded a penalty early in the second half. James McFadden stepped up, but his spot-kick was saved by Shay Given. Euphoria for the travelling fans, but dejection for McFadden. Faddy was unlucky, but he wa definitely not to blame. Given is one of the best keepers in the Premier League, and the rule of averages tells us that everyone misses a penalty eventually...even Graham Alexander!

As Blues pushed on, it became clear that it was not to be Blues' night. The ball didn't fall for Blues in the box, and eventually the game ended up as it started, 0-0. The fact that Blues left disappointed with the result speaks volumes for the performance from the side.

Three games in under new management, and things are looking good.The board are making interesting noises with regards to the January transfer window, and more importantly, the current squad are starting to perform. If they can continue to play at this level, then the future looks good for McLeish and his men.
Keep Right On; enjoy the highs, because let's face it, long-suffering Bluenoses deserve them!