BFTG Birmingham

[bcubed]

Dull game

I have literally never seen the guys in front of me sit down. They always stand all game every game. But at half time this evening they stayed seated and never got up. It was that sort of game.

Agree with Saamm (short version) you have to ask if it's all worth the effort. Sure it's a work in progress but my god it's dull

[bracksroyal10]

I thought overall that this was a decent point as Birmingham recently have been our bogey side in the Championship. Gary Rowett doing a great job there when you take into consideration their financial situation over the last few years or so.

Nice to see the crowd not booing and getting behind the team and Jaap's philosophy, though there are still elements of our style that need to be improved but this will come in time.

Whilst I thought we were a little more direct in our build up play then we have been usually, I felt that there were too many incidents where we were cheaply giving away possession. Williams being the main culprit and architect of the majority of Birmingham's attacks on our goal. He seemed to take an age in making a decision tonight and I felt that he should have been substituted instead of Quinn.

Overall, very solid and never really looked like conceding although I can tell the situation with our choice in the striking department is fast going to be become a frustrating one. Yann winning everything in the air again although I feel he doesn't do enough in terms of movement and with the ball at his feet. I can understand why Mendes hasn't been played too much as yet as he needs to adapt to the game over here and I would view it as a bit of a gamble to go with him from the very start.

It is imperative that Mendes gets a game under his belt next Tuesday at Brighton. Having said that, I would also view it as an opportunity to get Yann a goal or two and really get his confidence going in front of goal if he doesn't bag any at Oakwell this Saturday. Can't do it all at 34 years of age at this level though.

[Woodcote Royal]

With a striker in form we'd be pushing the automatics ATM.

Sorry, what?

Just further compounding the notion that you are in fact mental.

Or, that he has a brain and you don't.

Enjoyed tonight and was going to offer some of my own thoughts but I think I'll leave it there.................

[CountryRoyal]

With a striker in form we'd be pushing the automatics ATM.

Sorry, what?

Just further compounding the notion that you are in fact mental.

Or, that he has a brain and you don't.

Enjoyed tonight and was going to offer some of my own thoughts but I think I'll leave it there.................

You think that we are ONE player away from being a top 2 side?

Ok then....

[urz13]

In just a handful of games and one low-budget transfer window Stam seems to have largely sorted out the defensive issues (bar set pieces) and has got the possession side of the game nailed.

Now, he just needs to sort out the attacking side, which I'm sure he'll manage over time.

Can't agree re: Williams however. Yes he was shocking tonight, but he's still an essential part of our team. He's the one midfielder who almost always looks to go forward with the ball - whether that is a pass or a driving run. It means he takes a fair few risks in his play which can lead to errors but his contributions (usually) far outweigh that. You don't see Quinn or Evans bursting forward into the box and taking shots, which is why we need Williams so badly.

[Woodcote Royal]

Sorry, what?

Just further compounding the notion that you are in fact mental.

Or, that he has a brain and you don't.

Enjoyed tonight and was going to offer some of my own thoughts but I think I'll leave it there.................

You think that we are ONE player away from being a top 2 side?

Ok then....

How can it be "mental" to suggest that we could challenge the top 2 with a decent striker having got to 10th with very little threat in the final third?

Brum were coming off a 3 game winning streak including Saturday's victory at 2nd placed Fulham

[CountryRoyal]

Or, that he has a brain and you don't.

Enjoyed tonight and was going to offer some of my own thoughts but I think I'll leave it there.................

You think that we are ONE player away from being a top 2 side?

Ok then....

How can it be "mental" to suggest that we could challenge the top 2 with a decent striker having got to 10th with very little threat in the final third?

Brum were coming off a 3 game winning streak including Saturday's victory at 2nd placed Fulham

Stop throwing about table positions like a serious indicator of teams ability at the moment. Villa are 18th and have a strike force consisting of McCormack, Kodija and Gestede ffs.

But yeah... Let's just pretend the reason why we're not scoring more goals is because we have a bad a striker... It's obviously got nothing to do with other players or the style of play in the attacking third. How many chances did we create today? Or against Ipswich or any other game this season.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Kermorgant is all that nor am I his biggest fan. No one was more disappointed than me that we didn't bring in someone before deadline day and I'll admit that it's part of the reason why we struggle to score, but only part. It's dillusional to think that a good inform striker would be the answer to our lack of creativity and that with one this team could realistically push for automatic promotion come the end of the season, but if you want to think that fill your boots m8.

Oh and btw. Birmingham were on a two game winning streak, not three. Get your facts right before you try and use them to cement whatever point you're trying to make.

[Woodcote Royal]

None of which justifies your opinion that Snowball's assertion is mental. I heard Deller say they had one won their last 3 games and took him at his word. It remains a fact that our opponents tonight challenged a top 2 side to the point of beating them at home 3 days ago.

It should also be as plain as night following day that if, as, and when our team finds a goal threat (and that might require just one player or, possibly, none at all ) that it will be more than capable of challenging the best this division has to offer. That could be next week, next season or next muck spreading Thursday.

It should be painfully obvious to me after all these years that engaging with the real mental twats here is a waste of life itself......................thanks for the reminder.

Goodnight.

[CountryRoyal]

Just a tip - taking Dellor on his word for anything automatically loses you credibility.

[marlowuk]

I did not find tonight boring or a dreadful performance. In fact I was encouraged by it - with some big reservations!

We did not pass the ball back to AAH anything like as many times as in previous games. We are learning to be more positive with the possession game. Now we need to get forward with more speed but Stam knows that (see his post-match interview) and will be working on that with the players.

We also need more movement from the midfield so that the back four have more options with their passes.

Both Williams and McShane were very poor in the first half of the first half but both settled after that. I don't understand the hate directed towards Williams - he is a positive player. I only question him berating team-mates during a match. Nor can I understand the unrequited love for Swift. I like him but, when he came, on the fans were applauding virtually every simple pass he made!!

Birmingham never looked like scoring. Before the game I would have settled for a point but, having seen them in action, I am disappointed not to get all 3 points. But we look toothless up front. A top striker would not make a difference if we cannot create chances for him and we created little during this game!

McCleary had a good game I thought but we need to be more imaginative with our corners. Gunter was in space and wanting the ball but seldom received it. He had a good game as did Obita (probably MOTM for me). Moore looked solid at the back and Kermy wins most things in the air and there were signs that others were looking to get onto his flick-ons.

When we move with pace from the wings we look good. But too often we slow the pace of the game to look for other passes. That allows the opposition to re-group their defences.

But some promising signs and no booing!!!

[marlowuk]

And no yellow cards today!!

[windermere_royal]

This thread illustrates perfectly why I rarely come to this site anymore. totally full of twats .
Excellent game for a 0-0 . players that are comfortable with the ball at their feet. thats all I`m saying

[leon]

This thread illustrates perfectly why I rarely come to this site anymore. totally full of twats .
Excellent game for a 0-0 . players that are comfortable with the ball at their feet. thats all I`m saying

Thank god you're not a twat eh?

[Maneki Neko]

Decent performance, slightly dull, toothless up front. Rock solid at back for most of it even without joey, which I think contributed to our lack of fluidity. Passed square and back alot, but also got forward alot 12 corners, loads of crosses etc.
Brum were only here for a point, Williams was appalling.
Quinn ok.
Evans playing as a 3Rd CB for most of game.
Didnt give ball to fbs enough

mom mcleerens

[Maneki Neko]

Also think we are an in form striker away from the playoffs.

[Starry Blue Hooped Wonder]

I thought that was quite an improvement on the Ipswich game. A as someone said earlier - quite a fascinating 0-0, and Brum look like a well organised team. Pushing Obita and Gunter up and having Evans sit back into the centre (effectively giving a 3-4-3 shape when going forward) really helped us progress out of defence, it meant that there were more options to go forward when we played it out from the back.

Going forward it felt like we created more chances than against Ipswich, but our main game plan at the minute seems to be getting crosses in and that isn't creating the goals. To often we just have Kermorgant on his own in the middle of the box, and this is easy for well drilled defenders to deal with. So I guess we need some variation in our attacking patterns of play to get the team working well in the final third.

I would have taken a draw for this fixture before the game, in the end I though that we controlled the game just enough to maybe have shaded a win if we had got a lucky break. Also happy to have seen a positive improvement since the Ipswich game.

[Forbury Lion]

Last season we would have lost that game 1-0 or 2-0 so a 0-0 draw is an improvement and something to build on.

If we do nothing else other than work on our corners and crossing (positioning of other players in or around the box as much as the crossing itself) we will be on our way to potentially turning 0-0 draws like this into wins.

[jinster]

I thought it was a solid performance and we played with a lot more tempo then we did against Ipswich on Friday night. Make no mistake Birmingham are a very good side, and came into this game on the back of 3 great results. It will take time for some of the moaners to get used to this new style of football, no mater what the team and Staam do people will never be happy! We played ok on Friday night and won -peple still moaning, we played better last night and drew - people still moaning. The defence looks very solid, just need to sort the attacking department out and we will then have the nucleus of a good team. Let's not forget that this is a major rebuilding job for Staam, and so far I am pleased with what he is doing.

[Royal Ginger]

And no yellow cards today!!

It's not said often, but fair credit where it's due, the ref had a good game.

[Snowball]

With a striker in form we'd be pushing the automatics ATM.

Sorry, what?

Just further compounding the notion that you are in fact mental.

So with a striker in hot form, we wouldn't be one point better off (the play-offs)
or 2-3 points better off (14 points, one behind the automatics)?

I don't for a second think we have a chance in hell of competing with the likes of Newcastle,
and I don't think we'll make the POs, either, but currently, facts are facts. We DON'T have a red-hot
striker in form, we AREN'T scoring goals despite the possession stats, and it is perfectly logical to imagine
(even it was temporary and a false dawn) that if we had someone doing really well goal-wise, we would be
"pushing the automatics".

Or are you saying if we had a Long or a Doyle or a Kitson at their best, we would NOT be comfortably in the PO positions and pressing 14-15 points?