St Andrew's has not always been a place where creative players flourish, but that is all changing. Suddenly, the Birmingham City flair men are taking wing - in some cases, literally - and the consequences have been encouraging.
The 5-0 victory at home to Portsmouth last Saturday was a sign that Birmingham have the credentials to secure their Premiership status for another season. They remain in the bottom three but they are the team of the moment.
The arrival of Chris Sutton up front, the improvement of Emile Heskey, and the return to form of Jermaine Pennant have combined to give this Birmingham team a new, exciting look.
Then there are Jiri Jarosik, David Dunn and Mikael Fors-sell, and there is a perception that this Birmingham team is far too good to be relegated.
You can see it in Pennant's eyes that he is content with life. He did not start the season well but, since the turn of the year, has looked like a player with a realistic hope of making the England squad for the 2006 World Cup.
But it is Sutton who seems to have done most to make this team coherent. Heskey has benefited up front and now Pennant has target men to aim for.
"Chris gives us an extra boost, an extra target to aim for," Pennant said. "It takes a lot of pressure of Emile as well so it is nice to have him upfront to deliver the ball to and to hold the ball up.
"Overall the team played magnificently against Portsmouth, from the goal-keepers to the strikers to the guys on the bench. Our performances over the past few weeks have been very good and we have not been getting the results that we deserved.
"The gaffer [Steve Bruce] said if we keep playing how we have been, we will get results. All we have done is continue to play as we have been doing and the result was there for all to see.
"It is a bit of confidence and I feel as though we are on fire. We weren't playing very well before and it was affecting players. It started to turn around from Chelsea where we gave them a good go. They won but we played well.
"The team is now on a high and my confidence has just grown and grown. A lot of my game is about dribbling, getting the ball into the box for the two big men and hopefully my deliveries enable them to score goals."
Pennant does not like talking about himself but he cannot escape the extra attention now that he is again looking like an international player.
"I think I am back to playing as I was last season," Pennant said. "It is all about confidence. I am very confident now and very happy in my football and everything is going well.
"England is a great goal for me to go for but if it doesn't happen in the near future, there is always the next European Championships in 2008. Every good player wants to play for England.
"I'm just 23. I'm getting old now! You don't hit your prime until you are about 26 so hopefully I can continue playing and perform to my best."
Pennant burst on to the scene in English football as a 15-year-old. He joined Arsenal but did not fulfil his potential there. One who might is Theo Walcott, aged 16, who has just sealed a multimillion pound move to Arsenal from Southampton. Pennant is understandably interested, having been Walcott's equivalent eight years ago.
"I've never seen him [Walcott] play but I've heard he is a good player and the big teams have been in for him so he must be good," Pennant said. "I wish him all the best. It is not going to be easy.
"Things didn't work out for me at Arsenal so it would be hard for me to say but the club has got a lot of faith in him and they will try to nurture him as best as possible. It didn't work out for me but hopefully it will work out for him.
"When I was at Arsenal, my FA Youth Cup team won the competition two years in a row and there is nobody to show for it playing now. Everyone has gone elsewhere - [Steve] Sidwell, David Noble, Jay Bothroyd . . . a lot of players. I could keep on going.
"Only Ashley Cole has come through from the youth ranks so I don't know if the youngsters do get a chance but we will see what happens with Walcott.
"You go to Arsenal, you just want to play football, you are so excited and you have a honeymoon period.
"Then as soon as you know you are not playing you start thinking and realise 'What have I done here? Why am I not playing? What's happening?' If you know you are not playing like he has been playing regularly at Southampton then it can take its toll.
"It is going to be difficult but I'm sure Arsenal have got faith in him and he will come through. He should just be patient, train hard and make sure his attitude is right and if he is good enough as everyone is saying, then Arsene will give him his chance."
