Birmingham City away match thread

[You Do The Dziekanowski]

1 minute ago, Super said:

We've controlled the game just lacking in the final 3rd. Overall a decent half.

Someone else who’s watching the same game as me! 

 

As proven, we don’t have the ability to unlock teams who sit deep, having the ball in midfield and defence, on occasion, is drawing them out and giving us space to get into 

 

More chances will come second half

[MelksRed]

1 minute ago, Robin101 said:

This feels very familiar territory for us vs. Birmingham.

Normally we lose 1-0 to a 70th min headed corner.

You're not supposed to jinx it. 

[Davefevs]

FWIW a first half, scrappy at times that we’ve controlled.

Pitch is lively, causing players to take a bit more time / care to get it under.  Probably deliberate watering of pitch to give us less time to string it together.

Some nice passages.  Two good chances for Mehmeti.  Sykes has the beating of Longelo.  As Knight saw more of the ball, we started to look better.  The Bagpuss of Bristol City.  When Knight comes to life so do all the mice in the mouse-organ!

[The turtle]

How we are playing and how good a game is are two different things.

For a clear idea just how that half was, the atmosphere has been utterly sucked out of all sides of the stadium, including the away end. I mean nothing much happened of note, some of the passing in our own box was madness, and whenever a chance between lines did come= over hit or poor pass.

 

At the same time, as the away side i imagine players and management will be pleased. Birmingham have been more or less nullified and what little threat there is has come from us 

Edited December 29, 2023 by The turtle

[ZiderEyed]

Just to inject some positivity, Knight a cut above last 10 of that half. We’ve done a job on Derby.

[Ecko]

Let's have it right, Birmingham are ******* shit.

[Davefevs]

Just now, And Its Smith said:

I can’t remember calling for a player to be yanked at half time but happy to be shown where I have! 

Dave, Dave, Dave…in the past you’ve been happy to give players like Wells stick as soon as he breathed!

[Woofyourkipper]

4 minutes ago, lenred said:

Yep.  Always got to be one!

Ffs

[Tim Monaghan]

21 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Not sure why you have mentioned me in this? 

Also not sure why you've made a few indirect digs at NP. 

Mate, you’re weird. The reason I mention you was because YOU mentioned the other day about Manning and the amount of information he gave to the players. He explained it. I was being nice!!!!!!!! 
 

Where did I have a dig at NP? Are you okay? 
 

ps Pay your fiver. 

[DaveF]

2 minutes ago, Dolman Block B said:

 Possesion 

Birmingham 21% City 69%
 

 

 

What happened to the other 10%?

[bcfcnick]

Maybe Conway for Mehmeti although the latter is unpredictable and could have a storming second half. It's just we will get more chances and need players who can take them more clinically. Conway scored two cracking goals cutting in from the left when he came on as sub in his first game back and would link up with Wells. 

[marcofisher]

3 minutes ago, Fuber said:

He's being hampered by the fact he's stood almost man to man, Tanner needs to overlap more. The threat of it would force a cover and eliminate the 1v2 doubling up.

Meanwhile TGH needs to get closer to Anis when latter cuts in. No option when he cut inside to another 2v1 towards the latter end of that half.

Small issues are accumulating to a very mediocre performance. Sloppy passes, too casual.

We are playing a back 3 with Tanner as the third centre half on the build up. McRorie said it on comms, so Tanner is not overlapping for that reason.

[Gillies Downs Leeds]

2 minutes ago, Dolman Block B said:

 Possesion 

Birmingham 21% City 69%
 

 

 

Who had the other 10% ?

[ZiderEyed]

Just now, The turtle said:

How we are playing and how good a game is are two different things.

For a clear idea just how that half was, the atmosphere has been utterly sucked out of the sides of the stadium, including the away end. I mean nothing much happened of note, some of the passing in our own box was madness, and whenever a chance between lines did come= over hit or poor pass.

 

At the same time, as the away side i imagine players and management will be pleased. Birmingham have been more or less nullified and what little threat there is has come from us 

I thought the atmosphere was particularly poor on my dodgy Belarusian stream, sounds flat as anything. Rooneyball putting the Northerners in a coma clearly.

[spudski]

Gotta get Knight and Sykes into the game more. Both making it happen when they get the ball on the right. 

It's not clicking down the left. 

Both Mehmetti and Pring bought trampolines for boots tonight. 

Fingers crossed they find their touch again. 

 

[pongo88]

I said earlier in the thread that everything about Birmingham is dull and drab. The first 45 minutes confirms this. It just needs City to create and take a chance to put some pressure on Birmingham. If they go one down the natives might become restless. 

[Red Exile]

Frenetic. Busy bees doesn't do us justice. Fascinating to watch. We look the more likely but there's no time to sit back and reflect.

[Tim Monaghan]

3 minutes ago, REDOXO said:

I think we have a lot of games over a short period and ConwAy needs a rest. 
 

We are a lot more intent on possession today. Does that suit Wells more, I don’t know. However when we start to really stretch them we will see what happens. 

There we go. Not sure why you laughed then? 

[old_eastender]

Mehmeti has at least been involved, as we are predominantly coming forward down the left . His first miss was really poor, any decent contact on that header and it's a goal. His second headed miss then ironically sees him get too much contact and ends up over the bar. Has had a couple of attempted runs too, but so far each has ended up with him losing possession.

We need to get a better balance and try and feed Sykes more. At the back agree with others saying Max needs to mix it up and hit a few longer clearances instead of always playing it short, we have been close to giving the ball away near our own box too many times for my liking.

[Engvall’s Splinter]

1 minute ago, You Do The Dziekanowski said:

Someone else who’s watching the same game as me! 

 

As proven, we don’t have the ability to unlock teams who sit deep, having the ball in midfield and defence, on occasion, is drawing them out and giving us space to get into 

 

More chances will come second half

Think you lost a tad bit of credibility when you agreed Williams has been brilliant this half

Brilliant is somewhat overstated  

 

[downendcity]

31 minutes ago, siuk101 said:

Anis needs to work on his headers

Had those chances fallen to Wells we'd more than likely be 2 up now.

If Anis had a few goals under his belt he'd probably have taken one of those without thinking, but when a striker is short of goals those are the type of chances that they seem to miss 

[Ivorguy]

1 minute ago, DaveF said:

What happened to the other 10%?

Gone into the nest egg?

[And Its Smith]

1 minute ago, Davefevs said:

Dave, Dave, Dave…in the past you’ve been happy to give players like Wells stick as soon as he breathed!

Will have a look back and see if that’s true or a misremember on your part! I normally give players a least 60 before I suggest a sub

[MelksRed]

3 minutes ago, red panda said:

Eh? He's indisputably had a poor first half, aren't we allowed to say that? 

I agree he has been poor in the first half (when compared to the last game) - although some may take your comments as "normal service resumed" - as he has been pretty poor until recently. 

We must give him an opportunity- until 60 mins to try and create something - if he was to score he will come alive like the mop and bucket in Fantasia! 

[ZiderEyed]

2 minutes ago, spudski said:

Gotta get Knight and Sykes into the game more. Both making it happen when they get the ball on the right. 

It's not clicking down the left. 

Both Mehmetti and Pring bought trampolines for boots tonight. 

Fingers crossed they find their touch again. 

 

Felt for a while we’d benefit from an upgrade at left back. Not only that but Mehmeti/Bell would too.

Edited December 29, 2023 by ZiderEyed
Clarity

[You Do The Dziekanowski]

Just now, Engvall’s Splinter said:

Think you lost a tad bit of credibility when you agreed Williams has been brilliant this half

Brilliant is somewhat overstated  

 

Haha, brilliant is an overstatement. He was doing well out of possession. Covered Tanner well and pressed heavy/bad touches well. On the ball, there’s plenty more needed second half

[AppyDAZE]

6 minutes ago, red panda said:

Eh? He's indisputably had a poor first half, aren't we allowed to say that? 

It’s been a poor half of football, why pick on one player?

[Davefevs]

2 minutes ago, Gillies Downs Leeds said:

Who had the other 10% ?

Nest Egg for 2nd half!

1 minute ago, And Its Smith said:

Will have a look back and see if that’s true or a misremember on your part! I normally give players a least 60 before I suggest a sub

Don’t worry Dave…it wasn’t subbing per se, but criticism of players.

[Andy082005]

9 minutes ago, RollsRoyce said:

You mean he is playing like Mehmeti, he has not changed at all. Just had more game time. Same errors and decision-making, always cutting inside onto his right.. He was doing the same at Watford, but it was masked by scoring a goal. A lot of work still to be done with him. 

Personally think he looks a bit tired. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him subbed early in the second half 

[robinforlife2]

Wouldn't hook Mehmeti yet. We're controlling the game, but Birmingham are defending solidly. If we keep at them, they will tire.  Mehmeti should have left his second chance for a Nahki tap in, but possibly Nahki didn't shout, although he definitely shouted at him after his header went wide. Pring is doing a good job on that young lad Donovan, who looks a decent player. If we get one, I think we'll get two or three. Just have to stick at it, and it'll come. No need to hit panic buttons yet.