Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish has urged his players to accept the challenge of proving themselves to the new manager before the January market opens.

"Rather than seeing it as something to fear, the players should see it as a great challenge," he said. "There is not much between the bottom seven."

He continued: "It is difficult to have a philosophy in football when you don't have the millions to bring the top-class players in the world to play a beautiful passing game. I would like us to have that. I have always encouraged my players to pass it. If these guys here have got into the Premiership, they must have good ability and they must be able to take the ball and pass the ball. Then again, sometimes you have got to find row Z. There are philosophies and there are philosophies."