Jacques rally cry to Blues

JACQUES MAGHOMA has urged his struggling Birmingham team-mates to ram Harry Redknapp’s criticism down his throat.

The Blues boss said after the recent defeat at Burton that he wanted to replace his whole team.

Redknapp looks to have missed out on several targets, including Bristol City defender Aden Flint, Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing and Torino midfielder Afriyie Acquah.

They lost debutant right-back Carl Jenkinson, signed on loan from Arsenal, to a dislocated shoulder and a third straight defeat has left them fifth bottom.

But winger Maghoma says the current side can go for promotion.

“We’ve got to prove him wrong – that’s a challenge for us within ourselves to take on,” he said.

“We can’t just say ‘the gaffer says we’re not good enough’ and crumble.

“We’ve got to work harder as a group and be together because the second-half performance wasn’t good enough.”

Redknapp said: “I had a team in mind three months ago that came in well within the budget, and if I’d have got that team, I said it would finish in the top six.

“Unfortunately, I’m nowhere near that team at this moment.”

Blues fell to Jon Dadi Bodvarsson’s first Royals goal as he headed home Tyler Blackett’s cross on the hour.

Midfielder George Evans wrapped it up when he swept home Chris Gunter’s centre five minutes from the end.

Icelandic ace Bodvarsson has targeted the top six and a doublefigure goals haul.

He said: “There is the pressure to go back to the Premier League and hopefully we’ll be up there in the top six.”