Birmingham City defender Christoph Klarer discusses sense of expectation at the club amid promotion push
Christoph Klarer of Birmingham City
Skipper Christoph Klarer has spoken about dealing with big expectations at Birmingham City as they chase a place in the Premier League.
The Blues are gunning for back-to-back promotions after last season’s title-winning triumph in League One. They currently sit just outside the Championship play-off spots, but the race for a top-six finish is incredibly tight.
Klarer and his teammates have not been beaten in any competition since January 1. But with the club’s ambitions under owners Knighthead no secret and standards being set high, the defender admits “things can get unpleasant” with any dip in form.
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“If you don’t win three times, things get unpleasant here,” Klarer told Austrian publication Sport Krone. “We had to get used to the new competition. For a newly-promoted team, our record is still strong.”
He added: “There’s a lot of pressure on my shoulders. I take responsibility and can only demand things that I exemplify myself. I’m constantly learning and developing as a person.”
A hectic fixture schedule in the second tier comes with its own challenges. Chris Davies’ 10th-placed side are two points below the play-off places after Saturday’s 2-1 win over Leicester City, but they have little time for respite as they are back in action on Tuesday with a visit from West Bromwich Albion.
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Speaking prior to the game against the Foxes, Klarer said: “Physically and mentally, it’s been very intense lately. You’re constantly under pressure, you have to deliver. When you have three matches scheduled in seven days, you don’t train much; it’s mostly about recovery.
“It’s about who wants it more, who comes through the intense weeks injury free. You have to be fully focused.”
It is also about dealing with some typical British weather. Klarer quipped of the incessant rain: “We laugh about it, make jokes. But the weather can really get to you.”
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