'Bring in people' - Lee Bowyer lays out Birmingham City improvement plan

With Championship safety all but guaranteed going into the Easter weekend programme, Lee Bowyer believes Birmingham City have "steadied the ship" but have to be better in the attack to make real progress up the table.

Blues face Coventry City at St Andrew's on Good Friday knowing victory over the Sky Blues would guarantee their place in the second tier for another season. Indeed Blues have five games remaining to secure the three points that would end even the tiny amount of doubt which requires 22nd-placed Barnsley to win out and Blues to pick up less than three points.

With attention not yet completely on next term Bowyer has been casting his eye over a campaign in which injuries have blighted his squad and consistency has been hard to come by. But he has not given up hope of improving on last season's 18th spot which would underline the progress he insists he sees.

"I think we have been in a bad place for a few years at this club, this season I think we have steadied the ship, we have not been in a relegation fight," Bowyer said. "Then it will be looking ahead to next season, can we now close the gap even more and move higher up the league.

"I think we would have been higher, that's just my opinion, but certain things didn't go our way, we have had a bit of bad luck off the field - and on the field with a lot of big decisions. Some people say it evens itself out, I haven't seen that this season but hopefully it does next.

"I wouldn't even know where to start with decisions, penalties that have been given against us, penalties that have not been given for us, there is so many decisions, so many apologies we have received. I just hope it evens itself out next season because it cannot happen again next season, not the