Times could not be any happier for Birmingham City as they celebrate 100 years of football at St Andrew's today.

The visitors on this historic occasion are Queens Park Rangers, managed by John Gregory, a man with connections across the city at Villa Park.

But, on a day when Blues unveil a new electronic screen, nothing should be allowed to spoil the picture on what should once again be party time.

While former Aston Villa manager Gregory is relieved to have ended his side's run of five successive defeats with a 1-0 win at home to Barnsley on Saturday, Blues boss Steve Bruce - his rival across the city for a month five years ago - cannot believe his eyes.

Admittedly, Blues' run of ten wins from 12 games that has them go five points clear in the Championship has been founded on a bedrock of more lucky breaks than even nice blokes like the Bruces of this world deserve.

But that has led to an outpouring of confidence too. There was no doubting the quality of the display that crushed bottom club South-end United 4-0 at Roots Hall on Saturday.

Despite being without the suspended Cameron Jerome and Sebastian Larsson, Bruce's machine purred on to even more devastating effect, with their biggest win in 11 months [2014] and their best away since that famous 7-1 win at Oxford United under Trevor Francis just over eight years ago.

DJ Campbell marked his recall as Jerome's replacement by putting Blues ahead after only eight minutes, taking Gary McSheffrey's pass to hammer a beauty from 20 yards.

Although Damien Johnson was back to take over armband duties for his first start since having his jaw broken by West Bromwich Albion's Paul Robinson almost two months ago, Stephen Clemence - stand-in skipper for Blues' previous three games - again made a great impression.

Clemence doubled the lead seven minutes before half time, top scorer McSheffrey's 14th goal of the season made it three from a free kick after 54 minutes after another Campbell 'goal' had curiously been disallowed in the build-up. Radhi Jaidi's header rounded things off six minutes before the end.

Bruce has the problem of how to change a winning team, with Jerome and Larsson back in contention today.

But, seeing as it was the fifth successive game in which Blues have scored three goals or more, Bruce certainly needs something to tax his grey matter a little bit more.

He said: "Every time we go forward we look as if we've got a goal in us. We pile people forward and we've got good energy.

"A couple of months ago people said we were boring and negative but what a turnaround."

McSheffrey agrees with his manager, adding: "We're where we want to be at half way.

"To be five points clear is a good cushion. And we'd certainly have taken that two months ago.

"If we keep riding our luck, defend well and Maik Taylor does what he does well between the posts then we feel we can win games."

While the quality of Blues' strikeforce cannot be argued with, Bruce also pinpoints the defensive partnership being forged in the middle of his back four.

Having been together for only four matches, Matthew Upson's rapport with Jaidi might be interrupted more rapidly than Bruce might have hoped should much of the media speculation about Upson's impending departure prove true. ..TEXT@ But all the Blues boss can do is stand back and admire.

"With Jaidi and Upson at the back playing as they are, we've got every chance," Bruce said. "They were very assured at Southend and gave us that platform.

"Matt Upson is a class act and I want to assure all the Blues fans out there that I'll be doing my utmost to make sure he stays with us for the rest of the season.

"And, as for Radhi Jaidi, he is a fantastic header of the ball. One of the reasons why we brought him to the club was because he chips in with five or six goals a season.

"And, when the cross came in for our fourth goal, and I saw Jaidi attacking the ball, I knew there was only one winner and that's him. He almost took the back of the net off."

Bruce was also happy to praise his other marksmen. "DJ has been unfortunate to be left out recently but he put in a huge performance, he was a real nuisance and could have had a hat-trick," he said.

"And McSheffrey is a quality finisher. What a buy he's been for #2.5 million. I wish we could find another five of him.

"Once he got in that position with the free kick it was going to be a goal.

"As for Clem, he gave possibly as good a performance as I've seen from him."