Birmingham City v Barnsley: ‘Time to stop your belly-aching,’ Hill tells peers

Hill has eight players unavailable for today’s trip to Birmingham City but will rely on fringe or youth team players instead of entering the loan market.

“I have not asked to strengthen because I am more than prepared to work with the players I have available,” he said.

“I am sick of hearing about managers who just want to recruit and don’t want to work with the players they have got,” he added. “They have bigger and better squads but they are still belly-aching all the time.

“I want to work with and develop they players I have got and I have no fear of giving those players opportunities.”

Youngsters including Danny Rose, Jordan Clark, Alistair Taylor and Reuben Noble-Lazarus could all figure in today’s game at St Andrews which Hill admits will offer a ‘tough examination’.

The Blues, relegated last season despite winning the Carling Cup, are level on points with Barnsley but have a game in hand. “It will be a huge challenge,” said Hill. “They will expect to beat us but we will have to play on that.”

Hill says Blues supporters were wrong to vilify former manager Alex McLeish over his decision to join arch-rivals Aston Villa in the summer but is a big admirer of his replacement Chris Hughton.

“He shouldn’t have been ridiculed or alienated by either set of supporters,” said Hill. “He did everything he could to bring success for Birmingham and he will do the same at Aston Villa. He simply chose to leave for a better opportunity.”

On Hughton, Hill said: “What happened at Newcastle was unfair and unfounded. He is a man of integrity who also happens to be a very good football manager. I have a lot of respect and admiration for him.”

Only top two Southampton and Middlesbrough have beaten Barnsley in the Championship this season.

“There was an over-reaction to those two defeats and that over-reaction dented my confidence a bit,” admitted Hill.

“It probably dented the confidence of the players, too, but we are getting that back. I will bet anyone a pint that those two finish in the top six this season!”

Barnsley and Leicester City have been fined £5,000 each by the Football Association after admitting a charge of failing to control their players during a scuffle between several players in the Championship game at Oakwell two weeks ago.