View from the South – Birmingham City v AFC Bournemouth

After a chilly week, Saturday morning promised so much more. A beautiful day beckoned and if the forecast was to be believed, temperatures of 20 degrees or more expected. I had intended to visit my elderly aunt and disabled cousin in Sutton Coldfield but a last minute check of my train times revealed a problem with signalling at Four Oaks meaning a cancellation. There was no way I could call in there and get back in time for the game realistically so that part of the plan was ditched. So it was that I met up with Chris at Coventry. We returned to Chris’s pub, The Oak at Baginton for a pint before setting off to St Andrews down the A45 accompanied by little Jack. We caught a bit of the lunchtime game (the cricket; there was the alternative of watching the Vile get pasted at Old Trafford but that is too much for most noses!) in the Royal George over another scoop before entering the ground.

I had gone to the Millwall game in midweek where Blues had won comfortably enough enough despite the 3-2 score line. I apologise to my regular readers that I couldn’t get a report out but work and family commitments just defeated me I’m afraid. It should have been a much greater margin in truth but I am more than happy with three points however they present themselves. What is also comforting is that mediocre though we are as a side, there are teams, certainly in the guise of Millwall, who are even worse. It is that fact that I believe will ensure that we cling on to our Championship status this time round but I fear the worst unless there is some serious investment in the squad over the summer but that is another story for another time. For the here and now it was on to the little matter of the Cherries who appeared to have run into reasonable form of late.

Having started the game well Blues shot themselves in the foot again by allowing a man to come in completely unmarked at the far post to score exactly like on Tuesday night. Yes Ibe should have been brought back onto the pitch having been fouled a minute earlier but there is no excuse for such terrible defending. I’m sorry but I have to say it; Tyler Blackett is not ready for this level let alone his parent club. A break down Bournemouth’s left flank was crossed in and a desperate parry into the path of Grabban and it was 2-0. Blackett was sleeping again. An easy through ball to Ritchie in the 28th minute resulted in a clear penalty that people around me were objecting about. The Assistant rightly gave it and Grabban converted into the top corner; 3-0 game over. Randolph then proceeded to get himself booked by continuing to protest after the fact which was facile, pathetic and stupid in equal measure. He was very fortunate not have been carded for the original challenge!

Shinnie came off after 33 minutes to be replaced by Macheda. Lee Clark said in a post match interview that he wanted to reward the team that had won on Tuesday with another outing. I’m afraid I had a sense of foreboding when the team was announced for this game. The only reason Blues won on Tuesday is because Millwall were so poor that the Dog and Duck could have beaten them. Dreadful though they were they still at times exposed our defensive frailties and a better team would exploit them for sure. Early substitutions of this type, unless it is for injury, generally means you’ve picked the wrong team! Will, Chris’ brother has maintained all season that Lee Clark makes too many mistakes in selection and during games and there is no way we should have only won two games at home with the squad we have, limited though it is. I am inclined to agree I’m afraid.

Bournemouth scored a beauty in the second half on 51 minutes when Harte delivered a lovely dipping cross shot over a flailing Randolph from a corner that came back out to him. This was nothing to do with bad play but more to do with an excellent strike. You could argue that the veteran full back could and should have been closed down quicker but credit where credit is due, it was a cracking goal. This was going back to the real bad old days. Nikola Zigic whom I felt hadn’t played that badly, was replaced on 53 minutes by Lee Novak. Cries of you don’t know what you’re doing rang out from the stands. Suddenly a goal; Federico Macheda scored from four yards from a header out wide from Ibe on 57 minutes.

It was 2-4 on 72 minutes when Macheda buried a 20 yarder into the bottom corner having immediately squandered the chance to put Novak in when we were two on one. What a pity we had to wait until this juncture of the game to get any spark. Not long after Lee Clark really went for it by going 3-4-3 but I felt we were at our best with 4-4-2. I’m not going to get on his case about that too much as at least it was a positive move. Unfortunately, Bournemouth saw the match out comfortably after that. We lost the game in the first half an hour with the wrong team and the wrong set up. Nevertheless, Bournemouth deserved their victory as so many sides have at St Andrews this season. We are a very poor side and when average teams like Bournemouth, Charlton, Yeovil and Huddersfield show you up on your own patch consistently you know you are. I mean no disrespect to any of the teams mentioned but this is Birmingham City at St Andrews, a place the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal etc dread coming to or at least used to! It hurts fellow noses to keep witnessing away fans from places like Bournemouth come and take the p**s but we’ve a hell of a lot more of it to endure I suspect. Chin up folks, the darkness will end sooner or later.

 

The Good: the lovely spring weather, the company of Chris and little Jack, the beef done to a turn in a soft bap at half time.

The Bad: where do you start? It has to be the defending in the first half. There simply are not enough negative superlatives in the English language to describe just how awful it was.

The Ugly: The league table right now.

 

Birmingham City: Darren Randolph 5, Jonathan Spector 6, Paul Robinson 5, Aaron Martin 6 (Peter Lovenkrands 78, 5) Tyler Blackett 4, Chris Burke 6, Paul Caddis 5, Jordan Ibe 6 Callum Reilly 6 Andy Shinnie 5, (Federico Macheda 33, 7) Nikola Zigic 6 (Lee Novak 55, 6)

Subs not used: Colin Doyle, Olly Lee, ShaneFerguson, Albert Rusnak.

Goals: Macheda 57, 72.

Bookings: Randolph 29 Caddis 84

 

AFC Bournemouth: Lee Camp 6, Ian Harte 7, Simon Francis 6, Steve Cook 6, Tommy Elphick 6, Marc Pugh 6 (Ryan Fraser 69, 6) Harry Arter 7, Lewis Grabban 8, Yann Kermorgant 6, Matt Ritchie 7, Eunan O’Kane 6.

Subs not used: Ryan Allsop, Adam Smith, Brett Pitman, Tokelo Rantie.

Goals: Richie 13, Grabban 20, 28, Harte 51

Bookings: Grabban 89

 

Referee: Mick Russell 7; in my opinion, Mr Russell didn’t do a lot wrong although I was baffled as to why he delayed the reintroduction of Jordan Ibe just prior to Bournemouth’s first goal. It is possible that Ritchie would have been better marshalled had he been allowed on the pitch but there is no excuse whatsoever for the appalling defending that resulted in the opener. It was downhill from there. The penalty decision was a stonewaller and we can have no complaints. We defended like a bunch of six year olds and the players should look at themselves and not the officials for their shortcomings.

Attendance: 13,875 (1,182 away fans)

 

Bazza KRO SOTV

 

Discuss this post, and other items, in the Joys and Sorrows Forum.

Share

8 Comments on View from the South – Birmingham City v AFC Bournemouth

  1. well said the defending was no more than conference i love Randolph but its time to give doyle
    a chance blacket is no better than the kids at the club l/c tends to get players on loan and does not play them like you i think we will just stop up but next season we wont lets hope we get taken over soon kro sotv

  2. Our defending has been poor all season. I don’t think Caddis has ever stopped a winger crossing the ball and playing him in midfield, smacks of desperation. Clark compounds some of his mistakes by playing players out of their natural position. I realise we are low in skilful players. but playing what we have, in positions that they are not happy with, will destroy their confidence. Get the basics right and the rest will follow. We desperately need new owners.

  3. Good read. Can you think of any professional football club in the world that would still employ a Manager who hadn’t delivered a home win in 15 games!?

  4. Fair comment. We Bournemouth fans expected a fortress and to hear a loud and noisy crowd. Looks like your hearts have been broken. Chin up guys, sounds like you need a Chairman/Owner who can invest. I think Lee CLark is a good manager but with on funds he’s fighting with one hand. Macheda and Obe looked very good.

  5. Thank you for your comments everyone. I would agree that our defending has been poor all season. The concept of a clean sheet is completely lost on Birmingham City and remains the main problem. Griff, I cannot disagree with your premise that a manager not winning for 15 games at home and counting would ordinarily have received his P45 before now but we cannot afford to replace him and as Norman suggests he is working with conditions beyond his control. Personally, I think he does well to get a side out at all but even with what we’ve got I do question the starting line up at times. Still it is what it is and we can only pray we can cling on to our Championship status by the skin of our teeth and that some new owners prepared to invest in our threadbare squad appear otherwise it’s League 1 here we come, if not this season, next! 🙁

  6. Having been involved in semi-pro football for 30 years I am amazed at the lack of knowledge of Lee Clark.
    He seems to hold grudges against certain players-Shane Fergason whilst others can do no wrong-Lee Novak
    Why he persists in keeping the best left back at the club on the bench I do not know.
    He has pace,courage & accuracy of crossing the ball yet Clark fails to see this.
    The lad playing there at the moment will in my opinion never be a fullback.
    He is far too slow and never picks up his winger.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.