Blues Go Down Together

Billed 'the biggest game of the season so far' by some; it's a shame no one told the players that then. Or if they did, I'd like a nice explanation of their performances today - individually and as a team. We imploded today after Wigan's equaliser. End of. The highs of the Carling Cup win are now firmly behind us, so to is the spirit and drive shown in the final. If someone finds them, please return them to St. Andrews immediately!

Last Saturday against Bolton we lost but there were so many positives to come from the performance, you could sense a real fight and that we were going to stay up. Fast-forward to a week later and we're 19th in the Premier League after losing in the 90th minute against bottom of the league, after showing no fight at all.

The first ten minutes were as good as it got. We scored an early goal thanks to Liam Ridgewell, and we looked like we could score more - and we nearly did. Soon after the goal, which came after just six minutes, Jerome had a shot cleared off the line and Wigan seemed to be all over the place; Blues more or less in control. But, one lapse of concentration from the defence (where was Ridgewell?) and Wigan were back in the game through Tom Cleverly. And that's when Blues fell apart.


It was an end to end game in the second half, and neither team could get hold of the ball long enough to mount a real attack. It really was two poor teams in a relegation six pointer, and unfortunately it was Blues who looked the team that lacked the fight and the inspiration to push forward in search of a goal.

Jerome worked his little legs off. But whenever he won a header, he knocked it down to no one because no one came to support him. Martins hid behind many a Wigan player when he got his chance and David Bentley flattered to deceive. The midfield were none existent and the whole team performance lacked fight and battle. All in all, it was a performance to forget.

But a point, yeah, a point would be good after the way we had played. We'd wanted all three before the game started, but now, a point would be great. And then Wigan go and spoil the party. It was really cruel, a horrible way to lose such an important game in the 90th minute. I suppose it would have been worse if we had played our hearts out all game and then lost it in the 90th minute... but then again, if we had played our hearts out today: we definitely would have won. Because Wigan were no better than us, they just wanted it more and when they saw we didn't want it; they went in for the kill.

Bemoan the 451 formation all you want but even when we went 442 we didn't look convincing enough to go on and win the game. We lacked everything you look for in a team today, but now we've got a couple of weeks to get everyone fit and raring to go for the home game against Bolton - which we need to win, desperately.

It's so, so tight at the bottom and although today felt like the end of the world it's going to go right to the wire. Would we have it any other way at Blues? (in fact yes, I'd like the easy 09/10 season back please!)

Full Time: Wigan Athletic 2-1 Birmingham City 1

A year unbeaten...

Well, we did it; a whole calendar year unbeaten at home. Not exactly the way we wanted to do it though and it certainly doesn’t excuse how poor we were today.

The game throughout seemed to be played at a slow pace. In all fairness, no one looked too bothered about what was going on, or too bothered to actually pick up the pace and attack with much force.

Wigan had the best chance of the game in the first half through the greedy b--, I mean, through Charles N’Zogbia, whose shot was palmed over the bar by Ben Foster, who had a few good saves during the match, and was the busier goalkeeper of the two.

Cameron Jerome, the lone striker, had a few good chances; namely one near the end of the first half, when Al Habsi dropped the ball which then went between his legs before he managed to pick it up. Seeing the opposition goalkeeper as clumsy as this, we really should have pressured him more.

Blues lacked a lot of things today, but the thing they lacked most was pace. And passing. The game seemed to move at snails pace; the ball was dead on numerous occasions and no one seemed to want the ball or when they did, no one was moving for them to pass to.

The second half had nothing to boast about, other than a few chances for both the home side and the away side, with Wigan looking the more likely team to win it as the game came to a close. It was a frustrating day for the home side, who were even ironically cheering Zigic when he won the ball in the air – which he did all of about three times. For a 6ft8” bloke, he doesn’t use his height very well.

The only light at the end of a seemingly long tunnel was that when Beausejour came on he looked sharp. He can beat a man and that’s something we’ve desperately been looking for, for quite a while now; if I was Alex McLeish, I would start him next Saturday against Everton, and also start Derbyshire alongside Jerome.

Another point from the match; I hope the ‘McFadden hate brigade’ are feeling very sheepish right now. We miss him. A lot, in fact. Most people use him as a scapegoat, but they fail to realise how much he does for the team: not only his skill and ability to beat a man and put a cross in, but the amount of tracking back he does. We were caught on the break a lot today, and we really do miss him.

The 400 or so Wigan fans had something to cheer about as Craig Gardner was sent off for a tackle - which the Mark Clattenburg blew for five seconds after he’d let Craig Gardner play on. After missing clear handballs and tackles previous to this, the Blues fans started to get on the back of the ref, and chants of “you’re not fit to referee” rung round the stadium, while Gardner trudged off the pitch with his shirt in his hands.

That was the only issue of note that happened in the match. N’Zogbia and Clattenburg can flip a coin to decide who the most hated person at St. Andrews was this afternoon, and Blues can pick themselves up and start again. And quickly; another home gamer against bottom of the league Everton next weekend, and boy do both teams need a win.

Full Time: Birmingham City 0-0 Wigan Athletic

A year in the making

Tomorrow could be the day that Birmingham City FC make another bit of history at St. Andrews: if the Blues avoid defeat against Wigan, they will have gone a whole calendar year unbeaten at home.

For what is a small club compared to some of the other Premier League teams they are competing against this season, this would be a massive achievement for the club. But then again, they know all about achievement and making history, as they showed last season: going on a fifteen match unbeaten run, stretching from October all the way to January, only to be defeated at Stamford Bridge by, the later crowned Champions, Chelsea.

This achievement would be just another step along the way to making Birmingham City one of the known Premier League teams, which is what owner Carson Yeung set out to when he finally completed his take over of the club, not even a year ago.

It’s amazing just how far this team has come in such a short space of time: just last season they were plucking players out the Championship, and just a year on after securing their place in the Premiership in superb style by finishing ninth in the league, they are now signing players such as Nikola Zigic, Ben Foster and most notably Alexander Hleb, whose services they secured on the final day of the transfer window in the Summer. It is clear the Blues are in it for the long haul, and making it a whole year unbeaten at home, in all competitions may I add too, would be the icing on the cake for a superb year for the Blues.

The unbeaten run stretches from last September to the present, and the last team to beat Birmingham at St. Andrews were Bolton, who scored a goal in the last few minutes to beat them 2-1. That was the last time Blues fans have walked out of St. Andrews empty handed, and teams of the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all tried and failed to pick up three points at ‘fortress’ St. Andrews.

Whatever the outcome on Saturday, it has been a mammoth year for the team that holds the City’s name and a win, or even a draw, Saturday really would be deserved of a team – no - a club, that has worked so very hard over the past year. Birmingham City are a prime example of how to brush off the ‘small club’ label, and be welcomed by the ‘big boys’ of the Premier League.