[Archived] Birmingham Preview

[colin]

Wednesday 24th March KO at 20:00

Birmingham? I know sod-all about Birmingham. I'm not sure why on earth I chose this one.

So, off we go then. An adventure into the unknown.....

I was going to have a go at contacting an unofficial Birmingham supporters site to do the usual Q & A with some Bluenose fan. The three I found were, to be honest, somewhat disturbing in their nature (unlike this great-big-cuddly-great-uncle-with-its-bag-of-Werther's-Originals-site)and it was all a bit frightening & scarey. so I thought I'd better just to sit here and dole out a load of speculation, rumour, trivia and rampant borax

Birmingham City was founded in 1875 as "Small Heath Alliance." Not to be confused with "Newton Heath." Beelzebub's choice of football club.

Birmingham has won only one major trophy - the League Cup in 1963, although it won the Leyland DAF Cup in 1991 and The Auto Windshield Cup in 1995. Same competition, different name

Football Trophy Cup

Although the capacity at St Andrews is currently 30,009 the biggest crowd was 66,844 against Everton in 1939. My goodness they must have been snuggled up warm.

The Luftwaffe scored 20 direct hits on St Andrews during World War2, so Birmingham had to play at Villa Park for a while afterwards.

Quite why Hermann Goering had such a desire to destroy St Andrews remains a mystery to this very day. Maybe he was a Villa fan

Their heaviest league defeats were 9–1, both in the First Division, against (Taaa-Daaa! trumpets, fireworks & fanfare) Blackburn Rovers in 1895 and (who cares) Sheffield Wednesday in 1930.

Birmingham City have recently been sold by Messrs Sullivan & Gold to Hong Kong millionaire Carson Yeung. So that's a couple of porn merchants to another Abramovich wannabee.

Over recent years Rovers and Birmingham seem to have sold each other a fair number of players

Martin Taylor went there. He learned this trick at Ewood of course. It's like watching someone snap a breadstick.

ouch

The Fat Owl Of The Remove went there and came back. He never did this at Ewood.

Robbie savage came to us from Birmingham. Arsenal fans sing his praises to this day.

onanist

Jim Smith managed Rovers up to 1978 then moved to Birmingham

Damien Johnson moved to Birmingham in 2002 (Is it that long ago? It only seems like yesterday that he was making Chris Samba look like a model of restraint in the yellow & red card department.) He's now at Plymouth.

Lee Carsley, & Barry Ferguson play for them too. Marcus Bent ended up there but is currently on loan at QPR

Any other moves that anyone can remember?

Birmingham has had a really good set of results over winter

24-Oct-09 H Sunderland W 2-1

01-Nov-09 H Manchester City D 0-0

09-Nov-09 A Liverpool D 2-2

21-Nov-09 H Fulham W 1-0

29-Nov-09 A Wolverhampton Wndrs W 1-0

05-Dec-09 A Wigan Athletic W 3-2

12-Dec-09 H West Ham United W 1-0

15-Dec-09 H Blackburn Rovers W 2-1

20-Dec-09 A Everton D 1-1

26-Dec-09 H Chelsea D 0-0

28-Dec-09 A Stoke City W 1-0

09-Jan-10 H Manchester United D 1-1

27-Jan-10 A Chelsea L 0-3

30-Jan-10 H Tottenham Hotspur D 1-1

07-Feb-10 H Wolverhampton Wndrs W 2-1

They then took a couple of hits against West Ham and Fulham but bounced back

with

27-Feb-10 H Wigan W 1-0

09-Mar-10 A Portsmouth w 2-1

Last weekend they came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Everton, which showed some good fighting spirit

On Saturday 20th March Birmingham play Sunderland

Then us. It's going to be difficult.

[Ray-Von]

Didn't Mike Newell leave us for them? The legend that is Andy Kennedy joined us from them too.

[Pedderz0912]

I really can see us winning this 1 - It will be tough and their defenders really do love defending and our long balls and throw ins will suit them down to the ground. A hard fought 2-0 victory I think.

Dunn x2 - Against his old club - would love that...

This is 1 of the next couple of games we must get something out of playing arsenal, man u and chelsea - They have had a tremendous season and i think may be a top 8 team again next year with wise investments,

[dazmaz]

Dunn played for brum.

going to be a punt and hope game for us. 2-2 Brown to screw up twice, Kalinic and Samba for us

[Amo]

Birmingham have always been happy to take our cast-offs: Dunn, Taylor, Kenna, Damien Johnson, Neil Danns. Anymore?

[AndyC]

havent seen anything of them this season - how come they have had such a good season?

Has lee boywer being playing well for them?

[Pedderz0912]

Yes he has been playing v.well for them 1 of the main outstanding players with Johnson, Hart and Jerome - I think he went through a period of like 6-7 goals in 9-10 games...

[1864roverite]

2-1 Rovers

[chocky]

2-1 only because we rarely do clean sheets...

[Montfort]

I watched the game at Birmingham on the television in the pub. The Blackburn fans around me were very dissapointed. Birmingham went 2 up and we looked right out of it, unable to pose any threat at all. It was only when the game appeared to be over that we seemed to buck up our ideas, got a goal, got back into it and were pressing at the end. I hope that as a result of this, Blackburn have the feeling that if they apply themselves this is a very winable game. It is commonly agreed that Birmingham have had an excellent season but I dont think they are any better than us. I think we will miss Robinson though. Hope Brown rises to the occasion. Blackburn win. 2 - 1

[MarkBRFC71]

Birmingham went 2 up and we looked right out of it, unable to pose any threat at all. It was only when the game appeared to be over that we seemed to buck up our ideas, got a goal, got back into it and were pressing at the end.

Substitute Birmingham for Liverpool, Spurs etc and you've got the usual BRFC away match script. You missed the bit about us bringing another striker on though.

[Darwen Rover]

Chance to get some pride back from the dross we displayed at St Andrews...Come on lads, very winnable!!

[DazRover]

Great preview, three points, bring on the scum!

[ABBEY]

Working nights grrrrrr...0-0

[Montfort]

When we won our "easy" matches and got the points in the bag I was ecstatic. However, I dont like the way we are slipping down the league and am mindful of the money it costs us. This game is now taking on more and more significance, because we could, should and must get some points from it.

[philipl]

Brilliant preview Colin.

Big question for this game is going to be who is fit/recovered? Brum are fighters so 100 minutes concentration needed not to throw anything away. Wee Barry will no doubt be highly motivated.

[Balwer]

After today I'm thinking, if Givet is fit, then he comes in at LB, pushing Ollson to the wing and Pedersen inside (and Andrews off). I will give N'Zonzi another chance but I think he is burning out rapidly after a long hard season.

Brown

Salgado Samba Jones Givet

Diouf N'Zonzi Pedersen Ollson

Dunn

Kalinic

Subs: Bunn, Chimbonda, Andrews, Emerton, Basturk, Roberts, Di Santo

Another repeat of today's performance please!

[BRFC1995]

I think defensively Givet is as bad at left back, if not worse, as Olsson. I'd rather have Olsson in there purely because of his attacking qualities. Givet is a good centre-back but I think Jones has warranted another start mid-week. Today was his opportunity and IMO he's more than taken it.

if i remember the last game whoever was at LB for us made stephen carr look like ronaldihno, and ferguson dominated the midfield.

Camerone jerome 99% of the time looks like a useless lump but we also managed to make him look like a worldbeater last time, we need pace all along the back and i'd sooner play chimbo than salgado.

[Steve Moss]

Rovers to win, 3-1. Dunn, Salgado and Andrews (I know!- I feel it in my bones) to score. I would have liked to have typed Kalinic's name (and my fingers meant to) but they keyboard took control.

[The Harwood Yankee]

Brown

Salgado Samba© Jones Olssen

Diouf Basturk Andrews Pedersen

Dunn

Kalinic

subs. Bunn, Givet, Nzonzi, Jacobsen, Hoillet, Roberts, Emerton

[alexanders]

3 points. Don't care who plays as we seem to have a good depth in our squad.

[The Rover of Finland]

Dunn probably is given rest for Sunday. Nzonzi needs a rest too but Sam doesn´t think so. Maybe it´s time for Basturk debut. Somehow I feel Franco will start against Brum. They have good defence and Jerome seems to be scoring at the moment. If we manage to keep our goo home form we´ll win. 2-1 for Rovers.

Brown

Salgado Samba Jones OlssOn

Hoilett Keef Basturk MGP EHD

FDS

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Nowt like a midweek game under the floodlights!

2-1 Rovers Att: 21,500

1/1 home win at the bookies at present ......worth big money anyone?

[joey_big_nose]

Really tricky to pick a side for this one. The defence was excellent, Andrews (I know...), Diouf and Pedersen all had good games against Chelsea, Kalinic was okay. None the less we did not offer enough going forward.

Probably the one change would be to drop NZonzi, bring Pedersen into the centre and start Emerton or Hoilett right wing. I would like to see Olsson back in midfield but it is hard to justify with Diouf playing well and Givet average at left back.

If Dunn is not fit enough put Basturk or Di Santo alongside.

A very winnable game. If we get this we can look up the table a bit. 10th should be our target I think.

[rog of the rovers]

As much as it usually frustrates me, to see former players booed upon their return, I want everyone to boo Barry Ferguson.

The whimp jumped shipped when the going got tough and out of everyone who has left in recent times (Santa Cruz, Bentley, Duff, Warnock etc) he deserves the most hostile reception.

I'm even more ashamed to say he was our captain.