One down, forty-five to go..

Birmingham’s Championship campaign failed to get off to a winning start this afternoon, with last year’s play-off finalists Watford running out 1-0 winners thanks to Brummie-born Troy Deeney’s first half strike. Yet there are positives a plenty for boss Lee Clark to take from the opening fixture, after an encouraging performance from his side.

Remembering Chucho
Before the off, however, it was time to pay respects to Christian Benitez, who tragically lost his life earlier this week. The impeccably observed minutes silence made the tragedy hit home further, and watching the montage of Chucho’s finest moments in a Blues shirt it was hard to believe such a young person has been so cruelly taken way before his time. Rest In Peace Chucho.

A minutes silence for Chucho. Image: BCFC.com

Starting on the front foot
Last season we failed to get into first gear early on in games meaning before we knew it we were either 1-0 down or being outplayed, especially at home. But today saw a change; although Watford had most of the early possession we looked really up for it. We chased down every single ball, with Matt Green doing some superb running up front. We got right up in the faces of Watford and the crowd responded duly, making for a decent atmosphere at St. Andrew’s throughout the game: if the players look like they want it, the crowd will always respond.

The Visitors
There’s no denying Watford's class, and they will definitely be vying for a promotion place this season. They cut us apart at times, especially in the first half, and their early goal was cruel but a reward for their precision in the final third – something which we desperately need.

However, their time wasting and various other antics put a slight dampener on their otherwise great performance. They’re an enjoyable team to watch, but no one wants to see drama queens, time wasting or moaners – and unfortunately that’s what we saw from them today.

This all culminated in their bench getting very heated after a throw-in mishap, and players from both sides ended up squaring up to one another – not something you expect to see in the first game of the season! However the six minutes added time at the end of the game was justified, and I’m sure that won’t be the first time we see that this season in a Watford game.

Back to Blues
On the Blues front, as I said, there were many positives to take from the game. Darren Randolph looks like an astute and confident number one to replace Jack Butland, making some smart saves and controlling his area well.

Dan Burn and Paul Robinson also looked very impressive; with the former being awarded man of the match and the latter putting in some real crunching tackles. I was worried about Burn’s height and giving away fouls with his long legs; but he certainly knows how to use his height to his advantage and manages to time it well.

Both Andy Shinnie and Wade Elliott were also two players who impressed me today. Despite a wayward pass early on in the game, Elliott commanded the midfield well and picked out some brilliant passes, whilst Shinnie looked excellent going forward and a really strong player to boot.


The new number one. Image: Getty Images

Picking Faults
It’s hard to pick a fault any of the players today as for me they all played well and deserved something out of the game. I think you’d have to be quite the pessimist to complain too much after what we saw today.

Nevertheless, our finishing – or lack of it – must improve. Green and Lee Novak ran the front line well, but we didn’t look sharp in front of goal and that was one of our only downfalls in what was an otherwise positive performance.

As well as this, the formation isn't ideal. 3-5-2 looks to be favoured by Clark, but it means leaving out Chris Burke, and surely one of your best players cannot be sacrificed for the sake of a formation.

Which brings me onto the wing backs. Playing a team with the attacking threat of Watford meant both Shane Ferguson and Neal Eardley had to keep one eye on their man all the time, meaning they didn’t get forward as much as they could have and therefore our attacking play wasn’t as good as it could have been. 4-4-2 with Burke in the side, for me, is a more ideal formation when playing a team of Watford’s caliber. But then again, I’m not the manager, and I have faith in Clark that he's making the right decisions.

Clark now has his stamp on the team. Image: Getty Images

Shaping up for the season
All in all it was a very positive performance by Blues and a huge improvement from last season can be seen already. This is completely Clark’s team now; he has built a strong, youthful squad with a great team spirit – something which we seemed to lack a little last season, which bodes well for us enduring another season in what is an incredibly tough division.

The players showed today that they are a team of real fighters, who will work not just for the shirt and their place in the team, but for each other as well. If we can just get it right in the final third I can see us improving on our 12th place finish last season.

Fortress St. Andrews

Birmingham City maintained their scintillating home form with another comfortable win, this time dispatching Watford and beating them by three goals to nil which was enough to push Chris Hughton’s team into the top six and claim a much deserved play-off spot.

Undefeated in 2012 and coming off the back of a seven game unbeaten run, the home side were looking to add to that further against the Hornets and a brace from Curtis Davies followed by a second goal in as many league games for Chris Burke was enough to secure the three points and move up the table in a much desired play-off position.

In blustery conditions it was Watford who had the early chances with main man Marvin Sordell causing problems for the Blues defence. Nevertheless, the chances weren’t clear cut and didn’t bother a rock solid Blues backline, who have kept two clean sheets in the previous two games. The partnership between Steven Caldwell and Curtis Davies has proved to be essential in maintaining Blues’ terrific form of late, and the latter of the two also had a major impact in what happened at the other end of the pitch. As the game approached half time, Chris Burke’s great work in midfield was rewarded when his pass round Keith Fahey, who floated in a pin-point ball that met the head of Davies, connecting well and firing the ball home to put his side ahead.

With the momentum now strongly in favour of Blues, the second half saw a relatively comfortable performance from the side who had scored ten goals already in all competitions in 2012 prior to kick off. Never really known for their free-scoring antics, Blues were two nil to the good on sixty minutes, again with Davies – another unlikely source of goals – the provider. After Burke’s shot was deflected for a corner, Jordon Mutch swung in the ball and the central defender rose above the Watford defence and got his head on the end of the ball, netting his second goal of the game and his fourth goal in his last seven games for Blues.

After a spell of possession for Blues there was time for one more goal, this time Chris Burke, who had a hand in both of Davies’ goals, collected the ball in the far right of the six-yard box and fired home to complete yet another victorious afternoon for Blues at St. Andrews.

The victory propelled Blues up a place and into the top six of the Championship. They now sit pretty with 43 points and a more than healthy goal difference of plus 16 – the third best in the division, behind Southampton and West Ham United. A fourth round tie in the FA Cup now awaits Hughton and his team against League One outfit Sheffield United who are also flying high in the league; sitting third behind Charlton and Huddersfield. But, after knocking Premier League side Wolves out in the previous round, Blues won’t be short of confidence when they travel to Bramall Lane and will be looking for their fourth straight victory in all competitions in Sheffield this coming Saturday.


Full Time: BLUES 3-0 Watford
Goal Scorers: Davies (35, 60) Burke (81)
Star Man: Curtis Davies; a brace for a defender is a rarity, especially when he also keeps a clean sheet at the other end of the pitch too.
Next Up: Sheffield United away - FA Cup

We Should Be Used To This By Now

A day later and it still feels like we lost. Letting leads slip away from us is something we should be used to after games against Derby and Middlesbrough this season, but you’d be forgiven for thinking we had finally won away for the first time since February when Chris Wood scored in the 88th minute to put the Blues 2-1 up. Evidently, as it always is with Birmingham: it wasn’t as simple as that.

With the opening exchanges labored, chances were few and far between. The host’s first chance of the game fell to Mark Yeates who fired a shot goal wards which he saw tipped over by the fingers of Boaz Myhill. However to the surprise of the home – and away – fans, a goalkick was awarded.

Blues saw plenty of possession in the first forty-five minutes but struggled to create an opening or any chances of note. Nathan Redmond started on the wing again however was marked out the game with two Watford players on him almost all the time. Chris Burke also struggled to create on the opposite wing, and Blues seemed to have travelled to Watford with a lack of ideas.

That, however, changed just before half time when the deadlock was broken by the visitors. Jean Beausejour’s corner found the head of David Murphy who cushioned the ball down to Adam Rooney who knocked the ball into the net from close range, allowing the already loud travelling support to make their voices heard further. It was almost 2-0 moments later but Burke’s headed goal after a long throw from Murphy was ruled out after scorer of the first goal, Rooney, committed a foul on keeper Scott Loach.

As the second half began Blues looked comfortable on the ball but still lacked the threatening, cutting edge. Watford were very much obvious in attack, and the solid Blues defence coped well with everything thrown at them. However after expert saves by Myhill for the majority of the second half, he was beaten by a Marvin Sordell shot from the area after 80 minutes, and after Blues looking so comfortable the score was now 1-1.

Ever the battlers, Blues fought back, and it was Chris Wood who looked to have got the winner with his second goal in as many games. The on-loan Baggies forward received a cutting pass from Beausejour, and made no mistake of finding the net before running over to the jubilant 1,400 travelling fans.

But in a cruel twist, ex-Blue Martin Taylor netted in the 91st minute after Sordell’s shot was palmed back into danger by Myhill, and Taylor was gifted a goal and his team were gifted a point, and the Blues players, fans and management alike looked on in horror as three points became one.


Full Time: Watford 2-2 BLUES
Goal Scorers: Rooney (39), Sordell (80), Wood (88), Taylor (90+1)
Star Man: The fans: didn’t stop singing all game, excellent support
Next Up: Millwall at home - Championship