Alex McLeish has revealed the Birmingham City board told him during discussions about the manager's job that they were confident Carson Yeung's takeover would not go through.

As the final nail was hammered into the buyout's coffin yesterday morning, with a typically tersely worded statement to the London Stock Exchange, McLeish conceded he took a calculated risk when he decided to succeed Steve Bruce in the St Andrew's hot-seat.

While he could not disclose the detail of those negotiations at the time, when concerns over the future were enough for Bruce to walkaway from the club, yesterday's developments mean he is now able to lift the lid on those talks.

The Scot welcomed the news that stability had been restored to Birmingham, he also admitted his decision to move to the Midlands had been something of a gamble.

"It [the takeover] was a part of the interviewing process that we cleared up," he said. "I was pretty satisfied with the answers I got. It was quite good odds if you were a betting man.

"When I had the meeting with them there were things they told me that I could not reveal publicly. Now everyone knows what's happened, those talks were part of the reason for me coming here, they were important.

"I was given the impression at that time it wouldn't go through and I based my acceptance on that."

He also expressed his enthusiasm for the future and the prospect of working with the directors who employed him.

With the removal of Yeung's shadow, McLeish is now in a position to make changes to a Birmingham squad he accepts needs an infusion of quality.

Maik Taylor and Damien Johnson apart, Blues have a young and relatively inexperienced line-up that will need fortification ahead of the scrap for Premier League survival.

McLeish can bring that about when the transfer window opens in January and claims he has already highlighted some of the men he wants to bring in.

"We are trying to get players in that we really know and have done a fair bit of research on," he said. "If we can add three or four players it should make us stronger.

"I don't think there's any hard and fast limit. It's a case of me saying to David, Karren or the chairman 'I would like to get that player, he will make us better' if we can guarantee that I am sure we will get the backing within reason."

The chances of his former Scotland players James McFadden, Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller joining him at the English St Andrew's seem slim, however.

McLeish will look to bolster a defence that will be left short-handed when Johan Djourou returns to Arsenal on January 2 and may even look for another goalkeeper.

He will free up room in his squad and money in the bank by selling midfielder Neil Danns, as well as centre half Martin Taylor.

McLeish revealed yesterday he has told Danns he should look for first team football, possibly at League One Nottingham Forest.

Neil Kilkenny will also be free to go if Oldham Athletic want to take him permanently and fellow loan player Sone Aluko will be allowed to remain at Aberdeen. Rowan Vine's future will be clarified when McLeish meets his agent.

McLeish takes his team to Bolton Wanderers tomorrow and he will have to do without the suspended Liam Ridgewell, which means a return to the captaincy for Damien Johnson - and Stuart Paranaby, who has picked up a foot injury.

Djourou is fit again, however and Radhi Jaidi could be set for a first Premier League start in more than three months.