Gardner: I can’t wait for Blues brothers to perform
GARY Gardner is still looking forward to the day when he gets to run out for Birmingham City with his brother Craig.
The 26-year-old switched to St Andrew’s in the summer transfer window after being permitted by then Villa manager Steve Bruce to leave on loan in order to gain regular football.
In the absence of his older brother, who has not played since August, and the injured David Davis, Gary has slotted into Garry Monk’s midfield alongside the industrious Maikel Kieftenbeld and helped Blues on their run of eight matches unbeaten.
While things are going well for the central midfielder, he awaits the day when Monk pairs him with Craig – and believes the former Villa and Albion man will prove to be an important figure in the coming months.
“It’d be a very proud moment,” said Gary. “As a boy I dreamed of playing with my brother. Doing it for Blues, in a professional game, would be a really proud moment for the family.
“I’m looking forward to it, but in the meantime there’s a job to do without him and I’m sure, once he’s back, he’ll be a massive plus for the team.
“He’s a class player, has all experience and once he’s back be an asset for the team.”
Gardner is itching to get back on the field after the international break.
He has started the last eight matches and is raring to go at Stoke City on Saturday.
“We can’t wait to get back out there and go again,” he said. “That’s the good thing about us, the staff and everyone working on us.
“We’ve been solid, created loads of chances, it’s just been that bit of luck that we’ve missed. It’s all positive and all the lads are positive here.”
Despite the unbeaten streak, Blues that he’ll are still some way down the Championship table in 17th. Their position owes much to a string of leads lost against Nottingham Forest, West Brom, Ipswich Town and Brentford. “If we’d won one or more games we’d be in play-off spots,” Gardner said. Monk feels his team’s impressive performances should have yielded more points but straight-talking Kieftenbeld feels the table doesn’t lie two the and accurately reflects Blues’ failure to beat sides in the bottom half.
“I don’t want to be negative, but we also didn’t beat the teams that are below us so that’s why we are where we are now,” the Dutchman said.
“Of course, we’ve done well against the bigger teams, but we need to pick up points as well against teams below us. It is really important. We would have like more wins, but the other side it shows we are hard to beat.
“The best thing about those eight games is that we should have won a lot more of them. We’re doing well and giving our all on the pitch.”