McLEISH: NO NEED TO PANIC

McLeish - hoping to bounce back.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish insists his side have already moved on from their first defeat of the season and are ready to continue their fine early-season league form.

McLeish's Blues bowed out of the Carling Cup at the second-round stage after slipping to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Coca-Cola Championship rivals Southampton in midweek.

But with nine points from three matches, they are the only team to boast a 100% record in the second tier.

The former Scotland boss was disappointed with his players after the defeat at St Mary's but believes important lessons have been learnt ahead of their trip to Norwich on Saturday.

"We went over a few things from the game at Southampton, we've put it to bed and had a very bright training session and now we look forward," he told the club's official website, www.blues.co.uk.

"There were things we needed to address, no doubt about it, but it will make players stronger to have gone over it again and to make sure we don't take our foot off the pedal again.

"It's a lesson and a wee warning that we can never cut off the commitment levels that we put in to get us where we are just now in the league.

"Therefore I would say to the Birmingham fans after the result the other night, don't panic."

Barnsley boss Simon Davey is also facing an important day as his struggling Tykes look to record their first victory of the season, having accumulated an unwanted 100% record of their own, losing each of their four matches.

Despite the poor form of last season's FA Cup giant-killers, Davey has denied reports he has just three matches to save his job.

"I don't read the papers, as far as I'm concerned I just get on with my job," said Davey, whose team host Derby tomorrow.

"I speak to (owner) Patrick Cryne on a daily basis and have definitely not been given that ultimatum."

Under-pressure Derby boss Paul Jewell has also been offered support, with chairman Adam Pearson insisting the Rams' lacklustre start to the season had not jeopardised the manager's position.

"In my view, that's inaccurate - I don't know where that's come from," Pearson told BBC Radio Derby.

"I don't know a chairman in the world who puts a number of games on it - it's something made up in the press."

Wolves, Preston and Bristol City are all currently on seven points, two behind Birmingham, and all three have home ties as they look to move clear in second.

At Molineux, Wolves host Nottingham Forest, Preston welcome Charlton to Deepdale and QPR visit City.

Meanwhile, two of the league's bottom three, Burnley and Plymouth, meet at Turf Moor.

Tomorrow's fixtures also include Watford's home clash with Ipswich, Swansea's match against Sheffield Wednesday at the Liberty Stadium, Southampton against Blackpool at St Mary's, Cardiff's trip to Sheffield United, Crystal Palace's clash with Reading at the Madejski Stadium and the visit of Coventry to Doncaster.