Alex McLeish urges Birmingham board to sanction signing of top striker

Alex McLeish has challenged the Birmingham City board to deliver on their financial promises by approving the signing of a stellar centre-forward. The Birmingham manager has submitted two names to Carson Yeung, with Roman Pavlyuchenko believed to be one of them, and is now waiting to learn whether the St Andrew's owner will give him the support to step up his pursuit of a proven goalscorer. McLeish maintains there is no need to spend the £40m that Yeung promised would be available this month when he took over at Birmingham in October, but he is desperate to recruit another striker to strengthen his attacking options. He has previously failed with an attempt to sign Ryan Babel from Liverpool and was reluctant to meet Kenwyne Jones 's wage demands but he is hopeful that his latest requests will be looked upon favourably. "I am trying my best," said McLeish when asked about the likelihood of adding to the signings of Michel and Craig Gardner , who have both joined this month. "I have asked the board for one or two players and I'm waiting on the go-ahead. I've told them who I want and it's up to them now. I'm not going to say any names but we've certainly targeted one or two pretty decent centre-forwards. I would hope that they would trust me with my judgment." McLeish is expected to hold talks with Yeung about his transfer targets after tonight's match at Chelsea. "We just need to wait and see what unfolds," he continued. "I've always said that I didn't need to spend £20m-£40m but I do think we need to spend some money. We need a striker. We were running on empty at the weekend, when a 17-year-old [Jake Jervis] came on late in the game [at Everton]. It's great for the kid but we need to bolster the squad." Cameron Jerome is set to return to the attack this evening, when Birmingham's unbeaten run, which now stretches to 15 matches, faces its most severe test. "We go to Stamford Bridge with confidence, and belief," said McLeish. "We have done well at the big venues. Not necessarily taken as many points as we should have, but we've acquitted ourselves well, played well and had the bottle to go to these cauldrons, these intimidating arenas, and that is what I ask of the players again." Birmingham will take encouragement from their goalless draw with Chelsea on Boxing Day, when Carlo Ancelotti's side failed to score for the first time in 34 matches. McLeish believes that the result was crucial in the context of Birmingham's season, with the Scot claiming that from that moment on the perception of his players as well as the club changed. "It was one of those [matches] that we were expected to lose," he added. "We changed peoples' minds about the team and the club. I have to keep telling players that we have achieved nothing. We have had plaudits from some terrific performances, real top-class consistency, but I am telling the players from my soap-box that we have got to do it again. At Chelsea, the eyes of the world will be on us."