Jack Butland has insisted the only way is up for Birmingham City.
The goalkeeper stressed the team’s sights were set on the top, not looking over their shoulders at the Championship relegation zone.
And so it should be, the 19-year-old England man said.
“I think it’s six points off the play-offs, not four points away from the relegation zone,’’ he said.
“We’re a team that shouldn’t even be thinking about relegation with the players we have got.
“We should be looking up and looking to catch people and not stay away from people, if you are viewing it that way.
“No-one wants to be near the bottom and we are just the same.
“We are looking at it as six points off the play-offs and trying to get as high as we can.”
Butland, speaking at a signing session for fans at JD Sports store in Birmingham’s Bullring, in conjunction with kit suppliers Diadora, said Blues would go into Saturday’s match against Ipswich Town in confident mood.
The Leeds United victory and display had helped lift their spirits.
“I think it was our most consistent performance,’’ Butland added. “Throughout the whole team we defended a lot better, we restricted them to minimal chances and when we did have the ball we played very well.
“We moved it well, we created quite a few chances and I think it was just the most complete performance we have put in all season. We need to continue that.”
Butland registered his third clean sheet of the campaign at Elland Road, always a good barometer of a handy side.
“We have definitely picked up the last couple of games,” he said.
“And I think we have played better football too, with the obvious exception of that spell in the first half at Millwall.’’
