Captain Carr

While Lee Clark today delivered the news that he had activated the option on Chris Burke’s contract to keep the winger at the club for another year, he also brought the blow that many had guessed was the case already: the retirement of Stephen Carr.

After being out of action for the whole of the 2012/13 season with a knee injury, an unsuccessful series of operations and one-on-one sessions with the medical staff at Blues have forced Carr to make the decision to call time on his career.

As we all know it’s not the first time the former club captain made the call to quit the game. Back in 2008 after he was released from Newcastle United and unable to find a club that would sign him, Carr announced his retirement from football. But less than a year later in February 2009, Blues took the leap and offered him an initial one month contract after a short trial with the club.

The powerful defender impressed then manager Alex McLeish and was rewarded with a contract which took him until the end of the 2009/10 season, where he was an integral part of a side that gained promotion to the Premier League.

Things just got better for Carr, being named club captain the right-back lead his side on a fantastic run, culminating in a ninth place finish – the highest Blues have ever finished in England’s top flight and a great achievement for a newly promoted club.

The following season saw the day the club will never forget; the Carling Cup victory over Arsenal, a game in which Carr excelled himself, and proved to be a true leader – as if we didn’t have enough proof already.

Although Blues couldn’t manage to stave off relegation that season, Carr’s achievements cannot be overshadowed by that feat. In his four and a half years in the team he has allowed himself to become a club legend. He is a man we have missed since he was sidelined last summer, and a figure that epitomizes the club’s passion and belief.

His blazing runs down the flank, his infamous 'wave' to the Villa fans, his match winning tackles and clearances: Carr is a model professional who gave his all to the club and I can only thank him for what he has achieved in his time here, and the new heights he took the club to.

 

Victory In Defeat

I’ll admit that I approached this fixture as doom merchant. I was adamant Man City would put at least five past us – or even more. But I’m always happy to be proved wrong and as was the case last night: we didn’t win, but we came away from the Etihad Stadium far from disgraced and embarrassed; in fact we exited the competition which we did so well in last year with our heads held high.

We held on fifteen minutes before City eventually broke the deadlock, and with more accurate and astute defending I’d say we could have prevented the ball falling to Owen Hargreaves to score on his debut. I’m not sure where people get the impression from of Hargreaves being a poor player. His injury list is nothing short of disastrous and would put most clubs off the idea of having ‘sicknote’ in their team but, and I’m sure most Manchester United fans would agree, he is a very good player, and a goal of such quality last night adds weight to this argument.

Even with eleven changes City managed to field Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli and Kolo Toure; something we can only dream of being able to do, but this second string had control of the first half and doubled their advantage before half time, this time everybody’s favourite live-wire Balotelli finishing off a lovely move to give City more than an edge in the game.

It could have all gone downhill from here and the floodgates could have well and truly been opened, but all credit to Blues as they fought back second half, having spells of possession and chances on goal. Jean Beausejour, Guirane N’Daw, Chris Burke and David Murphy, amongst others, all had chances to make a game of it. But it stayed at 2-0 and we can consider it a moral victory, and definitely take positives out of the game.

The first positive obviously being that we didn’t lie down and take a beating. We fought, and because of that we didn’t disgrace ourselves nor did we look like we couldn’t be bothered. Although we don’t really need to progress in the Carling Cup – not only have we been there, done that won the trophy, but we already have a minimum of 55 fixtures to fulfill this season - it is true that every game you play in you should want to win. And the players last night showed real intent to get something out the game, and very nearly did.

Another positive from the game was the return of Nikola Zigic, who will prove to be a real asset in the Championship especially with his height which is bound to cause problems. This has now bolstered our attack meaning we now have Chris Wood, Adam Rooney and Marlon King – as well as youngster Akwasi Asante – all vying for a starting place.

We can draw on another positive after Colin Doyle’s performance between the sticks, namely after his double save to deny first Tevez and then Toure after the rebound. Curtis Davies is another player who deserves the plaudits, after another expert defensive display which even saw him add his name to the score sheet for the second time this season, after his first-half overhead kick was saved on the line.

So 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium isn’t too bad considering the circumstances, especially as a lot of Premier League teams this season will leave Manchester after a much heavier deafer than what we witnessed last night. Credit to the team for doing well, and another positive we can take is that we can now concentrate on the league and of course the Europa League.
The memories of the Carling Cup last season were never going to be repeated, but they’ll last us a lifetime anyway.


Full Time: Manchester City 2-0 BLUES
Goal Scorers: Hargreaves (17) Balotelli (38)
Star Man: Curtis Davies
Next Up: Barnsley at home - Championship

Birmingham City Football Club - Carling Cup Winners 2011

Now how great does that sound?

It was always going to be the success for one team and failure for the other. Ultimately, the team to come out on top would be the one who wanted it more - and no one can deny that we, Birmingham City, wanted it more than Arsenal. The passionate performance by the players and the scenes of jubilation long after the final whistle had been blown told you everything you needed to know about how much it meant for the club as a whole.

While Arsenal fans made their way to Wembley with confidence, we made ours with belief and in the end I think that's what sealed it. Arriving in London all you saw was a sea of Blue. It was a real day out for us and one I know every single Bluenose there will cherish forever; and it still would be remembered forever even if the end result hadn't quite turned out how we wanted it to.

Getting into the ground and seeing thousands upon thousands of Blues already in their seats and just a few Arsenal fans scattered around their end told you more of the story. The Birmingham players came out to elated cheers from the Blues fans, and the Arsenal players walked out to a chorus of boos from the same end; with Arsenal fans still no where to be seen.

The moments before kick-off were special. I thought it was all done brilliantly and it felt like we shouldn't be there, really: it was such a big occasion and that's when it really hit home what we were about to take part it - a Carling Cup Final.

As the game got under way so did the singing. Every single Blues fan there did themselves and the club proud as it was magnificent support from the off. We gave everything that could be asked of us and thankfully, in turn, the players gave everything that could be asked of them. It truly was a brilliant performances from every single player and substitute. From the back with man of the match (he's making a habit of this in Cup Finals!) Ben Foster who was absolutely superb and has been all season. The mistake he made against West Ham was highlighted and comments about "England's goalkeeping future" rose it's ugly head once again, but if Ben's performances in every other game this season were highlighted as much as that one mistake, then no one would be complaining about the future of goalkeeping: they would be praising it, safe in the knowledge that we have both Ben Foster and Joe Hart competing for the number one spot.


Stephen Carr. Our captain, our leader. One again he was phenomenal. He always does his job and he does it with such brilliance, especially in big games. I hope that idiot (of want of a better word) on 'caught offside' watched that performance and realised how much of a mistake he made by stupidity labelling Carr as a dead weight that Birmingham City must get rid of.

As for the rest of the back four: Roger Johnson, Martin Jiranek, Liam Ridgewell. What can be said that hasn't already been said? All I can say is thank you. You were all brilliant. Some of the tackles, Jiranek and Johnson especially, were timed to perfection. It was the true art of tackling mastered by two true professionals and I hope Mr. Wenger, no - everyone - saw that and appreciated it for what it was.

McLeish's tactics of 4-5-1 until just before the end worked superbly. Larsson ran himself ragged again and Ferguson, Bowyer and Gardner battled for everything. Even though there was a mass witch hunt for Bowyer throughout the game even the haters of the man could see how much he has grown up: he didn't let it get to him, he just continued to play his game and got what he deserved from such a professional and fighting performance. I also though Keith Fahey was great. Playing him in a 4-5-1 formation works well and his that hit the inside of the post - my heart - I thought it was in, I really did. It was unfortunate that Gardner had to go off and you could tell that in the way he walked/stormed over to the bench when his number came up. But his replacement Beausejour was up to the challenge and worked his socks off and had a performance to be proud of.

Nikola Zigic. Where do I star with him? He's not beautiful to watch, he sometimes seems bambi-like and he's not exactly the 20 goal striker every club wants yet few have: but he gets in the right positions, no one knows how to handle him and he scores vital goals like the one he scored yesterday. And oh when he scored. The place was buzzing already but that just installed even more belief into every Blues fan and player there. The West end of the ground was bouncing and everyone burst into song. We were 1-0 up against Arsenal. In a cup final.



Our game came through a set piece - something which we do best. So Arsenal's goal was only going to happen through what they do best: run at you. Van Persie's goal was well crafted and superbly finished, and I take my hat off to him (although I didn't at the time for obvious reasons!) The crowd went a little flat but the belief, that was still there, and it never really went all game and I think that's what helped us to prevail. In fact, I know.

As the game neared the end it got more and more tense. At 85 minutes, my dad said "it looks like it's going to extra time then." At 89 minutes, it was all over. Ben Foster's overzealous kicks have been inconvenient at some times this season - not this time though - as his long kick set up what proved to be the winning goal.

It takes a moment of magic to score, but in this case it was a moment of pure calamity in the Arsenal defence and one of the most beautiful gifts Birmingham City has ever received, as Obafemi Martins slotted home the "easiest goal" he has ever scored, and back flipped away in celebration as the Blues fans went, quite frankly, absolutely fucking ballistic.


All we needed to do was to hold on for 5 more minutes. Cameron Jerome came on and held the ball up brilliantly. We were aching for the final whistle and when it came, the loudest roar Wembley has even heard erupted from the one end of the ground, and the players ran, jubilant, towards where the deafening noise was coming from. It was scenes of utter joy: fans crying their eyes out, shouting at the tops of their voices, while the man on the PA system announced the winners of the Carling Cup Final, and the big screens flashed with congratulation messages. We had done it. The team no one expected to conquer: had conquered, and we had pulled off the most magnificent cupset in recent years.


The celebrations went on for a long while after. The cup was lifted, the players celebrated, and paraded round the pitch covered in Blues scarves, hats, flags and champagne. The players and fans alike were having the time of their lives out there and no one wanted it to end. Blues songs rang out loud over Wembley and the party was in full flow. As the players left the pitch clutching the first piece of silverware the club had won in 48 years, the Blues fans - lauded as one of if not the loudest set of fans the new Wembley has ever seen - left the ground how they had arrived at it: smiling.

I'm a believer in fate. But also a believer that you have to work hard to reach goals. This season has lacked a bit of luck - maybe yesterday we finally got that bit of luck at just the right time. Maybe in the end it actually does come down to fate, as well as the right amount of character, passion and belief.

Our name forever engraved onto the trophy; the memories forever etched in the minds of everyone connected with Birmingham City Football Club.

Wembley

Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. It's almost always the other way round. The amount of times we've gone one or two goals up, only to finish the game with a draw or even a defeat... take Bolton at the start of the season for example; 2-0 up, Bolton down to ten men, and we go and draw it 2-2. Last night made up for all the times we'd done that, in fact it pretty much made up for all the hurt we've felt in the past five or so years.

There was one thing we didn't want to and that was to concede first. So obviously, being Blues, that's exactly what we did. We didn't close Cole down and he struck the ball very well, and the ball crept past Foster into the net. On the one night we wanted Blues to perform, it looked like we hadn't turned up. 'Just once' i thought, 'just once can we have our night.'

At half time I was standing with some of my mates and we were all pretty depressed. We all thought we'd be able to score one goal, but two... we didn't think we possible, especially as the one thing we've been pretty poor at for a while now is scoring goals. Little did we know Blues were about to put on the performance of their lives.

We threw everything at West Ham second half. Everything. The kitchen sink, the cat, the dog. Everything. It reminded me of last season when we used to put everything on the line; or against Chelsea this season when we were defending that one goal lead for about 70 minutes. It was brilliant and exciting; but at the same time it was the most nervous I and many others have ever been. But that first goal by Bowyer. That relieved some of the nerves. The feeling when that went in was immense. It really was. It was a superb strike and it really set us on our way, everyone in the ground could sense what was coming next.


And, plenty of attacks, corners and decent Green saves later, it came. Bowyer's corner found Roger Johnson head, which found the back of the net (the ball, not his head. I can't word that bit right) and the place erupted. I mean it really erupted. You know when you go so mental you don't even know what you're doing, and you're cheering so loud you know any minute your voice will go. And the stand was bouncing. And the fans were all on their feet going absolutely - pardon my French - fucking mental. And the West Ham fans couldn't believe it. Neither could we. It was 2-2 on aggregate, it was game on, and we were taking this one right to the wire: the Blues way. We nearly did it in normal time though, Craig Gardner hit the post in the last few seconds. It so almost crept in. Almost.


But we just kept the momentum going from the second half into extra time, and that's when it happened. The ball was passed long to a West Ham player. Stephen Carr read the pass and ran. He ran so fast I'm not sure how he had the energy to after running so much in the second half. But he was so determined to get there first. And he stole the ball. And he ran. And he passed it to Gardner. And that's when it happened. That's when Craig Gardner, the Bluenose, the lifelong Birmingham City supporter, scored the winning goal. Now if you think the celebrations for Roger Johnson's goal were mental, they were nothing compared to this. I will never forget that moment. 4 minutes into extra time and we were ahead. We just needed to keep it that way.


We had so many other chances to score and to create. As did West Ham, but our defence were so, so resilient they just couldn't break us down. With a few minutes to go a man in front of us started signing about Wembley. About five of us turned to him and shouted "NOT YET! NOT YET!" because we knew this was Blues and that anything could happen. But he was right. And with a minute to go, the whole ground was belting out que sera sera, and at that moment Howard Webb blew his whistle, every one just let everything go. There were tears, there were... well, just about every emotion under the sun. Pure relief, absolute delirium, just everything and more. Standing on our chairs singing 'que sera sera' is a moment I will never, ever forget. Because we did it. We're going to Wembley.


I think 'the Blues way' is the only way we could have done it, It was never going to be easy because it never is with Blues. We should have know that we'd do it in the end, that we'd be too much for West Ham, but I guess part of you isn't too sure when to believe in Blues because of how many times they've let you down in the past. But if last night taught me one thing; it's to never, ever doubt Birmingham City.

A Carling Cup final date at Wembley with Arsenal awaits us. The best thing about it is that we've got nothing to lose. Everyone expects Arsenal to win, so it's great that we have no pressure. All we have to do is go out there, do our thing and see what happens. The worst that can happen is that we get runners up medals. So for the love of God, everyone: just enjoy it, it won't come around very often. I hope you all had a brilliant night last night. See you all at Wembley.

Full Time: Birmingham City 3-1 West Ham (AGG: 4-3)

90 Minutes

To most, It's "only the Carling cup." It's the mickey mouse cup as soon as your out of it. It's the cup that's "disrespected" by the bigger teams because they want to concentrate on "more important games." But when you're 90 minutes away from Wembley, it doesn't matter who you are - be it Arsenal or Birmingham - the Carling Cup is the most important thing in your life at that precise moment.

All I've ever wanted is to see my team play at Wembley. I don't care what circumstances it's under; be it F.A cup or play off final, I really don't mind. The only thing I've ever wanted, other than glory, loads of wins and brilliant players, is to see my team walk out and Wembley and to be there to witness it. I've never thought about the score or worried about what I'd do if we lost. I know a couple of Sheffield United fans who said the play off final was the best day of their lives even though they lost, because their dream to see their team play at Wembley came true. Same as all the Villa fans I know - they said it was brilliant. They've been there twice, they've lost twice; yet those two games were two of the best days of their lives.

And I want that. That is all I want. Right now, that's all any Blues fan wants. And we're just 90 minutes away from it. And not just 90 minutes away from Wembley like we were last season, but actually 90 minutes away from a cup final. That's why it'll hurt more if we lose. Last season it was an F.A Cup semi final at stake. Sure, it was at Wembley and it would have been brilliant,. But it wasn't to be, and it wasn't a final either. This is a final. Win this game on Wednesday, and we're 90 minutes away from winning a trophy. An actual trophy. Silver and everything. Proper medals to go around the players' necks - one's with 'winner' printed on them. Fireworks. Open top buses. Glory. Our moment. A little bit of history. The lot.

But let's not get carried away; we've still got Wednesday to contend with yet. West Ham are 2-1 up on aggregate, so technically they have the advantage. But what we have on our side is a home tie under the lights with a full ground. You can't buy atmospheres like that, especially at Blues, and I know the fans will be doing everything to get behind the team because of how much we all want this.

So, the team. This is aimed directly at you now: do anything you can to win. None of us care how you do it, honestly, we just want you to do it. Win by two clear goals and we don't even need to go to extra time and penalties. Win 2-0 and we've done it. Those two goals can come however you please; off Jerome's left heel; deflected in from a free kick; Gardner sliding in at the last minute; even an own goal from Upson. We don't care. They don't have to be stunning goals, they just have to be goals. And say we go 1-0 down, we pick ourselves up and go at it again. If you have to score three goals, you're going to have to score three goals. If we go 2-0 down, we're going to expect you to score four goals, or even five. Because we really, really want this.

As a club we've never really won much, as we so often get reminded by our nearest but definitely not dearest neighbours. So this is something we've wanted for years now, and I'm sure West Ham want it just as much as we do. I'm sure plenty of their fans are saying the same thing as I'm saying right now. I'm sure their players know how important an occasion it is too, especially as they are 2-1 up from the first leg. But we've got to play like we want it more.

The only thing I'm sure about on Wednesday night is that you'll give us a performance to be proud of. I know I can be confident of that. Lets just make sure that when that full time whistle goes, I'm proud of our achievement of getting to Wembley and not just the fighting, yet losing, display we put on.

We need that passion and with that we displayed so many times last season more than ever now, and we need it Wednesday night. Forget the league for now; that doesn't matter this week, we can think about that again another time. For now, all any Blues fan and anyone associated with this great football club wants is to get to Wembley. We're closer than we've been in years to a cup final now, don't let this great opportunity slip through your hands Blues. Grasp it as hard as you can and do not let go.

Lets hope next time you read anything from me on here, It's some jumbled nonsense about the best night of my life, and a trip to Wembley to look forward to.

Que sera sera and all that.

Half time

It could have been worse. I mean it really, really could have been worse. It could have been all over in the first half with the amount of possession and chances West Ham had, and considering how poor we played and how little we created, we were lucky to go in at half time only 1-0 down.

It wasn't a tragic first half performance, not at all, but not one you'd expect in the first leg of a Carling Cup semi-final. We played 4-5-1 which was frustrating but understandable. McLeish likes to contain and then go for it, which I do understand but then again on the flip side of things maybe we should have just gone for it and went 4-4-2 with Jerome and Derbyshire starting; with Jerome's pace and Derbyshire's knack for finding the back of the net, surely we couldn't have gone wrong?

In the past our defence has been rock solid. Last season a lot of teams struggled to get past out back five, but this season it's not been as good. The first goal we conceded highlighted this. The ball should have been cleared, Ridgewell probably should have been alert, and maybe Foster shouldn't have been beaten at his near post.


But there's no use dwelling on what could have been. In the second half Blues gave us the performance we'd all paid our money to travel down to London to see. God only knows what Alex said to them in the dressing room at half time but it certainly worked; we came out a different team and really took it to West Ham.

Blues started the half incredibly brightly and Larsson, who seems to be staying at Blues now, had a great game down the right with Carr and they both ran West Ham ragged. Hleb also had a good game, dancing through the defence whenever he pleased but my only criticism of him is that sometimes he tries to do too much. Other than that, he honestly is a joy to watch.

With free kicks, corners and crosses and most of all possession all in favour of Blues, it really was only a matter of time before the equaliser came. I cannot tell you how much relief and elation was felt amongst the travelling Blues fans at that header from Ridgewell all but broke the back of the net, and for the next 15 minutes the noise coming from the away end was terrific. It was brilliant to be part of it.


We really should have clinched a winner, especially after Obinna was sent off, but yet again our lack of clinical finishing was what let us down. That, and poor defending - which was what led to both the goals... and of course that blunder by Foster which we don't want to mention.

In a perfect world we would have grabbed an equaliser with the amount of chances we had after West Ham, pretty undeservedly, went ahead again. But it wasn't to be, and now we have to win at St. Andrews to stand a chance of getting to Wembley. It can be done, of course it can: we have a brilliant home record and West Ham have a pretty shambolic away record. It won't be easy, but then again, when is it ever easy supporting Blues?

Full Time: West Ham 2-1 Birmingham City

The City Is Ours

That took a while didn't it? Too long if you ask me. I'd almost forgot what it felt like to beat them, but I was sliftly reminded just how good it feels. Even the day after; the gloating, the smile on your face, the holding your head high, the banter with the Villa fans and the look on their faces as they realise there's nothing they can say back to you. We did it.

A full St. Andrews witnessed a, not brilliant, but definitely resilient Blues performance last night. It was a great game and definitely a great way to show everyone what Midlands football is all about (minus the scenes at the end of the match, but we'll come to that mini rant later).

The first goal in any derby game is always crucial, and luckily enough we got it through a great Seb Larsson penalty - low, hard, sent the keeper the wrong way and most importantly found the back of the net. 1-0 Blues, absolutely brilliant. The place went mental, the crowd erupted and the noise was deafening.


Some time later we scored a second, only to be denied by the 'interfering with play rule.' This is one thing the FA need to clarify. It's such a fancy rule no one knows what's going on any more: in my opinion it should be changed to if you're offside, you're offside. That way no one gets confused and teams aren't helped or hindered by decisions.

In a quick change of events, Villa equalised through a man whose name does not deserve a place on my blog and I will not give him it either. There's not many people I could say I hate, in fact there's only two things: Aston Villa and that man.

I wouldn't say we were the best team in the game: for large parts of the game I was convinced Villa were going to win it. I was preparing myself for another heartbreak; for another let down; for another miserable trek back home in the snow. But this time it was our time. It was our night and it was our turn to show people how we do it. And we did.


In the derbies last season, it was Villa who killed our dreams. It was Villa who scored in the closing minutes of the game to deny us any chance of a comeback; but this time the tables were turned. Jerome fed a ball in the air to Zigic who, challenged, looped the ball over Friedel who couldn't save it. Zigic: relieved, Blues: ecstatic, Villa: crushed. The fatal blow had been dealt by the team who had had to endure all the taunts over the years, and that's why the victory wasn't just a victory: it was such a sweet, sweet moment that no one will forget in a hurry.

I am extremely proud of what Blues did, and I find it unfortunate that a minority marred it for the majority. I do not in any way condone the Blues fans that ran over to the Villa fans to taunt them and sing at them: but I do understand why. It's hard to put a fan of another club in the shoes of a Blues fan, but if you ask us kindly enough we'll all tell you how they Villa fans have made us feel over the years, and how much they've mocked us. It was our turn. Maybe the fans didn't go about it in the right way, but they were blinded by the fact we'd just beat our local rivals for the first time in years.


Now onto the more serious stuff: the flares. I find it amusing how the media labelled Birmingham as the flare throwiers and the chair chuckers. I watched the scenes unfold, and I watched the first flarwes being thron by Villa fans (who later admitted it was them who brought them - case closed) and I watched them rip up seats and throw them. Not that i condone Blues throwing them back - both fans are as bad as each other in my opinion - but I'm fed up of the media blaming it all on Birmingham because of our past.

Also what I found hilarious and not even wroth defending, was the fact we were blamed for not getting the World Cup in 2018. Brilliant. That is class. Us Blues and Villa fans have been making jokes all day about it - because it really is brilliant, isn't it? Lets ignore everything else wrong with the country and pinpoint one incident that happened the night before the announcement, when a lot of people had already confided to the fact Russia were probably going to win it. Genius. The Midlands derby? The perfect scapegoat.

I don't want it to mar what was a great victory, but the facts need to be said and the people on England need to move on with their lives. The most important thing to come from yesterday was the fact we beat our local rivals and we're now two games from Wembley, and for me, that's the only thing that matters right now.

Full Time: Birmingham City 2-1 Aston Villa

Honours Even

For Blues, it was a chance to beat their nearest, but certainly not dearest, rivals for the first time in six attempts. For Villa, it was a change to make it '7-in-a-row'. And for both teams, it was the first derby game of the season.

Blues kept the same formation that saw them beat Blackpool in the previous Premier League game, whilst Villa - the home side - opted for a negative 4-5-1 shut out. We all really should have seen what would happen in the next 90 minutes coming.

The game started off at a high tempo, but as it got further and further into the game, Sky were probably breathing a sigh of relief that they had not paid to air the game - (especially upon seeing the full time result of the tyne-wear derby!) For Blues and Villa fans alike, it was a game full of tension, but for the neutrals, it was pretty boring. Neither team had too many clear cut chances, and with the home side shaping up to actually play for a draw, it was pretty disappointing in itself.


To saw Blues shaded the first half would probably be a correct statement. Neither team really created much, which was the story of the game, however Blues pressured much more in the first forty-five minutes, and the home side didn't even have a shot of target, which really speaks volumes.

A derby game isn't a derby game without a controversial decision, and the closest the game came to controversy was near the end of the first half, when Nigel Reo-Coker - who by the end of the game could consider himself a lucky little boy to still be on the pitch - appeared to handle the ball in the area, after some suspect 'controlling' of the ball. No penalty was awarded, and not many Blues players staked a claim for a penalty, but on reply is does look like the Villa player handled the ball.

The second half was not controlled by one team in particular, but you could say Villa had the better of it. Nigel Reo-Coker subsequently got booked, and also injured Roger Johnson, giving him idiot status amongst the Birmingham fans - and of course, like the true soldier he is, Roger battled on to see the game out.


It seemed like there was too much at stake for either team to really go for it - the ones to make the first move were Blues, by bringing Cameron Jerome on to go 4-4-2, who made an immediate impact, bursting down the wing to almost sneak the ball past Brad Friedel. Some time later and Villa played their card: John Carew - who is apparently bigger than me and you (but not as big as Nikola Zigic) - who pretty much did nothing but win one header. Trump card made... trump card failed. Blues nearly won it at the death, but Nikola Zigic couldn't get the ball past Brad Friedel, and the game finished 0-0 - with Villa fans sneaking out the ground, and a small number booing. And they say they're not fickle.

For Blues, it was a relief not to lose and a relief that they stopped their neighbours getting 'the magnificent 7' victories on the bounce. But what also came out of that game for them, was pride. For 90 minutes, they stood toe to toe with their rivals who proclaim themselves as far superior, however after that showing, you can tell that the gap between the clubs is not as far as some Villa fans would lead you to believe.

For Villa, it was a disappointing result, which although they didn't lose, being at home and playing as poorly and negatively as they did, they will not be a happy bunch tonight. It was 0-0 today, but the deadlock must be broken in the Carling Cup, where the two teams meet at St. Andrews in pretty much exactly a months time. And Blues are ready now. Believe me.

It would've been nice to see Craig Gardner reeling off in celebration in front of the Holte End in the 93rd minute, but, i'll settle for a point. And that's what we got.

Full Time: Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Que sera sera...

At 90 minutes, we were out of the Carling Cup. At 91 minutes, we were back in it again. It's strange how football works, because if teams that deserved to win actually won, we wouldn't have equalised in the 91st minute to send the game to extra time. As it is, not everyone gets what they deserve in football.

To say Brentford were the better team throughout the first ninety minutes would be an understatement. We honestly didn't turn up at all. O'Connor and Derbyshire are probably still in the back pockets of the Brentford defence, and our own defence is lucky that 1. most of Brentford's shots were wide of the mark, and 2. (and no one normally says this) that Maik Taylor was in goal behind them.

The best of a bad bunch was probably Michel, who got man of the match for Blues. It has been mentioned before that he is being moulded into Barry Ferguson, as he is a good passer and distributor of the ball like Barry himself. Michel played well in midfield; won lots of headers, played intelligent passes, and for a Spaniard he doesn't half get stuck in. I was impressed with him. Shame I can't really say that about many of the others. Especially Lee Bowyer, who had an absolute mare, to then go and and sky his penalty - which pretty much summed up his night.


Another special mention needs to go to Nathan Redmond. Although at times he got caught up a bit in play, you can tell what a great player he is going to be. He has pace, skill and agility, and with the crowd getting behind the young lad, there is only one way he is going to go - and that is up.

Kevin Phillips' equaliser, after Sam Wood put the away side ahead, knocked the stuffing out of Brentford, and it was clear that in extra time they were happy to settle for the lottery that is the penalty shoot out. And they got it.


I didn't know Scott Dann and Stephen Carr were penalty takers, but I would let them take them again and again after their efforts last night. Craig Gardner and Kevin Phillips also slotted theirs away like true professionals calm under pressure, and with a smart save by Maik Taylor for Brentford's last penalty, Blues wrapped up the win and booked a place in the last eight of the competition.


Credit goes to Brentford FC - their players and their fans - they took the game to us and almost won. Their fans were brilliant throughout and I honestly wish them the best of luck for the rest of the season. I spoke to David Hunt, one of their players, on Twitter this morning; congratulating him on how well his team played and how unlucky they were. He is a credit to his team as he replied back, and wished Blues good luck. I will keep an eye out for their results this season, as if they play their league games like they played last night, I have a feeling they will do very well indeed.

Three games away from Wembley kids. Three games.

Full Time: Birmingham City 1-1 Brentford (4-3 on penalties AET)

Craig Gardner: Five Minute Man... and the rest

Hleb must have wondered what he’d got himself in to at the weekend when he saw his new side lose 3-1 to relegation candidates and local rivals West Brom. The same could be said again when he walked out onto a pitch of just over 9,000 at St. Andrews last night, being used to crowds of much over 80,000 back in Spain.

At least the score didn’t replicate that of Saturdays, though, as Blues ran out comfortable 3-1 winners over their League 1 opposition MK Dons.

That ‘it’s going to be a long night’ feeling was felt by most in the opening ten minutes. That changed abruptly when Michel pulled up with a knee injury and was replaced by Craig Gardner.

That one man won the game for Blues, and rightly got Man of the Match. As soon as he came on, the game picked up pace, and three goals were scored in quick succession; Gardner fed a great ball to Beausejour who found Hleb who in turn calmly and brilliantly found the back of the net.

The second Blues goal came just minutes later, and it was Zigic who got his first goal in a Blues shirt, and it was Beausjour who provided the cross – who had a superb home debut.

Gardner got a well deserved goal of his own, again just moments later, with one of his trademark long-range shots. Within the space of five minutes, Craig Grdner had effectively won the game for Blues.

MK Dons would have been forgiven for rolling over and letting Blues walk all over them, but credit to them as they were resilient through out, and prevented ahy more Blues goals being scored in the second half, even with chances galore from players such as Derbyshire, Zigic and debutant Jiranek.

The Dons got a small consolation near the end of the game as Wlbraham slotted home with ten minutes left. However a consolation was all it was, as the home team went on to be 3-1 winners on the night, and book themselves a place in the last sixteen of the Carling Cup – where it starts to get exciting!

All the Blues players had a great game; particularly impressing were Hleb – it’s brilliant seeing him in a Blues shirt! Beausejour – he is already proving to be a great winger, even if it was only against lower league opposition. Fahey – who I thought had a good game in his favoured position of centre-midfield. Murphy – who now back from injury has played important parts in both the cup games so far, and of corse the man of the moment Craig Gardner – I think seeing him to us was the best thing Villa have ever done for us.

Full Time: Birmingham City 3-1 Milton Keynes Dons

The Road to Wembley...

There seems to be some kind of unwritten rule when it comes to the Carling Cup, that Premier League teams must beat lower league opposition. They have to. Or it will be considered a total travesty and an embarrassment. But considering most Premier League teams play most of their reserve players in these Cup ties, I don’t see how losing against teams in a lower division is seen as something that just shouldn’t happen. If it’s not your team; we all find it brilliant when teams like Barsnley beat Liverpool, etc. But if it is your team; it’s like the end of the world.

Of corse that doesn’t matter; as Blues won 3-2 against Rochdale so this doesn’t have to come into the equation. But I just thought I’d throw that out there...

The match, which got better as it went on, started off quite dully. And although Blues attacked in force; they were quite predictable and not exactly full of ideas. The ball across the park to Murphy which was tried six times before we realised it was going to get cut off before it reached him is an example of this especially because that’s how Rochdale’s first goal came about. Murphy couldn’t get back in time and that left Jones to tap in the rebound after his first shot was saved by Maik Taylor, to the frustration of the small Blues crowd inside St. Andrews.

Blues were level though just three minutes later: Matt Derbyshire, making his first start for Blues, was brought down in the penalty area, and a couple of angry Rochdale players and a confused linesman later, the penalty was awarded and McFadden stepped up to slot it away expertly (Villa players, take note) and Blues were back on level terms.

McFadden showed his class in the first half, skipping past players, making a few great passes. Something you realise when you actually have time to concentrate on just one player, is how much they actually do. Moan all you like about James McFadden, use his as a scapegoat for pretty much everything; but that man is a class player, and there is no doubt about it. There’s been rumours about him being linked with a move away from the club, and if we were to lose him, it would be a big loss.

The second half saw Seb Larsson come on for McFadden, and Blues started very bright; attacking from the off. Seb was instantly involved as his corner found the head of Roger Johnson, which was tapped into the net to put Blues ahead, just a couple of minutes into the second half.

Blues looked much to dominant team then, and although Rochdale did have their chances, you could see the divide between the two. Matt Derbyshire had already showed how much of a handful he will be this season, and he was in the right place at the right time for his first Blues goal, after a Larsson shot was fumbled by the Rochdale ‘keeper, and bundled just about over the line by Derbyshire.

So, 3-1 and the game was pretty much over already. Blues had ample chances to extend their lead, with that man Derbyshire again coming close numerous times. He then made way for Nikola Zigic, who instantly set up O’Connor whose shot fired wide. But, with Blues seemingly comfortable, they were put back into panik-mode by Jones again as the Rochdale captain scored to make the last ten or so minutes slightly nervy for the home side.

Youngster Nathan Redmond made his first appearance for Blues and you could see why McLeish had put him on the bench a couple of times last season; he is not shot of confidence and is willing to take men on and get a shot off - coming close several times. It was refreshing to see that young talent can still break through , and hopefully we won’t let him slip through the net.

Blues hung on to win 3-2, when really it could’ve been more, to get their place in the next round of the cup. And although the game was an exciting encounter, I don’t think it’ll live very long in the memory of the 6,000 or so fans that were there!

Full Time: Birmingham City 3-2 Rochdale