COTTERILL VOW TO FIGHT ON IN BLUES TURMOIL

STEVE COTTERILL won his power struggle at Birmingham with the club’s rookie CEO but now needs to save his own job.

Blues manager had been at loggerheads with Xuandong Ren over failing to sign anyone in January, although the inexperienced Ren is set to go after £17million losses were also announced at 22nd-placed Brum.

Cotterill got the backing of Zhao Wenqing, the boss of Brum’s Far East parent company, who flew into the UK this week.

But Blues are still considering other managers including Garry Monk and Gordon Strachan if their slump continues.

Cotterill said: “I met the chairman and he has been incredibly positive and supportive, it has put more fight in me.

“He has a clearer picture of what went on or has been going on – and more importantly what went on in January because February is a result of what didn’t happen in January.

“There were targets we could have got and never got and who would have helped us.”