Birmingham City at home match thread

[Jerseybean]

Enjoyed that.

We played well throughout and were much less inclined to give the ball away cheaply than has sometimes been the case.

Pring, James, Scott and Sykes stood out for me, in an all round good team performance.

Oh, and great support too. It is really good to win again at home

 

[Jerseybean]

Player ratings https://www.bristolworld.com/sport/football/bristol-city/bristol-city-player-ratings-unplayable-five-score-810-in-deserved-birmingham-win-3987171?page=3

 

[Red Billy]

42 minutes ago, ExiledAjax said:

Don't tell anyone but our last 8 league games are:

D D W L L D D W

Is that a  Welsh town near Swansea?

[redsquirrel]

1 hour ago, RedRock said:

I can now, at last, go and visit my Brum-supporting hairdresser. It’s been a long time since that away defeat!!!

Well done lads. 

you must look like a right yeti 

[JoeAman08]

I think we have to talk about how much more structured our attacks looked without Weimann running around like a headless chicken. Get last season out of your head. We have been forcing him into this team and today showed how much more fluid we can be with everyone staying in structure. He wasn’t out there making runs into other players spaces. Sykes scored 2 tap ins just being back post today not running to edge of box or across goal. 
 

I know I am always negative but really think that was a big difference today. We have been crying out to play 4 at the back for ages now. It suits our personnel much better imo. If we get relegated playing this way then I can live with it. The championship is too even to not have a go in each game. There are 3-4 teams miles better than the rest then everyone else is pretty equal. I hope we can keep this style up

[redsquirrel]

43 minutes ago, fanjita said:

Surprise surprise, Barton on Radio Bristol complaining about the referee 

so is the ref a school teacher, dog walker or a lap dancer this week??

[Mr Popodopolous]

Great win that. We looked fluid, we looked dangerous. Semenyo seems to be finding form again the assist and a number of dangerous runs like it. We all know he can score.

Sykes right pushed higher, Pring LB. New level of threat today, Sykes RWM was it. At last though the performance level as I think a number of games at home we got less than we deserved has been matched by the result.

Enjoyed the atmosphere today although it dipped a bit at 2-0. At the start, from the start though and in general was good.

[Major Isewater]

1 hour ago, 42nite said:

How are the Brummies taking it?

Up the …

[Bizyer]

8 minutes ago, redsquirrel said:

so is the ref a school teacher, dog walker or a lap dancer this week??

Or all of the above

[samo II]

1 hour ago, ExiledAjax said:

Don't tell anyone but our last 8 league games are:

D D W L L D D W

10 points from eight games is alright going tbf. Throw another win for a draw and you’re talking solid top half average points.

[David Brent]

I kept reading before the game that it was “must win”

Now what?

[ProfitInMyPocket]

 

5:00 till the end made me laugh.

 

[chinapig]

1 minute ago, David Brent said:

I kept reading before the game that it was “must win”

Now what?

I'll stick my neck out and say it was a "did win" game.

[David Brent]

3 minutes ago, chinapig said:

I'll stick my neck out and say it was a "did win" game.

Isn’t it now a “did win” game rather than was a “did win” game?

[Bodiesaffer]

We looked like a real team today, bit dodgy at times second half., I’ll put that down to nerves and lacking that bit of confidence.  Now we have defensive players coming back to fitness. I’m hoping we can start to get the consistent level of performance till the end of the season. Pring was a stand out to me.  

[chinapig]

2 minutes ago, David Brent said:

Isn’t it now a “did win” game rather than was a “did win” game?

No because we won it in the past. Albeit about 2 hours ago*.

*adjust timing depending on when you read this post**

**Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so (Douglas Adams)

[Guest]

DEENEY! WHAT'S THE SCORE?

DEENEY, DEENEY, WHAT'S THE SCORE?

 

[Loosey Boy]

Stand out performers for me today…..the TEAM……players, management and supporters

[sludge]

1 hour ago, Bouncearoundtheground said:

Makes a huge difference! Let that be the proof… 

I haven’t heard all 3 sides singing together for yonks. 

stood in E34 today (that’s where my season ticket is) and it was fantastic. couldn’t tell whether rest of ground was joining in though, so good to hear that it was

[One Team]

Pearson’s best game to date for me. Each goal came from joyous passages of passing football, it was superb. Everyone played well but Sykes, Semenyo, Scott and Pring stand outs for me. 

[Out of his pie crust]

I f***** enjoyed that a lot today. 

[Offside]

That was much more like it. We were far more incisive going forwards and seemed to play the ball much quicker. The league table looks much better tonight. COYR. 

[KegCity]

58 minutes ago, David Brent said:

I kept reading before the game that it was “must win”

Now what?

Doing it consistently. Much improved performance that I think was down to the formation change and this helped the crowd, which then helped the players. 

If we can play like that for an extended spell we'll be looking up the table not down.

[ralphindevon]

On 13/01/2023 at 12:34, ralphindevon said:

After what was easily the worse game I’ve been to this season at St Andrews, this is pay back weekend.

I’m expecting a good game of football, a cracking atmosphere, a first Saturday 3 o’clock home win of the season and a first penalty for 17 years (or whatever it is now)

OK so expecting a penalty is ridiculous but the rest………….

That’ll do!

[Kolsch]

Excellent performance. Makes such a difference playing 4 at the back, the defenders look far more at home playing as full backs or out and out centre halfs.

Pring MOTM for me, excellent. Tanner looks miles better as a RB. Both of them did superb against Chong and Bacuna.

Naismith looks great in the middle of the park. Him and James worked well together.

Sykes is a different player in that role. Finds pockets well and far more effective than at RWB.

Very satisfying performance. 

[mozo]

3 hours ago, ExiledAjax said:

Don't tell anyone but our last 8 league games are:

D D W L L D D W

So you're saying we're going to lose the next 2 games?! 

[Davefevs]

5 hours ago, Ashton Hero said:

Looking at this Brum team, Chong is the only one I would be interested in or who has any kind of re-sale value. 

Lots loans to be on the same points as us!

Chong is decent though (now their player after loan last season)

[Davefevs]

4 hours ago, ProfitInMyPocket said:

Rennie must have had an influence over Pring's fitness, he used to gas out around 60-70 minutes each week.

Nige mentioned post match his much improved the fitness is now.  It’s usually the thing a new manager says to win a bit of early favour from the fans.  Nige too long in tooth for that.  Rennie a very important “signing”.  Total trust.  On the training ground a lot too.

[Davefevs]

4 hours ago, And Its Smith said:

So, we didn’t have the players to play 4-3-3, we sign nobody and suddenly we have the players for it? Okay. 

The nuance re today is that he didn’t have Andi Weimann.  And Weimann is such an important player to Nige he may have resisted the change because of fitting him in…rightly or wrongly.

For a manager who’s openly said he much prefers a back 4, to pick a back 3 continuously this season must’ve had good reason to not do it.

It was quite a gamble to change for such a crucial game wasn’t it?  Leaving himself very open.

Let’s hope he can use it regularly, would help recruitment going forward.  But let’s also not get carried away as other teams will start to try to counter it too.

[ExiledAjax]

Just to add - early xG reports suggest that was our most dangerous attacking performance of the season (in the league, I expect Coventry in the league cup may have been higher). xG of about 2.8 without a penalty is very very good. 

Yes we allowed 2.6 but that's bolstered by 0.8 from the penalty. 

So a stonking attacking display but with vulnerability at the back still. 

4-2 a fully justified score.

Great game. Greatly enjoyed it.