Blues News Digest
It’s been a few days since the last one, so I thought I’d do one now.
Alex has voiced his enjoyment at being at Blues and apparently the talks regarding a new contract are going well. Birmingham.net
Again another story regarding Alex’s new contract, but also that it is very likely that we will have Joe Hart again next season. IC Birmingham.
According to IMScouting.com, we are after a striker called Itay Shechter. No, I haven’t heard of him either – but it seems like he has a pretty decent scoring record.
Jack Buckland has played for England U17s. Official Site.
The ticket details for our visit to Portsmouth in the 6th Round have been announced. Official Site.
According to the Daily Mail, Roman Pavlyuchenko has issued a “come and get me” plea.
We did a couple of articles today. One about Wayne Rooney and one about the Wolves fine.
Blues News Digest
Here is a round up of some of the stories affecting the Blues today.
There is an article on the Birmingham Mail’s site about us not needing superstars to be big in China.
The mail online has a story of Peter Pannu criticising Spurs over the on/off Pavlyuchenko transfer.
Colin Tattum discussed the transfer window.
James McFadden suggests that Barry Ferguson should be recalled to the Scotland side. Mercury.
On Give me Football, Eck says that Kevin Phillips will play a part in the 2nd half of the season.
No Favours at the Window
Here is Dale’s latest article, not a surprise that it is about the transfer window! Enjoy.
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Considering we’re constantly being told to spend our way out of a global recession, the January transfer window does anything but contribute to a financial solution. To tell the London stock exchange that trading can only take place during the summer and for a month in January would have unprecedented effects. Yet here we are, witnessing its ability to inflate, restrict and limit business and for what? The Lisbon treaty was met with such vile protest at 10 Downing Street and the euro sceptics arrived in their masses. I need not draw similarities to this ridiculous FIFA regulation drawn up by a governing body who seems intent on damaging the domestic game from there control obsessed offices in Zurich.
Managers constantly bemoan of the restrictions that the January transfer window brings. Since 2002 we have seen teams buy players at astronomical prices well above their value. Is it any wonder why now, attention seems to be turning to the debt ridden clubs that have been subject to Sepp Blatter’s ingenious invention? Some argue that the transfer window creates a spark of brief excitement, anticipation of what superstar will arrive at the club. The adrenaline of a deadline to meet and its supposed exhilaration tuning into sky sports news or flicking through the back pages of an ill informed tabloid that seems to link your club with every footballer with an extravagant name. In reality, seldom does such a period of time produce such little results. This year has seen the most boring, frustrating and inadequate transfer period its pathetic 7 year lifetime.
Blues didn’t help themselves. Announcing a war chest of twenty to forty million pounds at our disposal made securing a player for a reasonable price, if there is such a thing, simply unfathomable. All this triggered was clubs bumping up asking prices at any slightest hint of Blues interest. For Spurs to ask for more than £10m for a player who has hardly featured this season and hope to recoup nearly £14m they paid for him speaks volumes. We revealed our hand and in the case of Pavlyuchenko it may well have meant Tottenham could hold on in the hope we would cough up the money they knew we had! As frustrating as this January transfer window has been it also goes to show that McLeish really is a man based on morals. His responsible approach may not have seen a big money striker arrive down St. Andrews but it has maintained fundamental business principles. We have money but we will not be forced into spending it if the price is not right. For the remainder of the season we have placed our faith on the unpredictable Benitez, Cameron Jerome and the veteran Kevin Phillips. What’s the betting on a few more goalless draws and 1-0 wins before the end of the season? However, I for one will not be complaining should it see us secure a top half finish.
Dale Moon
VIEW FROM THE SOUTH – BIRMINGHAM CITY vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Filed under: Blues News, Match reports, Matches, Reports By Bazza
Here is Bazza’s latest match report.
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No doubt everyone reading this will have already read a number of detailed accounts of the story of this match which of course ended in a very creditable 1 – 1 draw. However, the implications of this result run much deeper than the single point added to the 33 we had before the match. The strange thing about this game was that it was the first time for months that we as supporters of Small Heath Alliance had turned up to a game on the back of a defeat. Some of the pundits in the media seem pretty determined to talk up our demise before it has even happened. Mark “I think Liverpool will win 2 – 0” Lawrenson for instance has said that Birmingham could easily go on a long run of defeats just the same as they have been on a run of wins yadda yadda yadda! Liam Ridgewell’s equalizer just as the five minutes of time added on was being announced carried far greater importance than just the gaining of a point; it prevented back to back defeats and the sounds of early mumblings of “I told you so” from armchair experts like Lawro. This game also brought into sharp focus something that we have all known for a while; namely the need for a top quality striker.
In the car after the match, Alex McCleish came on the radio and announced that the Pavlyuchenko deal was “dead in the water.” I had thought that it was probably going ahead after the weekend following inevitable talks between the respective club representatives at St Andrews on Saturday. It was pretty clear that Spurs were never going to allow the Russian to join our ranks before the game for obvious reasons but a deal hammered out just before the deadline seemed to make sense. The announcement was disappointing to say the least unless it represented brinkmanship in calling Spurs’ bluff to get them to see reason and settle for a fee less than they paid 18 months ago but generous nevertheless for a 28 year old who has hardly played for them. At the time of writing however, it really does appear that the deal is really dead and all the other targets we’ve been hearing about for the last few weeks are unlikely to happen either. This is depressing given the two sitters missed by Chucho on Saturday plus the excellent chance that the normally reliable Bowyer missed in the first half.
I have kept telling myself that it is a matter of time before Chucho scores and he’ll then go on a run for us. After this game even I am beginning to lose patience with the mercurially talented Ecuadorian who propensity to shoot straight at the goalkeeper when well placed is becoming exasperating. Moreover, his best chance with the game only a few minutes old, was more a pass back than a shot! Contrast these gilt-edged opportunities with the smartly taken goal that Defoe scored on 69 minutes and there lies Birmingham’s problem. An attempted header by Crouch fortunately flicked off his brow to his strike partner who instinctively, quick as a flash, smashed the ball back across the goal from whence it had come into the bottom corner to give Spurs the lead their overall control had probably deserved. It was a top class finish but the irksome thing about it was that it was about the only thing Defoe had contributed all afternoon and the chance came from a throw in awarded to Spurs that rightfully should have been given the other way. Just after this set back Benitez wasted the second of his one on ones with Gomez and I thought I was going to be reporting on the second defeat in four days that is, of course until our makeshift left back popped up with a volley at the far post that most strikers would have been proud of. At least the last twenty minutes of the game provided some excitement with the delivery of the goals in what was a pretty poor quality game otherwise; Alan Hansen described this encounter as ‘a minger’ and he was spot on!
Harry Redknapp was naturally disappointed with the concession of the equalizing goal and he was right that Spurs did not defend the crosses from Carr and then McFadden well enough. He felt that this was two points dropped and Spurs deserved all three points in a game his team largely controlled. However, he doth protest a little too much; surprisingly Birmingham had 55% of the possession according to the MotD stats. Admittedly, Spurs did use their possession better, they were the better side for long periods, Bentley did run Ridgewell ragged, Bale gave Carr a busy afternoon on the other flank and Modric was all swagger and poise in the centre but Blues were resolute, stuck to the task and restricted Spurs to only two decent chances apart from the one that Defoe deftly converted. Modric missed by a whisker in the first half following good work by Bentley and Crouch missed a complete sitter when Defoe’s heavy touch when well placed presented him with Spurs’ best opening in the second half. However, despite Tottenham’s better play Blues had by far the better opportunities to score and should have won this game before half time. Harry Redknapp would do well to reflect on this rather than moan about the points that got away; there are better teams than Blues who will not be so profligate and the defensive frailties that Spurs clearly have mean that in my view they will not occupy the fourth place they crave come May. As for Blues, I sincerely hope that a new striker is secured before 5 pm today because otherwise I suspect the season will fizzle out into less than it could be which will be a shame after our best showing in the top flight for over fifty years.
KRO SOTV
Birmingham 1 v 1 Tottenham Hotspur Quick Post Match Thoughts
Before a few critical comments, I have to say that I was impressed with our never say die attitude today. We battled to stay in the game all afternoon and particularly after we went 1-0 down. Actually that seemed to spur us into life. (Excuse the pun!) Not for the first time this season, a non forward scored for us – a defender, Liam Ridgewell – popped up to resucue a point.
It COULD have been better though. Chucho missed two chances where he was one on one, chances you KNOW Defoe wouldn’t have missed. I have to say, I’m getting concerned about Chucho. He is fast, and beats the back line quite often – however his return IS poor. We must have at LEAST 1 more striker before 17.00 Monday.
The other notable criticism is our lack of penetration prior to the last 10 minutes. We need a bit of pace, guile and creativity on either flank. We played some nice football, and we did break through enough times, but for much of the afternoon I thought we were a bit predictable. Seb and McFadden worked hard, but looked below par – I’m not surprised they were substituted. They need some competition for their places I think.
Take nothing away from Spurs, I thought they looked well organised and looked dangerous whenever they came forward. Defoe pounced on a free ball mid-way through the 2nd half, and Harry must have thought they had won it, but they hadn’t accounted for our unwillingness to give in!
So, well done Blues – on the whole a good response to Wednesday, let’s not forget that Spurs are going for a Champion’s League place.
Oh, and I called the result correctly in my preview! 
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