Birmingham City great Paul Tait has backed the current Blues squad to survive a potential points deduction - but fears what effect a further transfer embargo would have.

The former midfielder, who played for the club for more than a decade in the 1980s and 90s, still goes home and away with Blues and is fulsome in his praise for the work done by Garry Monk and his close-knit squad.

However, with Blues set to learn their fate for alleged breaches Profitability and Sustainability regulations before the end of the month, Tait admits he is concerned by the prospect of the EFL sanction.

Not so much because of potential loss of points this season - but in case Monk has his hands tied for a third successive transfer window.

“This season is amazing, for the squad that we have got, the players have been playing through injury, I think it has brought them together through Garry Monk not being able to change the team,” Tait said.

“They are a proper unit, you can see that they all get on with each other, they are fighting for each other. The camaraderie between them is brilliant.

“We are not great when we have got the ball - but when we haven’t go the ball we are hard to beat.

Paul Tait

“We showed that with Bolton, any team that we have more possession against, we struggle.

“I think we have had one game this season where we have had more possession and won the game. Every other game we have won we have set our stall out and hit them on the break.

“We struggle because we haven’t got the creativity within the squad to open teams up.

“But I think I speak for a lot of Blues fans, I am delighted where we are with what we have got.

“I don’t think we are good enough to go up, I think the play-offs is out of our reach and the possible 12 point deduction will hit us.

Auto Windscreens Trophy.
Paul Tait after Birmingham City's victory
Paul Tait after Birmingham City's Auto Windscreens Trophy victory

“But there’s nothing you can do about that. Garry Monk is doing a fantastic job and the crowds we are getting have been the best for years and the away crowds have been the best for years. It’s a positive time to be a Birmingham City fan.”

But Tait admits, there must always be a ‘but’: “With the 12 point deduction potentially coming - that’s what it’s like being a Birmingham City fan.

“When things are going well there’s always something around the corner to knock us back down.

“But we will get back up and we will keep on fighting because that’s what we have always done.

“Even with a deduction I wouldn’t worry too much about the squad this season.

“If they hit us with an embargo and a 12-point deduction then that will hit us a bit harder because we can’t offer people like Morrison and anyone else out of contract who we want to keep.

“We have only got a small squad, a few injuries and we are down to our bare bones.

“It’s very reminiscent of the 80s when clubs didn’t have big squads and they had to utilise everything they have got.

“Blues’ players are playing their hearts out and Garry Monk has got them playing that way.

“He’s very good at team building and his man-management skills are working, they seem to be all on board with him which is fantastic.”

Birmingham City TV fixtures

GettyImages-477251325.jpg

Bristol City v Birmingham City

Friday, February 7, (7.45pm) - Sky Sports Football