Fit to be Tied
By: Stephen |
2 Comments
Folks sorry about not getting the match report sooner to you, but life is busy. Anyway, it seemed like a confusing game. Err, sorry match. You’ll see what I mean by what the gaffer said in his post game talk with the media. The Blues went 1-1 against Burnley. Stupid result, we should have won.
Blues: Maik Taylor, Seb Larsson, David Murphy, Martin Taylor, Liam Ridgewell, Scott Sinclair, Lee Bowyer, Lee Carsley, Hameur Bouazza (Carlos Costly 63), Cameron Jerome (Keith Fahey 74), Kevin Phillips.
Subs (not used): Franck Queudrue, Damien Johnson, Colin Doyle.
Goal: Phillips (37)
Bookings: Bowyer (71), Ridgewell (74)
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Graham Alexander, Rhys Williams, Christian Kalvenes, Mike Duff, Steve Caldwell, Martin Paterson (Jay Rodriguez 85), Wade Elliott, Chris McCann, Robbie Blake (Chris Eagles 77), Steven Thompson.
Subs (not used): Kevin McDonald, Joey Gudjonsson,, Diego Penny.
Goal: Paterson (3)
Bookings: Kalvenes (76)
Referee: K Stroud (Hamps)
Attendance: 17,763
Ok now that we have out of the way, can I tell you that Kevin Phillips is a God around here! He scored with 37 minutes to tied it up. Now that should have been first of many goals for the team. But it wasn’t.
From the club’s website, direct from Alex’s mouth:
“But we got the goal through perseverance and you have to give credit to Phillips and we did tell the players before the game to chase down every pass back, although Kev would have done that anyway.
“We also had a very valid penalty claim, Scott Sinclair performed a terrific manouvre in the box, he baffled the defender who put his foot in and not only that but he dragged him down by the neck.
“I don’t know what we have to do to get a penalty this season, we’ve had two or three that have been stonewall but not been given.”
So next onto Forrest, ah the team which still moans on about it’s history. Most of that happened before some of their supporters were born. Anyway, more on that in the preview.
Category: Birmingham Team News
Injury Updates
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During my lunch break I figured it would be a great thing to write another blog about our favorite team in Blue. From the website: Striker James McFadden is out of action for up to two months with his knee injury.
The gaffer went onto say: “Eight weeks is the target for James,” “No surgery is required though, thankfully. ”
McLeish also confirmed that right back Stuart Parnaby faces up to a month on the sidelines with a thigh problem he picked up last weekend at Sheffield Wednesday.
But we have a middie coming back from injury. Gary McSheffrey is back from his injury and is in training right now.
Category: Birmingham Team NewsStephen Kelly gone, well til end of season.
By: Stephen | 1 Comment
Once again, sitting here at work checking all my sites, and I see someone is leaving the Blues again! Stephen Kelly has joined Premier League side Stoke City on loan until the end of the season. 
And in other news around the ground, The Blues have received international clearance for Hunduran Striker Carlos Costly (great name) who is on a half season loan from Polish outfit GKS Belchatow for a loan fee of £500,000.
Category: Birmingham Team NewsCold Weather.
By: Stephen | 1 Comment
From the club’s website: Blues can confirm that tomorrow night’s game at Crystal Palace has been postponed due to adverse weather conditions. The match, which was due to kick off at 8pm on Tuesday (3 February), is now provisionally pencilled in to take place on Saturday 14 February (kick-off 3pm) IF Nottingham Forest progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup.
As your fellow blogger knows, living in the arctic Upstate New York climate, I feel your pain. Maybe this would be a match to have the teams play on Footy Manager 09.
Category: Birmingham Team NewsFit to Tie Sheffield Tuesday err Wednesday
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FULL-TIME WEDNESDAY 1 BLUES 1
credit the club’s website:
Wednesday: Lee Grant, Tommy Spurr, Marcus Tudgay, Darren Potter, Mark Beevers, Richard Wood (C), James O’Connor, Leon Clarke, Michael Gray, Lewis Buxton, Jermaine Johnson (Wade Small 83). Unused subs: Richard Hinds, Steve Watson, Sean McAllister, Luke Boden.
Goal: Lewis Buxton 57
Blues: Maik Taylor, Stuart Parnaby (Seb Larsson 68), Liam Ridgewell, Martin Taylor, David Murphy, Scott Sinclair, Lee Bowyer, Lee Carsley (Keith Fahey 73), Hameur Bouazza, Kevin Phillips, Cameron Jerome (Marcus Bent 80). Unused subs: Colin Doyle, Damien Johnson.
Booked: Martin Taylor 59, David Murphy 89
Goal: Kevin Phillips 90(+3)
Referee: Phil Crossley
Attendance: 18,409
I wanted to copy that, because the club does an amazing job on match reports, and as many times as I can credit them I will.
First and foremost, we need to score more. Maybe when newboy Costly plays the Blues can score more. However, Kevin Phillips scoring is always good!
Hameur Bouazza in the photo.
What did the gaffer say about the match? Again from the website: “The equaliser was the least we deserved. We were really on the front foot today, played with width and a high tempo and got plenty of balls into the box from wide positions.”
“We created several chances – shots from Bouazza and Jerome which went inches wide of target are just a couple that spring immediately to mind.”
“We wanted to build on the Derby result and we did that. I wanted us to be attack-minded and take the game to Sheffield Wednesday and that’s how we played. If you create enough chances over a period of time you usually end up scoring goals. We haven’t scored enough of late but I’m pleased we got what we deserved today.”
Category: Birmingham Team NewsStaying the Same
By: Stephen | 3 Comments
Well, I wish in the Championship that a win could equal four points if you wore blue. But such isn’t the case, so the Blues are still 3rd. The Blues beat Derby 1-0, on a Lee Carsley goal in the 59th minute.
Blues: Maik Taylor, Seb Larsson, David Murphy, Martin Taylor, Liam Ridgewell, Hameur Bouazza, Lee Bowyer, Lee Carsley, Keith Fahey, Kevin Phillips (Scott Sinclair 76), James McFadden (Cameron Jerome 68).
Subs (from): Franck Queudrue, Damien Johnson, Colin Doyle.
Goal: Carsley (59)
Booking: Ridgewell, Bowyer
Derby: Stephen Bywater, Paul Connolly, Paul Green, Jordan Stewart, Kris Commons, Robbie Savage, Rob Hulse, Gary Teale (Emanuel Villa 63), Miles Addison, Nacer Barazite (Mile Sterjovski 73), Martin Albrechtsen.
Subs (from): Giles Barnes, Lewin Nyatanga, Roy Carroll.
Booking: Connolly (59)
Referee: G Salisbury (Lancs)
Attendance: 15,330
From the team’s website, Alex said after the match:
“It was a hugely important victory. Obviously after a dismal performance at the weekend, we would like to think that we’ll come out and play like Brazil tonight but I don’t think that was ever going to be the case.”
“You could see some nerves on show but I don’t think you could say the spirit or determination of the players wasn’t there and indeed the perseverance.”
Category: Birmingham Team NewsThe Eat Crow Blog
By: Stephen | Add Comments
I’m man enough, to admit that I shot my mouth off about this match, I deserve to eat as much crow as possible. I just felt that the Blues had enough to win, but apparently with as many changes as the gaffer made, it wasn’t possible for the club to win last night. Pffft, sorry, I should’ve known. But I do have a saying on my other blog, when I make a prediction, take the opposite because I’m always wrong.
On the club’s website Alex McLeish said: “We don’t want to have to keep saying this after games but we did start very well again today in the first 10 minutes or so and had a couple of chances. We needed one of them to break for us and the ball to end up in the back of the net, but that didn’t happen.” We need to score, that’s plain and simple.
Blues: Maik Taylor, Stuart Parnaby (Kevin Phillips 53), Radhi Jaidi, Liam Ridgewell, Franck Queudrue (Keith Fahey 64), Seb Larsson, Lee Bowyer, Lee Carsley (C), Scott Sinclair (James McFadden 46), Hameur Bouazza, Cameron Jerome. Unused subs: Colin Doyle, Martin Taylor.
Bookings: Maik Taylor 50
Blackpool: Paul Rachubka, Keith Southern (Claus Jorgensen 58), Ian Evatt, Roy O’Donovan (Graeme Owens 78), DJ Campbell, Gary Taylor-Fletcher, David Fox, Joe Martin (Stephen Crainey 84), Rob Edwards, Shaun Barker, Ian Harte. Unused subs: Matt Gilks, Daniel Nardiello.
Goals: Campbell 13, Southern 38
Bookings: Campbell 68
Sending off: Jorgensen 73
Referee: Steve Tanner
Attendance: 8,105 (1,431 Blues fans)
Training has to be better this week, per that crappy performance. However, the turnaround for the next match is pretty quick, per playing Derby on Tuesday.
Category: Birmingham Team NewsPlaying Blackpool
By: Stephen | 1 Comment
For some reason, I feel like playing Blackpool is a way to work out the kinks for the rest of the season. But as the gaffer said on the club’s website: “We don’t have a God-given right to beat anybody. ” Well we know, that God’s not a Blues supporter, because they’d have a much better history. Liverpool fans would think that God is a Scouser. (I hope not) I hope that our footballers take the mindset that it’s our game to win, and beat them by a lot.
Of course the last win for the Blues was on Boxing Day against Ipswich (1-0). And it’s always good for the Tractor Boys to lose. It’s not that I don’t like Ispwich, I just like the Blues to win. When Blues and Blackpool met at the Blues home pitch earlier this season it was Blackpool who came out on top with a 1-0 win courtesy of second half goal from Gary Taylor-Fletcher.
What does Birmingham need to do to win? Well outside of scoring, and stopping the other team from scoring, breaking Blackpool’s will.
I think we’ll win 1-0 with James McFadden with a goal in the second half.
Linked With?
By: Stephen | Add Comments
Once again, sitting here at work, just looking over the transfer speculation. And I’ll admit I’ve been happy with who the gaffer has brought in so far. I’d be happy if he stopped there, enough talent in, about is there anyone leaving?
Well, guess what, he’s looking to bring in a top defender from a Premiership Club. Birmingham are being linked with a move for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha. Not a bad player to be linked with. He’s not your great LB, OR RB, but he could look like a great one down in the Championship.
I was hoping there was more out there of him on Youtube, but I’ll take a random fan video of him.
So what do we know of Nedum, well not much outside of he’s played for Money Bags FC for a bit, and is quite good on FIFA and Footy Manager. Well, if you look around the internets, you’ll find this: He is also currently the co-national record holder for boys under 15 standing triple jump, in the Sports Hall events held annually throughout the UK, the record is held with international long jumper Jonathan Moore. Not too shabby.
He does have his own website too (or at least one with his name on it) http://www.nedumonuoha.net/
Category: Birmingham Team NewsBlues v Torchwood FC, err Cardiff
By: Stephen | 2 Comments
Blues: Maik Taylor, Stephen Kelly, Radhi Jaidi, David Murphy, Liam Ridgewell, Lee Bowyer, Scott Sinclair, Lee Carsley, Hameur Bouazza, Kevin Phillips, Cameron Jerome.
Subs from: Colin Doyle, Franck Queudrue, Keith Fahey, Seb Larsson, Marcus Bent.
Cardiff: Peter Enckelman, Kevin McNaughton, Gabor Gyepes, Roger Johnson, Mark Kennedy, Joe Ledley, Ross McCormack, Jay Bothroyd, Gavin Rae, Paul Parry, Peter Whittingham.
Subs from: Tom Heaton, Steve McPhail, Eddie Johnson, Chris Burke, Darcy Blake.
Referee: M Jones (Cheshire)
So the gaffer, was brilliant to bring in Lee Bowyer. His strike at 90+4 secured points for the Blues today against Torchwood FC, err Cardiff.
Cardiff’s Joe Ledley fired home a shot just before the hour mark to put Cardiff up 1-0. And that was about the time, I started getting worried. The Blues have brought in so many people this past week, so a slump was bound to happen. They just didn’t needed to lose to one of the many teams in football who don’t belong. I mean, come on, what has Cardiff City ever done. (Yeah I know they had an amazing run to Wembley last year, but save for that, they’re shit).
But of course, football is 90 minutes (plus whatever stopage time there is). I should know not to count out teams I report on, because it’s a foolhardy thing. I’m never right when it comes to giving up on my teams. However, it’s not about me, despite how many times I want it to be.
Well, a win is a win, and I’m sure Alex will take this one.
Attendance: 19,853
Category: Birmingham Team News
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