MATCHWATCH : Birmingham City (a)

[From Despair To Where?]

And from the usual suspects who aren't seen for dust when things are going better.

Tbf, CR is around being miserable even if we're winning.

I’m nothing but consistent.

To be fair, I wasn't thinking of CR. He at least turns up to moan when we're winning.

[Zip]

One thing I will say is that during this miserable past six months with lockdown, shit weather etc I have genuinely looked forward to watching this lot on a Saturday afternoon or midweek. On a good number of occasions they have been a joy to watch. A few too many frustrating games too especially midweek. (why are we so poor in midweek games?).

So overall play offs or no play offs I have appreciated this team. They have done us proud in so many ways although they bloody frustrate too.

[Royal_jimmy]

Mission accomplished for the season. Good job if a little disappointing. We're shit in the play offs anyway and who wants to win them finally when we can't be there. Win the league or the play offs next year. Or finish 7th. It's all a good season.

True that's why of course most will back Pauno hopefully. But many will ask Qs for sure.

Only the bedwetters

Ian would be happy if we were relegated to league one with 0 points and a -200 goal difference

[Norfolk Royal]

One other thing. Surely if Rino is fit enough to come on tonight then he should start the game above McIntyre to give us more shape. OK it’s a risk with coming back from injury but at this stage of the season in a game which we knew would be a scrap, he has to play.

[leon]

So much bedwetting going on in this thread. Calm down to a panic.

This has been going on for ages. It’s hardly knee jerk. We’ve been sleepwalking out of the playoffs with consistently anaemic performances.

You can pretend all you like but that was a piss poor performance - unfortunately one of many.

Since the great start to the season 11 wins, 12 defeats. Brum have done the double, lost to Wycombe and didn’t beat ten man Wednesday. All were in dire dire form when we played them. We will do very well to make the play offs based upon a long stretch of results spanning most of the season.

Careful Zip. Ian will call you a bed wetter.

[Zip]

This has been going on for ages. It’s hardly knee jerk. We’ve been sleepwalking out of the playoffs with consistently anaemic performances.

You can pretend all you like but that was a piss poor performance - unfortunately one of many.

Since the great start to the season 11 wins, 12 defeats. Brum have done the double, lost to Wycombe and didn’t beat ten man Wednesday. All were in dire dire form when we played them. We will do very well to make the play offs based upon a long stretch of results spanning most of the season.

Careful Zip. Ian will call you a bed wetter.

I will make a bee line for his Care Home if he does.

[bcubed]

Agree with most comments. Bottom line is that Birmingham wanted that more which is the big disappointment. It must be obvious by now to anyone who watches championship football that you have to match opponents for desire and grit. If you don’t then no matter how many players of skill you have, you will get stuffed more often than not. I’d leave Yiadom out of that criticism. Lots saying McIntyre and Holmes played well tonight. They weren’t awful but to me McIntyre’s position is superfluous. We’re playing three centre backs and one, McIntyre, seems to have no designated role except wandering around where he likes putting the odd foot in. Moore wandering down the left wing, what’s that about? Ditto Semedo, no obviously defined role, Laurent lost without Rino, also doesn’t seem to know what his role is. Very disappointing.

Agree with a lot of that Norrers. We looked pretty clueless. The lack of movement was very disappointing. Not a lot of conviction in our play. I don’t know what our stats are when Semedo starts but I don’t think they are very good. Not just down to him of course but we don’t seem balanced when he plays.

I actually think Semedo is one person who did look like he was up for it. Actually put himself about a bit and perhaps the only one who came close to matching their physicality

I include TMac in the "not up for it" brigade. Didn't go in for many challenges that he normally would. Perhaps as you say he's unsure of his role?

[Tails]

Since the great start to the season 11 wins, 12 defeats. Brum have done the double, lost to Wycombe and didn’t beat ten man Wednesday. All were in dire dire form when we played them. We will do very well to make the play offs based upon a long stretch of results spanning most of the season.

Careful Zip. Ian will call you a bed wetter.

I will make a bee line for his Care Home if he does.

Ok, trying to strike a middle ground. Yes today was appalling, and yes continuance of this will see us likely the wrong side of the play off spots. But those claiming that hopes of the play offs are over should relax a touch. When we’re 4 points outside the PO with 1 game to go we can mourn the chance, but not before that time has come.

[Zip]

Careful Zip. Ian will call you a bed wetter.

I will make a bee line for his Care Home if he does.

Ok, trying to strike a middle ground. Yes today was appalling, and yes continuance of this will see us likely the wrong side of the play off spots. But those claiming that hopes of the play offs are over should relax a touch. When we’re 4 points outside the PO with 1 game to go we can mourn the chance, but not before that time has come.

It’s looking very difficult for us given our run in. We have to play all the in form teams in Watford, Norwich and Barnsley plus Cardiff and Swansea. I also think we have been realistically a mid table side since we lost to Coventry. We really needed a bit of a gap over 7th and below. Yes of course we can still make the play offs but personally I think we will fall short. If we do fall short I will still appreciate this squad for all the good stuff this season.

[windermereROYAL]

It feels like a 4 way contest now for the last play-off spot between us Bournemouth Cardiff and boro, Barnsley have probably done enough with their run in too. fair play to them.
We must be considered the outsiders now with that pretty horrific April schedule.
Only ourselves to blame for dropping 11 points against the current bottom 4. nobody said supporting this team was easy, but god they sure know how to rub it in.


Just a pointer on tonights match, yes we were appalling and we wouldn`t have scored if we were still playing now, but it`s beyond belief how that usless cnut of a referee only added on 3 minutes, that guy that scored the first goal was down injured for 2 or 3 minutes and how many subs? there is supposed to be 30 seconds added for each, and these cnuts get a fee for being shit at their jobs, as i said we wouldn`t have scored but the correct time needs to be played out.

[Lower West]

Biggest problem with the team as it stands is the lack of wide options. Little ability to get behind and put in consistently decent crosses.

Good Friday fixtures may well determine the season. Barnsley are going to be in our faces. Suspect too many players will go missing again on the day. Not the work ethic to grind results out.

[Snowball]

True that's why of course most will back Pauno hopefully. But many will ask Qs for sure.

Only the bedwetters

Ian would be happy if we were relegated to league one with 0 points and a -200 goal difference

Well, we’d have another record

[Stranded]

So much bedwetting going on in this thread. Calm down to a panic.

This has been going on for ages. It’s hardly knee jerk. We’ve been sleepwalking out of the playoffs with consistently anaemic performances.

You can pretend all you like but that was a piss poor performance - unfortunately one of many.

Since the great start to the season 11 wins, 12 defeats. Brum have done the double, lost to Wycombe and didn’t beat ten man Wednesday. All were in dire dire form when we played them. We will do very well to make the play offs based upon a long stretch of results spanning most of the season.

Yeah the season has been hit and miss since the start you could say but in context, our record of W11 D6 L12 would put us 10th and 6pts off the play-offs with 9 to play, a position we would have all taken at the start - the run was a bonus and we always knew we would regress from that.

Further, start a form table after Bournemouth away, and we are 7th just 2 pts shy of Cardiff.

We have actually been pretty consistent throughout if you split the league to date into 12 game thirds:

1st third: 22pts
2nd: 21pts
3rd: 18pts

So at our worst, we still took half the points available to us. Do that in the last 10 and we should make the top 6.

[Simmops]

True that's why of course most will back Pauno hopefully. But many will ask Qs for sure.

Only the bedwetters

This from the gimp that said he wasn’t supporting the team any more at the start of the season?

[Snowflake Royal]

This has been going on for ages. It’s hardly knee jerk. We’ve been sleepwalking out of the playoffs with consistently anaemic performances.

You can pretend all you like but that was a piss poor performance - unfortunately one of many.

Since the great start to the season 11 wins, 12 defeats. Brum have done the double, lost to Wycombe and didn’t beat ten man Wednesday. All were in dire dire form when we played them. We will do very well to make the play offs based upon a long stretch of results spanning most of the season.

Careful Zip. Ian will call you a bed wetter.

It's a bit much using Wednesday as an example when we got done on 4 penalty decisions by the ref.

Didn't hear you moaning about it a few games ago when it was 8 wins 11 defeats.

We lose one game after a good run and it's always the end of the world.

[Zip]

This has been going on for ages. It’s hardly knee jerk. We’ve been sleepwalking out of the playoffs with consistently anaemic performances.

You can pretend all you like but that was a piss poor performance - unfortunately one of many.

Since the great start to the season 11 wins, 12 defeats. Brum have done the double, lost to Wycombe and didn’t beat ten man Wednesday. All were in dire dire form when we played them. We will do very well to make the play offs based upon a long stretch of results spanning most of the season.

Yeah the season has been hit and miss since the start you could say but in context, our record of W11 D6 L12 would put us 10th and 6pts off the play-offs with 9 to play, a position we would have all taken at the start - the run was a bonus and we always knew we would regress from that.

Further, start a form table after Bournemouth away, and we are 7th just 2 pts shy of Cardiff.

We have actually been pretty consistent throughout if you split the league to date into 12 game thirds:

1st third: 22pts
2nd: 21pts
3rd: 18pts

So at our worst, we still took half the points available to us. Do that in the last 10 and we should make the top 6.

Good response Stranded.

[Snowflake Royal]

Agree with most comments. Bottom line is that Birmingham wanted that more which is the big disappointment. It must be obvious by now to anyone who watches championship football that you have to match opponents for desire and grit. If you don’t then no matter how many players of skill you have, you will get stuffed more often than not. I’d leave Yiadom out of that criticism. Lots saying McIntyre and Holmes played well tonight. They weren’t awful but to me McIntyre’s position is superfluous. We’re playing three centre backs and one, McIntyre, seems to have no designated role except wandering around where he likes putting the odd foot in. Moore wandering down the left wing, what’s that about? Ditto Semedo, no obviously defined role, Laurent lost without Rino, also doesn’t seem to know what his role is. Very disappointing.

Agree with a lot of that Norrers. We looked pretty clueless. The lack of movement was very disappointing. Not a lot of conviction in our play. I don’t know what our stats are when Semedo starts but I don’t think they are very good. Not just down to him of course but we don’t seem balanced when he plays.

I actually think Semedo is one person who did look like he was up for it. Actually put himself about a bit and perhaps the only one who came close to matching their physicality

I include TMac in the "not up for it" brigade. Didn't go in for many challenges that he normally would. Perhaps as you say he's unsure of his role?

Semedo is something like 8 wins, 11 defeats, 4 draws when starting.

But it's hardly surprising that if you can't play your preferred midfield you do a little worse and he's certainly not first choice. Also that's largely differentiated by that little run of idiocy where Pauno played him at DM and Rino as a forward.

And at least one of those defeats only became a loss after he was subbed off.

I thought he was one of our better players with some commitment and good work alongside the odd oxf*rd up.

He did a lot more than Moore, Richards, Laurent, Joao, or Puscas imo.

[Zip]

Since the great start to the season 11 wins, 12 defeats. Brum have done the double, lost to Wycombe and didn’t beat ten man Wednesday. All were in dire dire form when we played them. We will do very well to make the play offs based upon a long stretch of results spanning most of the season.

Careful Zip. Ian will call you a bed wetter.

It's a bit much using Wednesday as an example when we got done on 4 penalty decisions by the ref.

Didn't hear you moaning about it a few games ago when it was 8 wins 11 defeats.

We lose one game after a good run and it's always the end of the world.

Only that’s not true. A lot of us praised the team when we lost to Norwich and Brentford. We have made a habit of losing to very poor sides who were in dire form. Last night wasn’t good enough. Pauno made that clear.

Now we may bounce back. We have done so this season but we really needed a buffer over 7th place going into a very tough run in and we won’t have that unless we beat the fakes. Even then it won’t be much of a gap.
Technically this side is a match for any in this division. Mentally and physically we are still lacking. That’s the frustration.

[Greatwesternline]

Last night lots of people cooed at our bench pre match. Ejaria, Puscas, Rino, Baldock, Aluko, with those players on the bench, we were getting back to full strength.

But what that bench actually meant was we were still playing 4 at the back, with a CD in DM, plus Semedo and Laurent, two more DMs.

SO just like against Wycombe, we started with 7 defensive outfield players, and lo and behold, we didnt create much whatsoever, aside from some better than usual Olise free kicks.

Its a far too negetive way to set up a team against a team struggling for form.

In the early part of the season we played with 4 attacking players, Olise, Ejaria, Joao and Meite, with Rino and Laurent as DM.

Then we signed Semedo and he has played almost non stop, as someone or other has always be injured. At first if an attacking player was injured Aluko would start, but over time, no matter who is injured, they are replaced with a DM.

Surely, with 6 players on defensive duty, if Ejaria is injured, Aluko should come in, not adding McIntyre or Semedo to the mix.

After the Wycombe debacle Pauno went with 2 up top, and it has worked. But 2 up top with only Olise to create things for them does not work. Why is he so defensively minded against relegation fodder.

[Snowflake Royal]

This has been going on for ages. It’s hardly knee jerk. We’ve been sleepwalking out of the playoffs with consistently anaemic performances.

You can pretend all you like but that was a piss poor performance - unfortunately one of many.

Since the great start to the season 11 wins, 12 defeats. Brum have done the double, lost to Wycombe and didn’t beat ten man Wednesday. All were in dire dire form when we played them. We will do very well to make the play offs based upon a long stretch of results spanning most of the season.

Yeah the season has been hit and miss since the start you could say but in context, our record of W11 D6 L12 would put us 10th and 6pts off the play-offs with 9 to play, a position we would have all taken at the start - the run was a bonus and we always knew we would regress from that.

Further, start a form table after Bournemouth away, and we are 7th just 2 pts shy of Cardiff.

We have actually been pretty consistent throughout if you split the league to date into 12 game thirds:

1st third: 22pts
2nd: 21pts
3rd: 18pts

So at our worst, we still took half the points available to us. Do that in the last 10 and we should make the top 6.

It's also a bit of a deliberate stats manipulation to cut out our best run and leave in our worst run.

If you chop off those 4 defeats after the great start for balance then suddenly it's 11 wins 8 defeats and all is rosy.