Sunday is supposedly the day of rest, right?

Day of agony or ecstasy more like. But let's not go there, much has been said and written about Blues destiny, can they do it and if they don't, what the hell has gone wrong?

We will deal with all that next week. For now, some light relief.

As you will have possibly read in my colleagues blogs, the Midlands football writers gathered for a very social lunch the other day in Dorridge.

Alex McLeish and Andy Watson sat next to Trevor Francis and swapped much chit-chat re Blues. Terry Westley was a couple of seats down, too.

All it needed was for Steve Bruce to pop in from his pad around the corner and there could have been quite some pow-wow.

McLeish was among the last to leave and created a very good impression with the writers, many of whom still aren't quite sure how he ticks.

In turn, I think he has been quite wary about the hacks having landed on a new patch somewhat less frenzied than Glasgow.

Beatles or Stones? Blur or Oasis? Coe or Ovett? Federer or Nadal? Georgie Thompson or Kirsty Gallacher?

We all have our favourites when it comes to rivalries (OK, one of the above is not really a rivalry but gratuitous, yet what the hey).

So, where do you stand on Steve Bruce v Alex McLeish?

There's a debate going on at the moment fuelled by Bruce securing Wigan Athletic's Premier League status and Blues current position under McLeish.

One newspaper said that Blues should eat humble pie for cashing in on Bruce to the tune of £3 million. By
inference, the suggestion was that McLeish wasn't a patch on him.

Needless to say, it didn't go down well in the corridors of power at St Andrew's, Essex and Surrey. And McLeish was hardly chuffed.

The pro-Bruce arguments are that he has worked his magic to turn round Wigan's fortunes. He was able to rouse Blues to secure 'must win' games this season too. And Wigan were second-from-bottom when
he took over. No doubt, he has done a superb job.

His track record, over six years at St Andrew's, was good. The blot was relegation and the Liverpool 7-0 (it still makes you shudder) but he will always be held in high regard in years to come for what he did for the club.

And I will always maintain that to haul Blues out of the Championship given the circumstances and incredible pressure at the first attempt was an achievement that has never been given the credit it truly deserves.

You could argue that Bruce knew what he was doing when he got out, that the Blues team he put together under financial constraints was always going to struggle.

And he admitted as much to McLeish after Wigan beat Blues.

He also saw the writing on the wall with regard to the Carson Yeung farce. And, after so long, he knew it was probably time for a change, especially when the board's eyes lit up at the thought of a £3 million 'transfer' fee.

At Wigan, you could also say he inherited more quality, more know-how and more strength - as was shown at the JJB Stadium when Blues were nailed good and proper.

Blues were only three points ahead of Wigan when he went there, and the 'must win' games, earlier in
the season, didn't have nearly as much riding on them than those recently at the business end of the
campaign.

Hands up, then, who has taken more than a passing interest in the Championship the last couple of weeks?

Have you bothered to find out what time the Championship goals are screened on ITV on Sunday mornings?

Or even looked at who is coming up from League One?

After so much cautious optimism that Blues 'will just about be OK', when they've played Chelsea off the park, upset Arsenal, beaten Spurs and Manchester City, the mood has changed.

Most people are steeling themselves for another slog in the division from whence Blues have just come.

Alex McLeish and his players are making the right noises, that there is still a chance. And there is. But what else are they supposed to say?

Should the worst happen and Blues be relegated, then that's the time for inquests. And it could be a very stormy summer all told as disillusionment with the board continues to grow.

But now's not the time for the fingers of blame to be pointed.

Blues have to win at home to Blackburn Rovers on Sunday (although they could get away with a draw) and hope results elsewhere fall their way.

Trouble is Reading are at Derby County, now officially the worst Premier League team ever. And Fulham could get the matador treatment from FA Cup finalists Portsmouth.

At least Blues are at St Andrew's. They are they a Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde team, home and away.

"People form opinions, it's like art: one person likes a piece, another doesn't."

So says Daniel de Ridder.

Commenting on being out in the cold at St Andrew's, the winger has been fairly philosophical.

And there's something about Dutch players, isn't there? They are always very articulate and won't shy away from airing an opinion.

Yet there have been a few misconceptions about the interview de Ridder gave to the Birmingham Mail.

It wasn't an 'outburst', or a hatchet job on Alex McLeish. Neither was he trying to rock the boat at such a crucial stage of the season.

Primarily it was in response to what he feels is a misconception among some fans: that he is idling his time away on the treatment table.

He's fit, available, reckons he can contribute, but he's simply not to the manager's liking.

McLeish today outlined his reasons for choosing others ahead of him, and de Ridder is sure to be seen elsewhere next season.

McLeish has handled the situation sensibly and calmly.

Tickly bit, squeaky bum time . . . call it what you will, but I doubt if anyone can adequately sum up exactly what Blues are about to face.

A point at Fulham is a minimum requirement. If not, then Blues could be relegated, depending on other results.

Victory is really what's needed to keep the pressure on going into the final Sunday of the season.

It's a tall order, let's not shy away from the truth.

One win in 18 league and cup away matches, one in 12 away since Alex McLeish's arrival - his debut match, at Spurs - the statistics are pretty grim.

Still, funny things do happen at this time of year, and Fulham have just complete successive away victories for the first time since wisps of hair started to appear on Jimmy Hill's chinny chin chin (well, it must have seemed like that).

Blues will have to quickly get over letting a two-goal lead slip against Liverpool and concentrate on what's ahead.

McLeish is a huge believer in being positive, thinking optimistically about what the possibilities might be rather than dragging people down by fearing the worst.

And if Blues had been 2-0 adrift to the Reds and come back, then maybe the rest of us might not have such a sense or foreboding right now.

In many respects, it was not a surprise last Saturday. Blues have let Sunderland, Reading, Derby County and Newcastle United off the hook before at St Andrew's.

I don't think I've ever seen or heard so many Blues fans as crushed, shocked and angry - all rolled into one - than in the aftermath of the Villa Park humiliation.

Everyone you meet or talk to feels the same, and the emails fired off to the Birmingham Mail and comments posted on Internet message boards show clearly the strength of feeling.

The reasons for Blues tonking have been dissected at length elsewhere and, when the summer is here, that's the time for steps to be taken to ensure it never happens again.

And let's be honest here, those who have followed Blues regularly away from home will tell you that in some ways a pasting like Sunday's was inevitable.

Blues are a completely different team when they are not at St Andrew's. Meek, unassertive, shown up for pace and quality and easy to score against; on bad away days that's them in a nutshell. The Villa result could easily have been the Wigan result.

For now, though, the focus has to be on the remaining three games and showing professional pride and the strength of character to get the points needed.

Liverpool at home, Fulham away, Blackburn home; no matter who the opponents are, it's all about Blues and how they impose themselves and show a force of will and personality.

Sure, a splodge of luck here and there is probably going to be needed.

And you just hope, for everyone's sake, the referees do not become the talking point.

Here we go again.

Villa Park. April. Blues under threat of relegation.

At least Gary Cahill isn't around this time. Mind, he should have been, in a Blues shirt. But that's for another time.

Villa effectively tipped Blues over the edge in 2006 with that 3-1 win. It was Blues only defeat in a seven-game spell at the business end of the season.

Matthew Upson limped to the dressing room after rupturing his Achilles tendon in the warm-up, starting a sorry afternoon for Blues.

Even though Chris Sutton (remember him?) equalised for Blues, Cahill produced his amazing volley and Blues were done for.

On Sunday, Villa will be looking for the same sort of end result no doubt.

If Villa click, Blues could be in for a difficult time.

But two years ago, you sensed it was not quite right with Blues. They had talented individuals - when fit - but the collective will and leadership was lacking.

The present group may not be all singing and dancing, but they have heart and as long as they don't let Villa set the tone, they could well spring a surprise.

Olivier Kapo should be available and with Mauro Zarate capable of the unexpected, as well as James McFadden, Villa will have to respect Blues defensively.

I would start Cameron Jerome up front because his pace and power is unsettling and Blues need a player of his ilk for an outlet ball and to stretch the play.

Villa go into the derby as clear favourites but Blues revel in the underdogs tag and, with their Premier
League status on the line, won't give anything up easily, as they have shown all season.

It could be quite an affair - and it wouldn't be Villa-Blues if there wasn't some sort of twist, would it?

Had some interesting correspondence in the last couple of days with David Sullivan and Alex McLeish.

The Blues directors are at a loss to explain why only 5,000 supporters have renewed season tickets, despite a 10 per cent discount, before the deadline passed.

It became a talking point when Derby County claimed 19,000 were backing them in the Championship next season.

Sullivan asked for the thoughts of a handful of people, including myself and BRMB head of sport Tom Ross.

McLeish was copied in on the several emails that were exchanged and added his bit.

Those people imagining Karren Brady furtively slipping an agent a brown envelope stuffed with money at a Motorway service station somewhere on the M40 will be disappointed today.

Similarly, images of David Sullivan popping down to Stringfellows from his Essex mansion with a wad full of cash for a star player can be scrubbed.

The pair were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting.

They went to Bishopsgate Police Station, east London, by prior arrangement - there were no dawn raids on their homes - questioned for five-and-a-half hours and released on bail.

But the police investigations are not centred around illegal payments or 'bungs', whatever you want to call it.

It is, to quote Sullivan, 'a complicated tax matter'.

Further to the sensational developments at Blues, we bring you the detail and background in today's Birmingham Mail.

It makes fascinating reading too as this is not an issue about 'bungs', and the club directors are furious that they have been implicated.