WE’RE GOING PLACES!

And they’re up, not down, says Bowyer

Birmingham v Swansea 8pm LEE BOWYER says he’s seen enough to believe Birmingham can avoid the drop.

Brum’s new boss knows time is short with his side one place above the relegation spots and eight games left.

Toss into the equation the fact that Rotherham, just three points below them, have four games in hand and the alarm sirens are sounding loud and clear.

Today’s clash with third-placed Swansea is followed by a trip to promotion-seeking Brentford but Bowyer has his eyes on the prize – and he says he’s seen enough in the international break to convince him his men aren’t sitting ducks.

Bowyer said: “I have learned a lot I already knew – that I have good players who care which is important.

“They know what is expected of them, they know what they have to do and we are ready for these last eight games.

“Am I confident they can get the job done? Yeah. It’s going to be difficult, don’t get me wrong.

“Obviously I am going to be positive because I am happy with what I am seeing on the training pitch every day, I am happy with the feedback I am getting.

“Do I believe we can do it? Yes. Is it going to be hard? Of course.”

Bowyer (left) severed his ties with Charlton to return to St Andrew’s when most might have given the job a wide berth – but it wasn’t a shot in the dark.

He added: “I had my assessment before I came in, I looked at the squad and thought, ‘On paper, it’s a good squad of players.’

“I knew most of them. I knew they were good, I knew I would be able to make them better. That’s why I came. Trust me if I didn’t think they were good enough to compete I wouldn’t have come.”

Bowyer’s first match in charge saw Blues grab a surprise 2-1 win over Reading and he says that, plus what he saw in a 3-0 defeat to Watford, only gives him optimism.

He added: “In both games we did well. Even though we didn’t get the result we wanted at Watford – they are the best side in the league in my eyes – we competed to a high level at their ground and we created more chances than them.”