Soul searching shows Forssell the way back for Birmingham

Mikael Forssell keeps a diary. Every day he tries to record not only his own routine but also the feelings that infiltrate a mind obsessed with football. Forssell finds it fascinating to analyse his mental state when life is not quite going to plan, which means there has buy canada goose jacket online canada been no shortage of material for the Birmingham City striker’s memoirs over the past 18 months.

“I think it’s good to see what kind of feelings a person has when things aren’t going well,” says Forssell. “I think in every negative there is also a positive side. I’m getting deep now,” he adds, smiling at his own beliefs. “But that’s the thing in life – any person, if any bad things happen and you can take something out of it and turn it into a good thing, that’s when you are winning.”

Neither Birmingham nor Forssell have done much of that recently. Having fought back from a career-threatening injury, the Finn now finds himself embroiled in a relegation battle. That was not the plan when he swapped Stamford Bridge for St Andrew’s in a 3m transfer last summer. Only a few months earlier Forssell had appeared for Chelsea in a Champions League quarter-final.

For Birmingham, though, the threat canada goose coat 1000 bulbs garland of relegation is pervasive. Embedded in the bottom three since October, they take on Tottenham Hotspur at home this evening seeking to lift the gloom that engulfed St Andrew’s following last related site Saturday’s insipid display against West Bromwich Albion. Not that the supporters’ mood has darkened the thoughts of Forssell, whose positive approach makes you wonder whether he has even looked at the league table.

“I think performances will start changing if you start thinking about relegation,” he says. “I think you start being afraid and fear is not the answer. buy canada canada goose coat 1000 calorie goose jacket online cheap You have to be confident. I don’t mean arrogant in not realising the situation. Yes, we do understand [that there is a prospect of relegation] but the feeling has to be genuine that we want to make it better. And I think one thing is to keep your calmness and particularly your composure in a situation like berlin film festival ends canada goose jacket sponsorship amid this.”

Those were canada goose coat 1000 calorie diet among the qualities that Forssell demonstrated when he arrived at Birmingham on loan in the 2003-04 season. He scored 17 league goals in 32 appearances that term and much to the delight of all at St Andrew’s extended his stay for another year. However, a serious knee injury wrecked last season and has had a serious impact on this troubled campaign.

Although Forssell has scored five in his last nine appearances his tally in the Premiership stands at two, both penalties. That miserable return sums up Birmingham’s frailties in front of goal this season. Forssell acknowledges “scoring goals has been one of the problems” and admits “I have to look at myself”. Birmingham are looking in his direction too.

With 10 league games remaining there is a feeling that if the 25-year-old striker can recapture best place to buy a canada goose jacket his form of old, survival will follow. He is comfortable with the level of expectation. “I don’t feel pressure because I always put the biggest pressure on myself,” insists Forssell. “I am looking to score a hat-trick in every game. That’s the striker’s mentality you have to have.”

Despite a series of minor setbacks Forssell believes he buying cheap canada goose outlet jacket online is “close” to his peak physical condition of two seasons ago. He does, though, believe that he would be aided by authentic canada goose outlet online a change of approach that sees Birmingham play with greater imagination. “When we go forward we have to be a little bit more innovative and probably burlington coat factory canada goose coat play to people’s strengths a bit more,” he adds. “We have got good players but we have got to get the best out of them.”

That much will be imperative in the coming weeks as Birmingham embark on a crucial and demanding stage of the season that includes an FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool and more significantly league meetings with Manchester United and Chelsea. Not that Forssell is troubled. He has never written the word relegation in his diary because, he says: “I’ve always believed in not thinking pessimistically.”