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Neil Lennon admits his Wanderers side face a tough test when Birmingham City visit the Macron Stadium tonight but is sure his players will be up for the challenge.
The Blues are unbeaten on the road in the Championship this season and a third consecutive victory against QPR on Saturday saw Gary Rowett's side end the weekend in fourth and just four points behind leaders Brighton.
But Lennon is backing his team to bounce back from their defeat in the Lancashire derby at Burnley.
The Whites boss said: "The players will be up for it.
"Birmingham have had a good start and are a good team.
"Gary is a good manager and put his own stamp on things very quickly.
"And the players there have responded to him.
"I am not sure he has spent a great deal of money so in that aspect he is doing a fantastic job and it will be a test for us."
Lennon is not alone in his admiration for Rowett's team with former Wanderer Paul Robinson also confident the Blues can sustain a challenge for promotion this season.
Robinson, who spent three years at the Macron Stadium after initially joining on loan from West Brom, netted City's equaliser against QPR on Saturday – his first league goal for the club and first for almost eight years in the Championship.
And he believes the squad at St Andrews can provide a fourth promotion of his career.
The 36-year-old told the Birmingham Mail: "I definitely see the characteristics of some of my previous promotion sides in this one.
“I see the mix in this side that I’ve seen in other promotion-winning sides I’ve played in.
“I’ve played with some top-class players and these players here are showing what they can do week in and week out – and they’re proving people wrong and enjoying their football.
“We’ve got some great togetherness this year and it looks like we can do something. It’s a great feeling, we’ve got a great mix.
“It is still early on and we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. The gaffer will always remind us of that.
“We have got a great group of players anyway who will take each game as it comes. We are very professional.
“At 36 a promotion would be a fantastic achievement for me and if we get to the Premier League I’d like one more year. It’d be more coaching though!”
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The Blues are unbeaten on the road in the Championship this season and a third consecutive victory against QPR on Saturday saw Gary Rowett's side end the weekend in fourth and just four points behind leaders Brighton.
But Lennon is backing his team to bounce back from their defeat in the Lancashire derby at Burnley.
The Whites boss said: "The players will be up for it.
"Birmingham have had a good start and are a good team.
"Gary is a good manager and put his own stamp on things very quickly.
"And the players there have responded to him.
"I am not sure he has spent a great deal of money so in that aspect he is doing a fantastic job and it will be a test for us."
Lennon is not alone in his admiration for Rowett's team with former Wanderer Paul Robinson also confident the Blues can sustain a challenge for promotion this season.
Robinson, who spent three years at the Macron Stadium after initially joining on loan from West Brom, netted City's equaliser against QPR on Saturday – his first league goal for the club and first for almost eight years in the Championship.
And he believes the squad at St Andrews can provide a fourth promotion of his career.
The 36-year-old told the Birmingham Mail: "I definitely see the characteristics of some of my previous promotion sides in this one.
“I see the mix in this side that I’ve seen in other promotion-winning sides I’ve played in.
“I’ve played with some top-class players and these players here are showing what they can do week in and week out – and they’re proving people wrong and enjoying their football.
“We’ve got some great togetherness this year and it looks like we can do something. It’s a great feeling, we’ve got a great mix.
“It is still early on and we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. The gaffer will always remind us of that.
“We have got a great group of players anyway who will take each game as it comes. We are very professional.
“At 36 a promotion would be a fantastic achievement for me and if we get to the Premier League I’d like one more year. It’d be more coaching though!”
Source
