Colin Doyle can't wait for Birmingham City's battle

Apr 17 2009 By Colin Tattum

"And I have played in the Championship before with Birmingham and when I was on-loan to Millwall and Nottingham Forest.

"It's not that it's going to be knew to me. I think I've played about 30 or 40 games in the division.

"It's going to be a tough game for us, it's going to be difficult but it's one I'm actually looking forward to because it's my first league game in a long while."

Doyle, a hero of Blues last promotion-winning campaign in 2007, said the mood at Wast Hills was excellent, and the players were focused on the task in hand.

Closest rivals Sheffield United are away at Burnley on Monday, while Cardiff City go to Preston North End tomorrow.

Cardiff (at Charlton Athletic) and Reading (at Derby County) then play their games in hand on Tuesday.

"If we get the win it would be fantastic because then that would put a bit of pressure on Sheffield United when they go to Burnley," said Ireland international Doyle.

"If they don't get a result we could be in a position a week Saturday against Preston when we could go up.

"It would be nice to have that situation but at Birmingham we don't always seem to do things the easy way, and we shouldn't get too far ahead of ourselves, we have to take care of tomorrow first."

As to whether Blues have under-achieved, Doyle responded: "I think obviously some of the fans think that we should be up there and ahead of Wolves.

"It's a tough league. It's not like the Premier League where Manchester United are playing - and no disrespect - West Brom and think 'yes, we will win that easy' - and do.

"Here, in this league, when top play bottom, bottom can win it. There's so little between each team. And with it being pretty much two games every week, it's demanding on the lads as well.

"If you had said at the start of the season that we were a point above everyone else going into the last three games, in second place, the lads would have taken it. The fans too probably.

"There is a buzz about the lads around the training ground, there is a feeling that we can do it.

"The last few games we've played quite well.

"We're unbeaten in eight as well, which is good, and two of those games were with a man sent-off.

"We have to take it into Saturday. Watford, their manager came in and got them out of the relegation scrap and they are playing quite well.

"At home as well, I think they are quite a good team. But it's down to us to show what we can do, and we will be going all out for the win."