Blues News Digest
The news today is dominated by the sad passing of Gil Merrick. Our own tribute can be found here
In other news The Birmingham Mail is reporting how Alex McLeish believes that the squad still has the necessary depth despite our lack of activity in January.
The same source is also reporting that McLeish is planning to go try again to sign Roman Pavlyuchenko and Kris Boyd. I expect this story to go on for months.
Away from transfers there are a lot of articles about the upcoming derby game with Wolves. The Express and Star carries an article in which Mick McCarthy admits that the pressure is all on then for Sunday which is not something you hear very often.
Vital Football has an interview with Wolves defender Kevin Foley who admits that it will be a tough game for them but they need to bounce back after their midweek cup defeat to Palace.
You’ll be able to read the J&S preview of this game tomorrow.
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.
Blues News Digest
We are starting a new feature as an experiment. Although we are really an article site, we thought it may be useful for our regular readers for us to do a digest of the key stories involving the Blues, and also a quick reminder of what we may have posted.
If there is enough, we will do one each day during the week and perhaps one to cover the weekend. We’ll see how it goes, your feedback on if you think it’s a good idea or not would be welcome.
So here goes.
Dale did an article on the transfer window. No Favours at the Window
The Official site announced the Blues Legends XI
They also confirmed the ref in our forthcoming match against Wolves.
Alex asked the Blues fans to trust him, an article by Colin Tattum on Birmingham.net
Also from Birmingham.net – Alex said that it wasn’t the players that turned us down.
On a similar theme, Alex also confirmed his confidence in our existing forwards. From IMScounting.
There were a number of similar stories from on other sites, but I’ve tried to pick the ones that are more trustworthy!
Anyway, there you go for today.
Kev
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
As the Transfer Window Shuts…
…expect there to be annoyed fans!
Looking around, there are a number of people who are pretty annoyed that we haven’t signed at least one striker, and possibly a winger and left back. Actually I’ll go further, people think the club have failed us by not bringing one of the afore mentioned players during January.
So what is the reality?
Well firstly, I have to say that I am a little disappointed that we didn’t bring in a striker, because I think that by doing that, we would have given the squad a lift to push on. BUT, it ISN’T the end of the world.
The thing is, none of us know what has happened behind the scenes. We could have gone after 25 players, but if 25 clubs didn’t want to sell unless we paid double – then it is utter madness to say that we didn’t try to buy someone.
Alex clearly had a number of players he was chasing, particularly Roman Pavlyuchenko. Spurs clearly didn’t want to sell him, or rather, saw an opportunity to rip another club off. As far as I’m concerned, well done Blues for not being pushed around. January is notorious for inflated prices, and one of my concerns was that we ended up buying a player 25% or more above his normal valuation. We didn’t, and that’s good. If Alex HAD done that, he would have got stick for that! Also, we could have also bought in a player just for the sake of it, and it being a disaster.
The thing is, we are 2 wins from safety, and even with the squad we have now – I believe we will get more than 10 points the rest of the season. So it’s not like we had to buy a player to help us achieve safety.
We can now plan to add to the squad in the simmer, when prices are more realistic, have a longer time to bed new players in – and take a balanced view over who we REALLY need and where – and who can go.
One minor criticism, is by allowing Tiny, DJ, McSheff and Bent go – obvious standbys – we are a bit light up front and in defence if we get an injury or two. BUT as I said, we are virtually safe.We bought in two decent midfielders, which could allow Fads to play up front if we need him to. Maybe young Jervis will be given an opportunity to shine.
So, we have just under half the season to go – instead of criticising the club, let’s get behind the team and give them our full support. I still think we’ll finish around mid-table.
Kev
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