Glenn's Home Visits

Trevor Brooking says Glenn Roeder will receive one or two home visits this week to bolster his recovery - and hopes to give him the ultimate boost of Premiership survival at St. Andrew's on Sunday.

"Glenn was delighted by the win at the weekend, he is making progress, he is at home now, and he just has to build himself up and get a bit stronger now," says Trevor.

"At some stage later this month he will go in and have his surgery but the progress is being made, and that is good news.

"I am sure there is going to be an opportunity for one or two of the lads and coaching staff to see him, and just set their minds at rest about how much progress he has made.

"We chatted about the game and I am sure we will do about the forthcoming one.

"It is really again like the last couple of weeks, though. He put in place what we were going to have do and everyone has responded.

"The game at the weekend gave everyone a lift and the fans created an a fantastic atmosphere, which almost demanded the win.

"He listened in which must have been pretty tortuous and probably got just as excited as everyone else when the goal went in.

"It finished our last home match at least on a bit if a good memory, but again it is a long week ahead now just to see what the final outcome is.

"At least that was a little 'thank you' for the patience that the fans have shown throughout the year."

But there is still a lot of hard work to be done, insists Trevor, who adds: "The spirit is terrific and what we don't want to do now is let it peter out - let's do our job, get to Birmingham and win, and see what happens. The time for reflection is after that."

Trevor is full of praise for the players' resilience of late, and adds: "It was about 70 minutes when we scored and in all of the last three 1-0 victories, which have been priceless in getting us where we are, all the goals have come in the last 20 minutes, which says a lot about what the team have put into it.

"Again, they deserve a pat on the back, and they deserve to go out there with that same mood against Birmingham."

As for playing three strikers from the start, he adds: "It was a derby match and the atmosphere was always going to be heaving so I thought it was worth the chance.

"I thought we played well for 20, 25 minutes and Cudicini made a couple of good saves, then they sorted themselves out with Petit the focal point and they passed it about.

"So half-time probably came at the right time, we pushed on a little bit to deny him that space and I thought in the second half we were well worth the goal.

"Les, who shouldn't have been on the pitch considering his injuries, gave us an hour and Paolo with his match fitness after having the gastric problem, gave us half an hour which was going to be just about right.

"When the chance fell for him he was the one you would have wanted there. Cudicini spread himself well but Paolo just lifted it to tuck it away.

"Then we had the longest celebrations ever I think. It seemed ages before we got back into position for the kick-off, and then of course we had that real tense situation with Jamo making that late good save from Frank and the corner after that.

"It was a good mood to end on."