Birmingham City can put their EPL woes temporarily behind them as they have a Wembley final to which to look forward after this week’s dramatic extra-time Carling Cup semi-final victory at St Andrews.

The win proved a welcome boost/distraction, as manager Alex McLeish’s men were steamrollered at 5-0 Old Trafford last Saturday by a resurgent Manchester United.

Birmingham trailed by two goals on aggregate to the Hammers at half-time. But a stirring comeback inspired by McLeish’s introduction of lanky frontman Nikola Zigic saw them to a 3-1 victory.

The Blues’ forays into the transfer market this month have proven unsuccessful and controversial, with the board under-fire for not spending transfer cash and, paradoxically, for the club’s poor financial position.

They look set to bring in Aston Villa defender Curtis Davies for either £3.5m or £1.5m plus midfielder Sebastian Larsson.

And they reportedly agreed a £6m fee with Tottenham for out-of-favour striker Robbie Keane before refusing his wage demands.

However, Keane insisted he was never interested in the move - branding it a “publicity stunt,” which acting-chair Peter Pannu angrily denied.

Blues also failed in a £600,000 bid for striker Kenny Miller from McLeish’s old club Rangers, the 31-year-old choosing to join Turkish outfit Bursaspor.

The club’s latest accounts, however, state that Blues need a multi-million pound cash injection from their owners, even if they were to avoid relegation from the EPL.

Birmingham host fellow midlanders Coventry City from the Football League championship in the FA Cup fourth round this Saturday.