Post Chelsea: where do we go from here?
Nat, one of our forum regulars, has written this article post Wednesday!
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Looking back, I can still barely believe it. Birmingham City going fifteen games unbeaten whilst in the top-flight, a team that less than a year ago huffed and puffed like the Big Bad Wolf in getting out of the Championship. A team at that point that did well to string fifteen passes together, never mind results. It has to be written down to be believed, draws in the league at home to United, Citeh and Chelsea, and then more draws in the league at Anfield and Goodison. Smash and grab raids at Wigan and Stoke, and to top it all, a place in the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in four years, as a result of our first win at Goodison since Ken was born.
But it’s over. We barely even had time to raise the white flag before Malouda bagged the first. Lampard effectively ended the contest and our unbeaten streak before half-time. You can try and point to different reasons for the collapse but I think the reason for our comprehensive defeat is the same reason Chelsea are top of the league. We were playing against a top quality side, who would blow away most teams if they play to anywhere near their best.
It gives us a right bump to earth though. I think even the most optimistic Bluenose realises that, deep down, the European tour we sing about remains nothing more than a pipeline dream in terms of qualifying via the Premier League. Wednesday served as a reminder that we are still a bazillion light-years from regularly being able to go toe-to-toe with the elite of the elite. Finishing in a comfortable mid-table position would still count as a great season for us, anywhere higher than that and Alex McLeish gets the keys to the city.
Of course, I am discounting our Cup run. A juicy (and VERY winnable) tie at Derby leaves us, not within touching distance, but relatively close to Wembley. We’re only two games from the Semi-final and what would be my first visit to our National Stadium. If (and it’s a huge IF) we could even get to the Semi-final, or dare I dream, the Final, it would probably top off what is turning into an incredible season, the pride I’d feel watching Blues at Wembley for the first time would surpass seeing us play twice at the Millenium Stadium, what a great end to a fantastic season it would be. Still, we’ve got to get past Derby first. I once saw us lose a Fifth-round tie against a second-tier Sunderland when we we’re in the top-half of the Premier League under Steve Bruce, so I’m taking nothing for granted.
To get anywhere quickly though, there was a clear need for reinforcements. Our backline is well covered, and the two (in my opinion) shrewd signings of Michel from Sporting Gee-hon and Craig Gardner from the Sty gives us a boost in the middle. But as everyone knows, we need strikers. It’s not as if Chucho and Cameron are particularly bad players, they’ve done relatively well together, but behind them we have Kevin Phillips (I’d be quite surprised to see him start another game for Blues), Gary O’Connor (I’d be very surprised to see him start another game for Blues) and, returning from a glorious loan spell at ‘Boro, Marcus Bent (I would be in two minds as whether to leave a match if I ever saw him play for Blues again).
Quite simply, we need an extra option. At the time of writing, a deal to bring Aruna Dindane to Blues is apparently all but agreed for £4million. I’m not particularly enamoured with the prospect of him coming in, especially at the price. He just seems to be all tricks but no delivery, ala Quincy perhaps. But I suppose we could do worst than him for back up. The more exciting prospect is the on-off deal to bring Roman Pavlyuchenko to Blues. The lad has strength, height, skill and an eye for goal, four things that when rolled into one make him a class act. Colin Tattum says the deal could be on between us and Spurs, and the lad wants to come, which would be great. I genuinely seem him as a cornerstone of turning Blues from also-rans into genuine challengers in the top half of the League.
Still even if we don’t nab him, I won’t be too perturbed. We’re in a League position which means we aren’t desperate for points. We aren’t in a need to sign whoever we can get. We’re comfortable. Our pre-season objective has pretty much been achieved already, we can pick and choose who we sign. If the right player comes along at a reasonable price, then sign him. But if that player is unavailable then not to worry, there will be more available in the Summer and beyond.
Portsmouth and West Ham in the past few months have shown us the consequences of spending money willy-nilly. They are in a total mess right now. We need to maintain that our house remains in order, whilst still having the ambition to progress continually. And then there’s the fact that mad signings could upset the applecart in the dressing room. The players we have, just by looking at our do or die performances recently, have a strong bond and a fluency that comes from playing with each other week-in week-out. Why upset that now? Bring in players who could provide alternatives to the players we have if need be, but only bring in ingredients that would garnish the recipe, not alter it.
Still I’m looking too far ahead, as Big ‘Eck would preach, take things one step at a time. We’ve got two big home games coming up. Spurs at home tomorrow will be tricky, but aren‘t an insurmountable challenge. They play good football under Twitch, and are pretty much impregnable at White Hart Lane, but for me never seem to be the same grizzly monster outside their own cage. Our last home defeat came towards the end of September, and who’s going to whole heartedly bet against us tomorrow?
Then next week the Dingles come to town. A tough game in a different regard. Whereas Spurs offer a multitude of talent, Wolves are probably the most untalented footballing team I’ve seen in the Premier League this season, with the possible exception of Blackburn. But Mick McCarthy seems to have rallied them to the point where they have half a chance of survival. They don’t score many goals, and aren’t totally competent in their own penalty box, but Wolves always give 110% every game. In a local derby where they will be kicking and scrapping for every point they can muster in what for them, in my opinion, will be a desperate battle for survival for the, they present themselves as tough opponents.
Two tough games, but both winnable. Two wins and six points would mean we are sitting thirty-nine points at the start of February. And then we’re laughing, right?
Keep Right On (hopefully to Wembley!)
Front Men Evade McLeish
Filed under: Articles by Dale Moon, Blues News, Players
Here is Dale’s latest article.
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The game is afoot, the hunt is on and the January transfer window is wide open. That said, is seems to be blowing quite a hefty gale straight back at the Blues boss, as the cold shoulders just keep on coming . . . .
There is no doubt in anybody’s minds that Blues are looking for a striker, tall, strong, athletic and of good value for money. Kevin Kuranyi was one of the first names to register with the rumour list. The Brazilian born German-Hungarian-Panamanian striker may have had a problem finding his native cuisine in the city and by the sounds of his temperament may also have scowled at the bill before sulking about paying. McLeish has made it clear that he will not compromise the dressing room spirit that has spearheaded our run of form and for this reason, along with the hefty price tag the chase was called off.
However a striker who ticked most of those boxes was a certain Trinidadian from Sunderland (slightly less complex than that of Kuranyi’s roots). Kenwyne Jones has netted five times this year for the Black cats and has found playing in the shadow of the rather inform Darren Bent, a tough task. Nevertheless a player who was once branded “The New Drogba” by the Daily Mail and has been linked with Liverpool and that team from Aston does not turn into a bad player overnight. The 25 year old, 6ft 1in striker looks threatening and with the deadly combination of pace and power will always cause problems for the opposition. That said, we already have that in Jerome and Benitez but Jones is deadly in the air. A £10m bid was tabled but upon discovering with transfer fees, add-ons, various clauses and wages over the length of contract the figure would rise to around £28m. It became too large a figure for McLeish and the board to stomach and subsequently, yet again, Blues were back on the hunt for a new striker.
Then came slight whispers of Hugo Rodallega circulating around news organisations in the West Midlands. A sporadic type of striker who has comes up with some glimpses of genius, especially silencing the crowd with a screamer at Villa Park on the opening day of the season. Netting 10 times for the Latics last season, he certainly has potential but may not be tall or prolific enough for the ambitions at St. Andrews and with Roberto Martinez putting “football over finance” when asked about Rodallega this also may be a non-runner.
A player from the Austrian club Salzburg has also been linked with Blues and standing at 6ft 5 in would fit the bill. Marc Janko has expressed his desire to play in the Premier League and with a 1 in 2 ratio for his country, has been tipped for success. The 26 year old has scored 67 goals in 92 games for his club side who may consider letting him go for a fee of around £6.5m. The risk however lies with his ability to adapt to the English game and whether he has enough goals to score outside of his home country and in a considerably tougher league.
A Roman from Russia came next with spurs reportedly looking to cash in on Roman Pavlyuchenko and Blues speculating a move. The Russian showed promise during the 2008 European Championships and had a 1 in 2 goal ratio at Spartak Moscow. However since joining Harry Redknapp’s North London side, he has failed to live up to expectations. In a pecking order behind Defoe, Crouch and Robbie Keane, the Russian international does seem to be available. The question being is he worth the gamble for Spurs asking price of around £10m?
It is safe to say that prices are certainly inflated during the January period and with McLeish wary of paying over the odds for players, he will have to choose wisely should he depart with Carson Yeung’s £40 war chest made available.
McLeish’s Sounding Out The Right Message
Here is Dale’s latest thoughts inspired by our victory yesterday.
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The Cogs keep turning and the machine churns on! A packed out St. Andrews witnessed the Premier League’s latest phenomenon. Birmingham City.
Like a well oiled machine, Alex McLeish’s regimented side seemed to wear down a disgruntled West Ham team that really never looked like taking anything back to the capital. It seems now that blues fans expect a goal from Lee Bowyer. Clocking up his sixth of the season which proved to be the only goal of the game. It’s also to be becoming almost annoyingly predictable for the pundits who sit on the flamboyant sofas at Match of The Day. Another clean sheet, another 1-0 win and another Lee Bowyer run from deep accompanied with a tidy finish. Would be nice to hear something more from the likes of Lawrenson and Hansson about the so called “relegation candidates” though wouldn’t it. But we’ll save that argument for another day.
Today we should rejoice in the fact that we are competing in the same ball park as the Liverpool’s and Manchester City’s of the world. Daring to look higher up the table, I came across six teams who perhaps you would expect to be above the Blues. The other one we’ll not mention. But over our shoulder are teams like Sunderland, Everton and West Ham, so called established Premier League sides. And there at the peak of the form table, Birmingham City! Beautiful!
But – and there always is a “But” with Blues, we should not adhere to all this talk of European ambitions and superstar signings. The media love to heighten a teams fortunes and laugh from there offices in Central London as the form starts to drop and the league position plummets. Blackburn and Everton will know that we are the inform team and expect a tough test from us but January brings a new threat. Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham make up three of the four fixtures. Three games where at the start of the season we would consider a point as a blessing. Yes we are a different side to that who produces a woeful display against Bolton in September but let’s just get over that 40 points mark and then and only then can we start concentrate on the getting the like of Messi and Ronaldo leaping into the Tilton to celebrate . . . if only!
Without being a typical pessimistic Bluenose, I like the cautious and grounded approach from McLeish. He speaks wisely and tries to prevent all the tabloid bravado filtering through to his players. Securing Premiership status is our primary objective, something which none of us must forget. As the fog settled over St. Andrews on Saturday evening, McLeish reiterated the clubs position as premier league new boys but also stressed that striving up the table can only give us the best chance come the end of the season.
“The most important thing is for us to be in the premier league but there’s no reason why we can’t be aiming higher than 17th. But the top 17 will be a successful season.” If 17th is known as “successful”, then I’d love to know what adjectives McLeish has in his locker come a top 8 finish in May!
Dale Moon
Wigan vs Birmingham City – Preview
Team News
Both sides have no new injury worries so will probably be able to field unchanged sides. Kevin Phillips will be unavailable due to a foot injury.
Last Meeting
Our last trip to Wigan took place in April 2008 and ended in a dismal 2-0 defeat with Damien Johnson getting sent off. Ryan Taylor scored both goals for Wigan. It was a poor performance that is best forgotten.
Recent Form
Blues sit third in the current form table behind only Chelsea and Manchester United and are unbeaten in five games. Wigan have had a mixed time losing 9-1 to Tottenham but following that with a victory over Sunderland. They are unbeaten in five games at home including a win over Chelsea.
Outlook
I have to say that I’m a bit worried about this game. Not the result but the weather. I’ve got a seat in row three and I’m expecting a soaking which coupled with bitterly cold northern winds will lead to a bout of pneumonia. I suppose I’ve got to hope for a good performance to warm my cockles.
I would expect more of the same from the last few weeks. A solid defensive display with not a lot of goal mouth action. To be honest Blues can afford can slip up here due to the results we’ve had in the last few weeks. If asked in early November if they would accept four points from Liverpool. Wolves and Wigan away most fans would say yes. As this game is followed by two winnable home games against West Ham and Blackburn the target of twenty points at Christmas should be achieved anyway.
A lot will depend on whether we meet the Wigan of White Hart Lane or last weeks team. I’m glad that we didn’t play them last week as there was always going to be a reaction after their mauling by Spurs. They would also have had the extra motivation of the visit of former boss Steve Bruce (We know what that’s like!)
For us the key is to get the ball forward quickly so that Benitez and Jerome can use their pace to trouble Bramble and co. We’ve also got to get McFadden in the game more and not just by aiming goal kicks at his head. Set pieces will be important for both sides. Here’s hoping for a five goal thriller but the reality I expect will be less exciting.
My prediction. 0-0.
Current events: View from a distant exile
This was a post on the forum by John Baker who owns and maintains the Blues Muse site. I thought it deserved to be seen by more people than our forum members.
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‘UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT’
Has the tide turned? Will the Bull Ring be torn down and rebuilt for the third time in my life? Are Birmingham City Football Club going to win a major trophy in the next 10 years?
Yes, no and yes!
The number 1875 doesn’t represent 7:15 pm, but the year in which our our beloved Birmingham City, nee Small Heath Alliance, was invented, formed, or maybe just started to exist. On the face of things, existing is all we’ve done since then, and my mates at that first game in 1875 will attest to that. OK, that last bit was a fib . . . I have no mates young or ancient.
We’ve been pretty much complete failures during those 134 years, i.e. lots of sorrows, but along the way enjoying joys too when we’ve taken on the ‘big boys’ and won. As we’re supporters of a team that is trophy-less no-one can accuse any of us of being glory hunters now can they? We just keep right on to the end of the road and all that, but I ask, where is the end of the bloody road?!
There have been many false dawns since my heart became solid blue in 1964, but this one is very different I’m glad to say.
The last owners not only ‘got us sorted’, but also stunted our growth, and 15 years on it’s a relief to see them gone. Yeung and company are a breathe of fresh air, and are doing everything right thus far. Not bad for a group of people who as far from the Brummie culture as caviar is from mushy peas.
McLeish has got the team playing for their futures these last three games with a win against Sunderland, and creditable draws against the illustrious Premiership opposition of Manchester City and Liverpool. Yeh, OK, we ‘won’ at Liverpool in a moral sense there is no doubt.
Crisp passing, an attacking line-up, and players that may have just stepped things up just to make sure they are still a part of things come the end of January. I ask them however, where were you August to October?
I give a huge warm welcome to our new owners. They are businessmen first, but appear to share the blue mist before our eyes. Should the end of the road end up at the Great Wall of China via a few trophies, then I will applaud and say ??? [thank you!].
We’ll probably be joined by more than a few thousand Chinese folk, so be prepared to to say good bye to St. Andrews and hello to a new stadium and some very exciting times.
Keep right on! ??????
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