Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish believes Premier League clubs miss out on top talent by not signing Championship players

EPL ; Alex McLeish – Gerard Houllier, Birmingham City v Aston Villa(Getty Images)

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Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish believes some Premier League clubs are missing out by not gambling on Championship players.

The Scot signed Roger Johnson and Scott Dann from Championship clubs Cardiff and Coventry when the Blues returned to the top flight, and the pair have gone on to forge a strong partnership at the heart of their back four.

McLeish says the prizes for staying in the Premier League are too great for some bosses to risk on players from England’s second tier.

“I think they are overlooked at times and people are afraid to take a risk,” he told Yahoo!. “The stakes in the Premier League are astronomical.

“It takes really talented people and there have been some brilliant managers over the years that have a good eye for talent. I am not saying I am one of them, but I think there are a lot of players that have slipped through my fingers when perhaps I should have taken that gamble.

“Then there are times where you have taken a gamble and you think I shouldn’t have done that one. It’s very difficult to get the happy medium. I definitely believe there is talent in the Championship.”

McLeish admits he needs to strengthen in some areas of his side, who are battling to stay in the Premier League and must beat Tottenham on Sunday to ensure survival and not risk relying on results elsewhere.

He said: “I think for the centre-back position we are ok. The goalkeeping side of things is fine. There are one or two areas, like possibly the midfield where we could improve. As some players get older, you look to recruit younger players and players with potential.

“Most managers will give you the same answer as me and that is we are looking for the strikers, people who can score goals.”

“We have to be prudent and make a few shrewd signings,” he continued. “We will look at the Bosman market and look at loans. Everything we can do that won’t stretch our resources.

“We are not Manchester United, but we will try to plan. The main thing is if you plan ahead it can save you a lot of wasted time and heartache.”

The Blues boss is one of a handful of Scottish managers plying their trade in the Premier League and attributes the success of his country in the field to the desire to prove others wrong.

He continued: “I think first and foremost we have a chip on our shoulder. When we go to a different environment we feel people are judging us. This is my theory it may not be other people’s. We have to prove to people that we can do it here. There is that motivation. Also our background is important as well.

“My mother and father were great parents and they were my role models. I know we all have heroes when we were kids especially footballers, but my role models were my parents because they taught me respect and humility, and keeping my feet on the ground. I know that Sir Alex Ferguson is a great believer in those traits as well.

“There has to be that sense of humility, although some people get away with doing it another way. I feel that is why the Scottish guys have done so well.”

As a player, McLeish formed part of the defence in an Aberdeen side managed by Sir Alex Ferguson and admits some of the Manchester United boss’s managerial nous has rubbed off on him.

He said: “There is no doubt I would have taken some of his traits but you have to be yourself. I remember in my first job and thinking for effect that I had to give players the hairdryer treatment. Afterwards I thought to myself that it wasn’t very convincing because it wasn’t talking from the heart.

“I sussed the advice I was given and realised that I wasn’t being myself. Although you feel like that and sometimes you need to give that treatment. That day though I made it up and knew then what people like Alex Ferguson were talking about before I went into management. I knew then what they meant by saying just be yourself.

“I like to think in my managerial career that my own characteristics have come to the surface.”

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