At the recent supporters clubs forum, it was announced that the club would be looking at the tannoy system during the Everton game.
Here are the instructions if you wish to give your feedback, (taken with permission from the official site):
PA SYSTEM – WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Over the last few months we have been receiving feedback from supporters that the PA System is not performing to its best ability.
Therefore at this Saturday’s game against Everton (kick-off 3pm) we have engineers on site to monitor the sound levels to ensure the best possible audio is received in all areas of the stadium. Sound levels vary from an empty stadium to a full stadium so we need your help at the game to rectify this issue.
If you have any feedback about the PA system in your area please approach your nearest steward who will complete a questionnaire on your behalf. You will be asked your block, row and seat number, so please have this to hand.
As you can imagine, after Saturday’s game – the forum was full of disappointment, pointed comments and suggestions of how we could have won.
Here is a hotch potch of those thoughts and some of my added comments.
I’m of the opinion that straight after the game is not the time to analyse, hence a 24 hour wait! Emotions run high and the taste of defeat is raw. So hopefully some of these thoughts are a bit more reasoned today.
The first thought begins like this.
I can’t remember being as gutted about a Blues result for a long, long time. More than the disappointment or anger of watching a linesman and referee make a human error, I’m bitter and twisted over the fact that at least three Portsmouth players saw that the ball had crossed the line and yet, did not speak up. I was angry with Keith Fahey last week when I believed that he cheated to gain us a win over Wigan.
But this week, I’m absolutely furious over the fact that David James – a man who is almost forty – could not find the strength inside to be honest with a referee and say that he had conceded. I know that these days, the game and winning is more important than honestly and integrity and as I watched, I felt myself falling out of love with the game just a little bit more. It’s not about people, honesty and emotion any longer. It’s about cheating, misdirection and who can do what to get the best over his opponent whilst baring following the spirit or rules of the game.
Just… meh, can’t remember being this bitterly disappointed for a long time and just wanted to express absolute anger at a player and a man who would, I hoped, have been a bit more honest.
I totally understood this point, but when you look at the replays it is understandable why it was missed. I don’t particularly blame James, it’s not his job to give the decisions.
HOWEVER I do agree that footballers SHOULD be able to say to the referee – no I didn’t touch the ball, yes it was hand ball, the ball was over the line. It SHOULD happen, but it won’t – yes I know it is fanciful, but at least some of the feelings of injustice would be removed for fans, after all that is the biggest barrier we have to climb! 
(Oh and before you get cross, read the 3rd point – but not before the 2nd point!)
The second point.
The country got the result it wanted so who are we to have a moan about it? Some of the coverage has literally made me feel sick to the stomach. At half time, Blues were great value, playing well, etc, etc. By full time, Portsmouth ‘fully deserved the win’ and their loan players ’showed that they cared as much as any Portsmouth fan does.’ Gah, the stuff you could lose your lunch to.
The club I love has been reduced to a footnote in the season of a club who has pulled the wool over the eyes of the footballing public and media with lies and deceit. They’ve financially mismanaged themselves and apparently, this makes them ‘deserve it’ and ‘earn that little bit of luck’. Why? Because they can’t manage and haven’t played very well this season?
Now I totally agree with this. I don’t have an axe to grind with Portsmouth fans, for them this must be a hideous situation – but action should have been taken by the FA or Premier League. We were relegated when Portsmouth’s administration, (excuse the pun), bought big and kept them up. Since then they won the FA cup – however have been racking up the debts. Any other business would not have continued, they just can’t support the large wages and relatively lower gates. The sums don’t add up.
In effect, they have taken advantage of other sides by playing players they couldn’t afford to pay which brings the whole Premier League and FA cup into disrepute. If the FA and / or the Premier League had stepped in earlier, this mess may well have been avoided.
Right, before you jump down my throat saying it is sour grapes, read the next point!
I felt we didn’t deserve to win, although we were never really stretched in the first half, in the second we needed to step up, and to do that we had to offer more in wide areas. Fahey was very poor and Larsson had an off day. I thought Chucho actually looked interesting wide on the left and I hope Gardner starts on the right next game. If we aren’t going for width, why not play 4-3-1-2 with McFadden behind a front two.
Totally agree. Although we were well in charge in the first half with possession and defence, we never really looked like scoring either. We didn’t come out of the changing room until 75 minutes were on the clock and it was too late by then. Portsmouth played well for 15-20 minutes and scored twice, as a result deserved to go through.
I really don’t understand why Chucho and Jerome didn’t start. I appreciate that Alex has tried to keep an unchanged side wherever possible, and that is a positive – however the performance against Wigan was lethargic and I think that Benitez would have bought some life up front. Fahey will become a very good player IMO, but he been poor for a few games now and should be rested.
So it is now all about whether we finish 7-14th, perhaps a little disappointing in that we aren’t playing for something – but at least we know we are going to be playing in the division again next year and with some new faces at the club – maybe we could do EVEN better!
I had to re-type this, the tear stains on the original prevented me from copying it straight over. 
Over to Bazza:
I have found it very difficult even the day after to find the heart and energy to write my report on this game such is the sense of disappointment that I am sure is shared by every Blues fan this morning. Fratton Park is a simple train journey for me even though it still takes an hour and a half. Having arrived at Fratton station and walked to the ground I met ‘Sandwich’ Bill and Alan in the disabled car park who had travelled down from Birmingham after an early start. We must thank the football authorities at this point for putting our game on early despite the length of journey for the away side and their fans when the Fulham-Spurs tie would have been better suited; reminds me of the time when we reached a semi-final against Leeds and the match was played on a ‘neutral’ ground at Hillsborough!
Anyway, moving on Alan and Bill are some of the most long suffering noses I know and I have seen them many times before at away games. Alan, as he usually is, was smoking a fag in the back of the car and as he flicked the ash the slight breeze kept taking it onto Bill’s lap sitting in the front passenger seat with the door open. “Hey!” Bill kept saying flicking the ash off himself “watch what yow’er doin!”
After about the sixth time of asking Bill stood up protesting still but onto the deaf ears of Alan who simply lit up another having seconds before put the last one out. Both these boys are professionals when it comes to smoking which they continued to do whilst we reminisced about previous games against Pompey. “At least they got a roof on the away stand nowadays,” lamented Bill. We had all been at the game about 12 years ago when it rained incessantly and we all got soaked through to the skin. Four cigarettes later (Alan won the gold medal for smoking in the Olympics in 1964 
) it was time to walk round the other side of the ground to our seats. Pompey may have invested in a roof for the old open stand and over-invested in players they couldn’t afford but the investment stopped short at the toilets which remain pretty basic and have been so all the time I’ve been going to Fratton Park. As they say in these parts avoid the heads unless you’ve got to.
Well I’ve put off talking about the game for long enough so here goes; I thought Portsmouth would fly at us and we would have a torrid first twenty minutes. Apart from a weak shot from Belhadj in the first minute they offered very little and in fact Blues were the better side in the first half controlling the midfield in a calm composed manner but offering little threat. Jerome had a snap shot following good set up work from McFadden and Bowyer which was well saved by David James.
McCleish had started with the same formation as for the Fulham and Wigan games which surprised me as it hadn’t really worked at Fulham when the opposition scored our only goal and against Wigan we only won because we were given a dodgy penalty. Despite this I believe that with a half decent striker we would have gone into the break 2 – 0 to the good. As it was it was 0 – 0 and although we hadn’t made our overall dominance count there was little to complain about. I felt we were more than a match for anything they had to offer and would snatch the necessary winner at some stage purely by the law of averages.
Those hopes were dashed in three second half minutes when a lucky deflection led to a toe poked effort towards Hart who having appeared to grasp it, had it kicked out of his hands by Scott Dann challenging for the ball simultaneously. The ball flicked up off Hart’s leg to present Piquionne with a tap in from inches out that my arthritic granny could have scored to give Portsmouth the lead against the run of play and on the basis of their performance so far, one they scarcely deserved.
However, how typical this is of Blues. Failing to score when you are on top has cost and will continue to cost them which make their position in the Premier League all the more remarkable having scored only 26 goals all season. Blues were shaken and found themselves two down before they had cleared their heads. Piquionne twisted Roger Johnson inside out when the defender got isolated and a fine cross shot was buried into the bottom corner; oh for a striker of this quality! On came Kevin Phillips and Chucho for Fahey and McFadden and latterly Gardner for Larsson, a change that was made at least 45 minutes too late in my view, in an attempt to salvage the tie.
Ten minutes from the end a corner from Larsson was powerfully headed down towards the bottom corner by Roger Johnson only to be brilliantly saved by James. The rebound was headed in by Ridgewell at the far post but despite the ball being clearly over the line the assistant referee failed in his duty of actually watching what was going on and allowed James to claw the ball back from a foot behind the post. Television evidence shows clearly that the goal should have been awarded; it wasn’t and with that decision went Birmingham’s last chance of Wembley glory.
I rang Will after the game on the train home to get his take on the game from the television perspective. He made several valid observations that the formation meant the team was unbalanced as McFadden is not a centre-forward and Fahey is not a winger. Double Agent Ridgewell was our best player and provided the only width which says it all and I agree wholeheartedly. Larsson was truly dreadful both in the persistent way he kept turning in field instead of staying out wide and as for his set piece deliveries, enough said. Jerome was shocking in thought and movement and gave one of the worst performances I have seen from him. He normally at least works hard despite having the touch of a rapist and other shortcomings but this was a lacklustre performance and we saw little of his much lauded pace. Benitez when he came on showed nice touches but it was too late by then. Phillips and Gardner were introduced too late to have any impact. McFadden held onto the ball too long when well placed and the final ball from midfield generally especially to the players in wide positions was too often badly weighted or misdirected.
Portsmouth didn’t win this game; Birmingham lost it. They have themselves and themselves only to blame. This is such a shame given the season we have all enjoyed to date. One of the highlights was the win at Everton and although I wasn’t present for that one our first half performance was outstanding by all accounts. That day we went with McFadden and Chucho up front together. This may be an option to consider next week if McCleish is going to insist on playing McFadden as a centre-forward. Jerome was so poor it may be time to rest him. The same goes for Larsson; Gardner must be given his chance although he is better suited to a more central role and I really want to see Michel get some game time.
The needs of the squad were brutally exposed if further evidence was needed; two decent strikers and fast specialist wide players. Then and only then we may start offering a threat and win these big games when they present themselves. It has been 54 years since Birmingham last contested a FA Cup Final; it’s 55 now!
KRO SOTV
Tags: Alex McLeish, Birmingham City, Cameron Jerome, Christian Benitez, FA Cup, James McFadden, Joe Hart, Keith Fahey, Kevin Phillips, Match, Portsmouth, Roger Johnson, Scott Dann, Sebastian Larsson
We have another article from Sporting Intelligence. Originally posted here.
Read below:
Wenger an Easy Rider as Blues take Cup break from Premier League dramas
By Brian Sears 5 March 2010
If we define a nail-biting game as one in which the result could be changed with the last kick of the match, then they’re becoming rarer in the Premier League. Never before this season has the percentage of nail-biters been as low as this campaign.
In the first season of the Premier League, as many as 67.3 per cent of top-flight league games were nail biters, with just one goal at most separating the teams at the final whistle.
That rose to 68.2 per cent in 1993-94 and has settled at pretty much the mid-60s in percentage terms in every season since, with lows of 61.6 per cent in 2005-06 then 61.3 per cent on 2007-08. This season? Just 59 per cent of games have been nail-biters.
Arsenal are the least nail-biting team; just nine of their 28 games (or 32 per cent) would have seen a different result with a last-kick goal. Burnley have seen fewer nail-biters than most clubs (48 per cent), but whereas Arsenal’s games are not nail-biters because they normally win so easily, Burnley’s aren’t nail-biters because they lose so heavily.
That’s why today’s match between Arsenal and Burnley at The Emirates is as unlikely to be a nail-biter as any game we’ve seen so far this season, statistically speaking. Arsene Wenger should be one easy rider this afternoon, watching his men speed past the clarets from Lancashire.
At the other end of the nail-biting spectrum, Birmingham really know how to put their fans through the mill: 24 of their 27 league games this season have been nail-biters, or 89 per cent, a whopping percentage that makes them by far the most nerve-racking side to follow.
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Thankfully their fans get a break from the league nerves this weekend as Birmingham play at Portsmouth in the FA Cup (see ‘Omens’ below). The pair last met in the FA Cup in 1977, and Brum won, 1-0. Personally, we’ll be keeping a close eye on Reading v Aston Villa on Sunday. If Villa win, as they did the last time these sides met in the Cup, then it’s ‘Hurt Locker’ for Best Picture at the Oscars, we say.
Team News
Blues have a doubt over James McFadden who missed the midweek Scotland game through injury. However this could just be one of those injuries that appears for international friendlies and then disappears just as quickly.
For Portsmouth ex-Blue Quincy Owusu-Abeyie and Jamie O’Hara are doubtful and Anthony Vanden Borre is deinitely out.
Last Meeting
The sides last met in August where a David James aberration allowed James McFadden to hand Blues victory from the penalty spot.
Recent Form
Blues league form has dipped of late with only twos win in six. In between that we have had good results in the cup despite being drawn away every time.
Portsmouth had a good win away at Burnley last week which followed shortly after their excellent cup victory over local rivals Southampton. They have not won at home since the fourth round of the cup and have only done so four times all season.
Outlook
So it’s almost upon us. The biggest game of the season so far with a place at Wembley up for grabs and only doomed Portsmouth in our way. Should be easy then. Well no. When the draw was made a lot of people were happy because despite being drawn away again we would play against a team that might not even be in existence come the match. As it is Portsmouth are not only still around, they have a new lease of life and will be focusing solely on the cup. After all the income from a Wembley semi-final will pay off a few of their debts.
To be honest I’m not too optimistic for this one but then I also said that about the Everton game in the fourth round. I don’t think it would be a bad result for it to be a draw and it to go to a replay at St Andrews. I’d fancy us to win that. One thing’s for certain it can’t go as bad as our last FA Cup quarter final in 2006! It’s definitely going to be a nervy affair and I can imagine the home crowd will put aside their off field worries for the day and really get behind the team. As I’m sure our lucky 3000 will as well. If McFadden can’t make it then I hope Benitez gets a run out as while he doesn’t score many he always creates problems for defenses.
If you were lucky enough to get a ticket enjoy the game and make plenty of noise. The rest of us will be watching on the telly, possibly from behind the sofa.
My prediction 1-1. Blues to win the replay.
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