Ethan Laird flabbergasted by Birmingham City situation and offers a relegation statement

Ethan Laird believes Birmingham City have what it takes to avoid relegation, and he hopes the home truths stated following the defeat to Cardiff City will fuel them in their remaining four cup finals.

On Wednesday night, the Blues suffered their eighth defeat in their previous ten encounters against the Bluebirds, dropping to 23rd in the Championship table with four games remaining. As things stand, Blues are set to join already-relegated Rotherham United in League One next season.

Laird, who joined Blues with the goal of challenging at the other end of the table, talked up about the inquest that took place in the dressing room following Cardiff. He remarked, “People were expressing what needed to be said, which shows that they care. It’s tough, love. Because of our current situation, certain things must be said. And to be honest, I’m delighted it happened today.

“I’m certainly not satisfied with the outcome, but things had to be said, and they were. Because we’re such a close-knit bunch, I’m hoping we can recover now; I genuinely believe we will.

“When you think about the talent we have, you’re almost shocked because you’re thinking, ‘How?’ But I am confident that we will get through this. We need to treat every game like a cup final right now since we only have a few left.”

When asked why he feels a squad that has only improved Rotherham since mid-October can gain enough points to survive, Laird explained: “Belief based on the characters we have in this team, the talent we have in this team, and the staff are an optimistic group.” They are realistic, yet they understand that we need their energy for the upcoming game. We are aware of our current condition.”

St Andrew’s was nervous from the start against Cardiff, which was understandable given the stakes, but the Blues did little to calm the worries of the crowd. They failed to test Cardiff goalkeeper Ethan Hovarth after Josh Bowler sealed the victory in the 65th minute.

The Blues now face play-off contenders Coventry City on Saturday, followed by two crucial away games against Rotherham and Huddersfield. Nobody who supports the Blues wants it all to come down to the final day against Norwich.

Laird, 22, went on to say, “It’s difficult for me to talk about because I’m an optimist, and I hate that I’m even in this situation in the first place. We need to fight and get rid of the anxiety. I think that came out (against Cardiff) because we know we need to win and score, and sometimes as a player, you make foolish decisions. That’s football, and it can get really intense. It’s about devising strategies to deal with it.”