What Lee Bowyer has told Birmingham City players, new contracts and Tahith Chong update

Lee Bowyer held talks with Manchester United earlier today to discuss a potential new loan deal for Tahith Chong next season. The winger is back after his recent hamstring struggles and the Birmingham City boss wants the Dutchman back for a full campaign next term.

Bowyer, 45, held his pre-Cardiff City media briefing from Wast Hills this afternoon and he's everything he told the broadcasters.

Yeah, when players perform the way they did it showed good character, good spirit and, most importantly, they care. Around the training ground this week, it's been the same.

I've just said to the players there, it's takes a lot of courage for what you've done (vs Millwall). It could have easily gone the other way but they understand that for their own pride, you know. It's been a good week.

Yeah. And again, what I've reminded the players this morning is that you play for your own pride because you've got two games to go and people are always watching. You're always being judged. If you do well in the next two games, we have players who are out of contract [Pedersen, Bela, Jutkiewicz, Trueman, plus loanees Taylor, Richards, Hernandez, Mengi, Chong] and it could get them a move somewhere else.

We've also got players who have a year or two left and they want to extend their contract. We've got young players who are always being judged and watched because the bigger clubs want to take the younger players. The most important thing is to play with pride. You can easily go the other way and say, 'Ah, the season's finished' and just tick over. When it comes to match day and, if you have that winning mentality and that fight in your belly, that should never happen.

There's been a lot of positives from this season. Sheffield United away,