Stan Lazaridis described his manager Steve Bruce as "the most upset I've seen" after Birmingham City's dismal derby defeat to West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns a fortnight ago.

But, having warned his players that their places were on the lines if they under performed again, it was a different Bruce who welcomed his players back to the dressing room after Blues had put things right in Sunday's 2-0 win over Aston Villa.

Blues are still to win a Second City derby in the Premiership without the assistance of a blunder from a Villa keeper. But Lazaridis points out that there were plenty more moments on Sunday that restored the smile to their manager's face.

"The manager has really laid into us over the last fortnight," said Lazaridis, "It has probably been the worst since he's been there, particularly morale-wise.

"But when we came into the dressing room after the game he said 'Why did you make me say what I've had to say over the past fortnight when you can play like that?'

"The gaffer had said to us 'the performance has got to improve or that's it' and he warned that he is going to replace us if it continues.

"Since he's been here that performance against Albion was probably the worst that he's had to watch.

"He can take getting beat but he wants us to turn in a performance and show up for games. Against Palace and Albion, we were awful."

Birmingham's win takes them to within three points of Villa in the Premiership table. Blues have already caught up with Villa once this season, their first derby win in December having started a run that overhauled a 12-point deficit. They had only half that to make up before Sunday's game.

Now, having practically secured their Premiership place for another year, Lazaridis is confident they can fulfil every Blues' fan's raison d'Itre by finishing the season above Villa.

"It has been a frustrating season," he said, "but that three points has pulled us away again from the relegation battle and closed the gap on Villa, so it was a great day for us."

Lazaridis was also pleased to have played in six of Blues' nine league victories this season, despite having made only 11 starts.

"I'm not really match fit," said the Australian winger. "It has been a horrible season for me as far as missing games is concerned. And I'm still running only on 70 to 80 per cent.

"The manager wanted me to grind it out as far as I could and then took me off with ten minutes to go.

"I'm below my best but I was still happy with that performance. I played at West Brom and I don't think I was really there. It was good just to be running at players again."

Lazaridis, now 32, and into his footballing dotage for such an old-fashioned winger, admits that Blues are going to have keep him wrapped in cotton wool for the rest of the season.

"The gaffer is resting me during the week," he said, "just trying to get me out on the field, and that's what we are going to have to do until the end of the season.

"It has been so frustrating but the manager has been good with me. Now I just want a good finish to the season. A run of six or seven games where I can get back to 100 per cent. Then I'll just be looking to have a good preseason in the summer and see where we go from there."