Max: No excuses, we have got to be better
MAXIME Colin has spoken honestly about Birmingham City’s need to improve in the coming weeks after a slow start to the Championship campaign.
A third of the way through the season, Blues are in the relegation places, have seen a huge turnover of players and already a change in management.
Despite the upheaval, summer recruit Colin refuses to look for excuses and insists the players must simply put things right themselves. Disappointingly for Colin and Blues, he’ll be missing for the next couple of months after tearing his hamstring in the defeat to Brentford two weeks ago.
“We are not happy with the start of the season,” he said. “We need to work harder in training, be really focused and to be really conscious of the fact we are in the red zone.
“It’s not like we can pretend it has not happened. We are in the red zone, the relegation zone.
“We cannot hide behind the gaffer, someone else, or look for excuses. We are in this situation because of us – the players. So we have got into this position ourselves, we need to get out of it as soon as we can and move up the table.
“It is really bad for a club the size of Birmingham to be where we are. We have to realise that too and do everything we can to improve our results.”
Colin has promised to come back fit and firing from his injury setback. His displays at both leftback and his favoured rightback position have been impressive. However, he will be missing until after Christmas.
“I am doing quite well,” he said. “I was on crutches, now I am on the bike in the gym doing work. The improvement is good.
“I had a scan and it came back for a six to eight weeks absence. So although it is difficult to say exactly, it is around this length of time. completely devastated by it.” Colin does, though, count himself fortunate when comparing his situation with that of team-mate Isaac Vassell. The young £1 million striker, who was just beginning to thrive in Blues’ starting XI, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the 0-0 draw with Villa. He is likely to be out for the remainder of the season. “You do need to compare with what happened to Isaac,” Colin added. “You need to think about that a little bit, because he had a bad injury. “Obviously that is a longer one. But then you also think about the fact you have come to the club, I did it against my former team and you want to do as well as you can – so I’m not happy. “It is done. I have to complete my rehab the best I can to be back as soon as possible.” Sam Gallagher admits I was he was shocked when Harry Redknapp – the manager who brought the Southampton striker on loan – was sacked just four matches after the 22-year-old joined the club.
“I don’t think any club expects this sort of change this early on in a season. None of us were expecting it,” said Gallagher.
“But I feel like we are all adapting as well as we can do. These things can take a bit of time, but we are moving in the right direction.”
Gallagher reckons the upheaval in the dugout has presented the players with an extra challenge as they look to fight their way out of the drop zone.
“Your whole schedule in the week changes, your training or your way of playing,” he said.
“It takes players different times to adapt as well. I feel every week that goes past we are getting closer as a team and knowing each other better and better.
“It’s just a case of settling in and things getting easier as we move forward, which they will.”