McLeish Left Craven for a Win in the Capital
Filed under: Articles by Dale Moon, Blues News, Match reports, Matches
Here is Dale’s take on yesterday.
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As the heat is turned up at the business end of the championship, many of the premier league hopefuls should take note of the fine margins between victory and defeat that make the country’s top division such an unforgiving place. A trip to Craven Cottage was always going to be a tough ask for a blues side that haven’t recorded a point away at any of the London teams this year. Fulham were in form and off the back of an impressive win against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa League. The game was a real battle and to many pundits surprise, somewhat more entertaining than predicted.
And when after 3 minutes Chris Baird planted a textbook header past the helpless Mark Schwartzer and into his own net, Blues had something to hold onto and as we have seen throughout the season, they certainly have the capacity to have done so. Fulham huffed and puffed and pulled off a point blank save from Joe Hart after Simon Davies crept in behind the blues backline. Bobby Zamora looked threatening throughout and had transformed into what looked like a player full of confidence and ability overnight. It was not so long ago that the banks of the river Thames were mocking the striker who seems to have proved his critics wrong. That said, Danns and Johnson dealt with most things fairly well and confined Fulham to a few half chances from Davies and Zamora. Having got to half time with a slender lead, McLeish would have been encouraged by his team’s performances, resolute rather than remarkable.
Then on the hour mark Damien Duff rolled back the years to produce a goal out of nothing. He received the ball just inside the blues half in a wide right position and after going on a mazy run he cut inside onto his favoured left foot and unleashed a precise strike off the inside of the post and into the back of the net. Being critical you could have questioned whether any of the line of players Duff seemed to evade should have took responsibility and make a challenge rather than pass him on to the next man but take nothing away from the finish from the ex-Chelsea winger. Blues to their credit rallied and if it was not for the slightest of touches off Mark Scwartzer, McFadden’s 25 yard rocket would have put blues ahead for a second time in the game. Instead, the underside of the bar diverted the ball onto the line and spun out. The game opened up and as you would expect from the home team Fulham pushed for the winner.
90 Minutes were on the clock and the ball had bounced on the edge of the box when the usually Mr. Reliable Stephen Carr came rushing across and body checked Zoltan Gera. It was one of those moments you see coming but couldn’t stop as the right back committed to the challenge and gave away a dangerous free kick on the edge of the box. To me, it was obvious that the free kick was too close to the goal for the Beckham-esque curler over the wall and so Joe Hart should have occupied his side knowing there was a real possibility that the free kick taker would strike the ball that side of the goal. Bobby Zamora stepped up and crashed a shot that Hart could only get fingertips to as it nestled in the top corner of the blues goal. And with that the game was over. Questions over Joe Hart’s positioning but again a great strike after a silly free kick from a Blues perspective.
On Reflection, a point would have been a fairer result and Blues played their part in a highly contested game. But yet again we come away from the capital with no points and add Fulham to the list of West Ham, Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea for away losses. Lessons to be learnt? Well nobody can deny Duff’s strike but Stephen Carr’s rush of blood to the head cost us dearly, the wise Irishman will know himself that on another day would have used his experience to see out the game. Blues now welcome Wigan to St.Andrews and will look to take all 3 points from the strugglers but Blues being the Blues I know, never make it that simple.
Dale Moon
Disrepute?
Picture the scene. Two managers stand nose to nose on the touchline having a disagreement about a decision the ref has given. Things get personal, the voices raised, the TV cameras zoom in to capture the facial expressions – eventually the referee comes across and sends them both to the stands.
Over the coming weeks they are charged for bringing the game into disrepute as the pictures of their argument is played on sports channels and certain internet video sites!
They will probably get fined, maybe even banned from the dugout for a number of matches. Why? Well it’s obvious, they have bought the game into disrepute.
So why is it, that two certain Directors of a London side, are allowed to accuse our new owners of things and get away with it? They are also publicising players deals of a club they have nothing to do with any more, surely that in itself is against some rule or law?
Some of the things that have been said by them have been completely out of order, and the FA should investigate them. Yes I believe a disrepute charge should be considered.
I am getting fed up of David Gold and David Sullivan whining and moaning about how our new board treated them. Well you sold the club to them! Both of you had voiced your desire to leave, OK David Gold retracted that statement and offered his help to the new board. However the new board clearly decided a complete break from the old board would be the best, and you couldn’t blame them for that.
I have a number of times said that I have appreciated what the previous board did at the club, but you are even beginning to lose those fans who could see the positive contributions you bought to the club.
Why don’t you just leave the Blues alone and concentrate on your new club? I feel sorry for the West Ham fans, because at the moment DS and DG seem to be talking more about our club than theirs.
I would like to add that I think our new board have handled themselves very well in all of this, and have tried to keep their heads down. Mr Pannu’s announcement of possible legal action against Mr Gold I believe is the action of a man who is exasperated with a situation that he thought would just settle down. In one way I hope it doesn’t come to it – because the all that will happen is the Lawyers will gain a fortune and the arguments will get worse.
SO, will either DG and DS be quiet about us and get on with their new job, or will the FA investigate a disrepute charge? No I don’t think they will either – either of those.
Does the “Respect Campaign” apply to the money men in the board rooms too? Apparently not.
I expect there will be more blogs on the subject.
VIEW FROM THE SOUTH – WEST HAM UNITED vs BIRMINGHAM CITY
Filed under: Blues News, Match reports, Matches, Reports By Bazza
On a bitterly cold night at Upton Park, David Gold got his wish for his new team to triumph over his old employees but the result can hardly be described as a “whack.” Much has been said by the two Davids in the days leading up to this one. We are of course all well versed in the playground antics of our former owners but now that they have moved on to a ‘bigger’ club their musings have been brought to higher national attention; after all, West Ham are a club that registers on the wider media Richter scale than the ‘little’ team from Small Heath in the nation’s second city.
They fielded an attacking line up with Mido and the returning Carlton Cole up front aided and abetted by Scott Parker and Diamanti. Blues made some changes with Phillips, Fahey and Gardner coming into the starting line up making a diversion from the side that had done so well for us over the last three months. Blues settled into the game after an initial opening flurry from the hosts and Cameron Jerome had a chance following a nice move but placed his shot wide from eight yards. This was to prove costly. Phillips had a searing 25 yarder tipped over by Green; Diamanti tested Hart with a fierce shot from wide and Scott Dann made a brilliant block from Cole’s fierce shot on 32 minutes which probably represented their best chance of the half. The contest was fairly even with Blues in control for the most part after the early exchanges and the board had been put up for a minute of time added on when Scott Parker’s pacy scurrying run at the heart of our defence was brought to an abrupt end by Dann’s outstretched leg. This resulted in a free kick 25 yards out and a yellow card for Dann. I had a premonition as Diamanti lined up the kick. I remember he came very close with a similar effort at St Andrews in our meeting with the Hammers there and we were fortunate to escape as the ball took paint off the crossbar. This time however, we were not so lucky and the Italian’s beautiful curling strike flashed past the despairing Hart into the top corner for a lead West Ham didn’t deserve on the balance of play but it was a goal to grace any match and would have beaten any keeper in the land. It was to be the last kick of the half.
The second half presented very few chances for either side and West Ham were resolute and more solid in defence than they had been in the first and were clearly in no mood to allow their opportune lead to be nullified by their in-form opponents. Blues played some nice stuff in midfield with Fergusson imperious again and Gardner making frequent pacy runs down the right making the letter our best player by far on the night. However, Blues could not find the killer ball or opening to trouble the Hammers defence. Michel came on for the tiring Bowyer and on 67 minutes McFadden came on for Fahey in a clear attempt to freshen the impetus in search of the equaliser. Just as the first half free kick had been the telling moment of the first period, this innocuous replacement was to be the turning point of the second. McFadden had barely stepped onto the pitch when Ridgewell found himself facing two West Ham attackers on the overlap one of whom was Faubert who found himself at the by-line. McFadden, not yet in tune with the game, realised the danger too late to help his colleague and the result was a clipped cross from Faubert to the stooping Carlton Cole who cleverly got across Johnson to head into the bottom corner; 2 – 0 and game over. This was a pity for I am sure that five minutes later and the goal doesn’t get scored because the cross doesn’t come in because the cover would have been there; a very nice finish nevertheless. West Ham held on comfortably after that and a couple of half chances which fell to Phillips were snuffed out by the uncompromising defenders. Upson clearly handled at one point but it was one of those nights when nothing ran for us and decisions like that were never going to go the way of the boys in blue.
Blues did not play badly but were undone by two key moments especially the free kick in the first half. I think it would have been a different outcome had the score been 0 – 0 at half time as it should have been. A couple of West Ham fans told me after the game that Birmingham should have been 2 – 0 to the good before Diamanti scored. It would appear that our chances were better than they looked to me from the poor viewing position I had for the princely sum of £35 last night. Unfortunately, we missed the opportunities we created and they took two of the three they carved out during the game; the other was the block by Dann of Cole’s shot. That was the difference between the sides in what was a decent game and on that basis West Ham deserved their three points. Well done Hammers, Bravissimo Zola even if your Chairman thinks you are paid too much!
On the way back to Upton Park station with Will and his brother Chris who had travelled down from the Midlands to join us, Will asked; “Hey Baz, ‘ow do yow know if yow’ve got frost bite in yower feet?” I said “when yow take yower socks off, if yower toes come with them yow’ve got frost bite!” It was freezing cold in the stands and icy underfoot; probably as chilly as the relations between the respective boardrooms? A man walked past us in the queue with his two little girls who were wearing our colours and was overhead to say “Ah well sweetheart you can’t win every game you know.” Indeed you can’t and that is one of life’s lessons and so is the fact that there is always the next game (unless you’re a Portsmouth fan possibly. 
) Derby in the Cup; let’s not have a repeat of this disappointment there please Blues. West Ham are a decent side with good players and no disrespect to Derby County but such quality is not clearly visible in their squad. The Blue Army expects!
KRO SOTV
West Ham v Birmingham City Brief Post Match Thoughts
Firstly, West Ham were deserved winners tonight – we created a number of chances but in truth didn’t really look like putting many away.
We had a pretty decent first half, and I think we worried the Hammers a few times, but conceding the goal on half time was a killer. In the second half, McCleish bought on fresh legs, however we conceded at that time and that was game over.
I saw enough tonight to think that West Ham have enough to stay up.
So what about us, I think we missed Chucho’s hustle and bustle and speed. I’m still not convinced that Jerome is the deal.
A number of players looked jaded, which considering they have played most of our games this season – that isn’t too surprising. We did look lack lustre and we definitely could have done with a “Cole” in our side.
However I’m not too upset. Our safety is just about assured, and our season has been a pretty successful one. I can quite happily let this one go – obviously put my fingers in my ears and go “LA LA LA” which DS spouts off about the biggest club etc.
My main concern is that certain Blues fans will start moaning about things just because we lost one game. IT IS NOT the end of the world – we could be in the bottom 4, but we’re not. Yes we needed a striker, but it is pretty obvious that the club couldn’t be blamed for not getting one.
Please don’t moan about our situation, we’re fine. We will add new players in the summer and look to do even better next season.
Kev
Our Previous Board
What is it about our previous board? Do they not know when to be quiet? When they ran the Blues they were always annoying other fans and causing people to look at us and take the rip out of us. I don’t know what it was, but they could say something that is quite reasonable if said by someone else, but when they said it – it would sound very unreasonable.
Since they took over at West Ham, they appear to have spent as much time still talking about us.
When they comment about finances, they have spoken about some of the deals they did here – although not at West Ham I notice, then there was the “we were just in training!”
Well that is my line of work, and I suggest that you may need to do the course again!
I wasn’t a DS / DG knocker as such, I appreciated the fact that they did save the club and pretty much put us on healthy ground. HOWEVER, they didn’t take us to the next level, despite many promises, and there was a lot of hot air regarding players coming in or staying in. Positively, they were very loyal to managers, with only 4 being in charge during their time here.
HOWEVER, you have left – so PLEASE stop talking about your time here, and focus on West Ham, it sounds like you have plenty to get on with there.
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