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[Archived] Birmingham Away

joey_big_nose

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Paul World Cup

Paul

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LT Monday November 2nd:

Gary Bowyer is urging his Blackburn Rovers squad to use the win at Leeds United as a springboard for the rest of their season.

Last I heard the springboard was at the deep end.

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Tom World Cup

Tom

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They had won 4 in a row before tonight.

They were impressive at Ewood last season for the way they approached the game, not seen them since Warburton left.

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grizfoot Uefa Europa League

grizfoot

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Over the past year we've drawn 13 out of the 24 away leagues games played, that's just a stat but maybe it points to an underlying theme that we appear at times perfectly happy to settle for a point on the road when maybe we should be looking to be more adventurous and go out for the win?

If you are doing really well at home and constantly winning then draws away do help keep the points total ticking along. But I can only think the people calling this a good point tonight are those who think we are in serious threat of being relegated this season and as such any away point is a good one. Call me crazy but I still think we should be aiming and looking up instead of behind us. It's true Birmingham are a top six side at present but they have performed beyond expectations this season and I may be proved wrong but I wouldn't say they are one of the main contenders in this league and if we have any aspirations this season we should be hoping to finish above them.

The league itself seems to have started to take shape now and the better teams are stringing wins together and rising to the top, the three pre-season "favourites" in Hull, Derby and Middlesbrough ominously make up 3 of the top 5 now some 14 points ahead of us. Worringly for us despite some good performances in recent games we still stand only six points ahead of the relegation zone and of a woeful Bolton side. The points away and the inconsistency at home this season lead me to believe that in all likelihood we are heading for another mid-table finish.The positives are that we do look improved defensively but our goal-scoring threat outside of Rhodes seems almost non-existent. I'm really suprised we didn't try and bolster the attack more in the summer, I do like Lawrence he looks a talent but he looks more of a creator than a likely goal-scorer. I can only think that Bowyer must have been hoping either for a Chris Brown metamorphosis into something resembling a fit striker or for Koita to hit the ground running to replace the goals of Gestede, sadly neither has happened and we've been left in a situation where we are now averaging less than a goal per game and being outscored by bottom of the league Rotherham.

Another thing I think Marshall has done a good job at right-back, he's looked steady and capable there. But is it any coincidence that we've only scored in one of the four games when he's been playing at right-back? He's one of our main attacking/creative threats and the only player still at the club, other than Rhodes, to have scored more than three goals last season. It seems a little ludicrous to me that the industry of a Taylor or a Delfouneso has been preferred in a forward position when we could have been playing Henley right-back and Marshall further forward.

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Neal World Cup

Neal

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I think Henley may be restored against Brentford now. He's had his time on 'the naughty step'.

Don't see why really, 2 clean sheets in 2 games... Can't keep changing the back 4 if we want consistency.

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Commondore Uefa Europa League

Commondore

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Don't see why really, 2 clean sheets in 2 games... Can't keep changing the back 4 if we want consistency.

Agreed, but that might also be down to Bowyer finally accepting that we need A: to play one dedicated holding midfielder and B: that he needs to be partnered with two central players rather than one. Marshall is probably our second most likely player to produce a goal or an assist; he needs play closer to the opponents' goal.

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mustard Uefa Europa League

mustard

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For those lauding a point away at a 'top 6 club'...

Look at Birmingham's squad and their line-up tonight. There's only Demarai Gray who would get a look-in (EDIT: at Rovers). Our squad is vastly superior to the likes of Brum and the only reason they are up the top end of the table is due to the man in charge. Imagine them with our Gaz at the helm and they'd be relegation fodder. No doubt about that. A quality manager makes a real difference in this league.

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Neal World Cup

Neal

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For those lauding a point away at a 'top 6 club'...

Look at Birmingham's squad and their line-up tonight. There's only Demarai Gray who would get a look-in. Our squad is vastly superior to the likes of Brum and the only reason they are up the top end of the table is due to the man in charge. Imagine them with our Gaz at the helm and they'd be relegation fodder. No doubt about that. A quality manager makes a real difference in this league.

A man who speaks my language.

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Mike Graham World Cup

Mike Graham

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I went to the game.

it was awful.

Passing the ball sideways/backwards for 90 minutes (birmingham no better)

Williamson/Akpan both woeful

Bowyer... words fail me why he is still in a job.

The sideways and backwards passing summed up our tactics against Burnelee, again we sat too deep.

The game last night just about summed up the Championship to me. It is a very poor league and has been for the last few seasons. A Manager with good leadership and people management skills along with some tactical nouse would give most Championship sides the chance of a top 6 finish.

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Stuart World Cup

Stuart

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Over the past year we've drawn 13 out of the 24 away leagues games played, that's just a stat but maybe it points to an underlying theme that we appear at times perfectly happy to settle for a point on the road when maybe we should be looking to be more adventurous and go out for the win?

If you are doing really well at home and constantly winning then draws away do help keep the points total ticking along. But I can only think the people calling this a good point tonight are those who think we are in serious threat of being relegated this season and as such any away point is a good one. Call me crazy but I still think we should be aiming and looking up instead of behind us. It's true Birmingham are a top six side at present but they have performed beyond expectations this season and I may be proved wrong but I wouldn't say they are one of the main contenders in this league and if we have any aspirations this season we should be hoping to finish above them.

The league itself seems to have started to take shape now and the better teams are stringing wins together and rising to the top, the three pre-season "favourites" in Hull, Derby and Middlesbrough ominously make up 3 of the top 5 now some 14 points ahead of us. Worringly for us despite some good performances in recent games we still stand only six points ahead of the relegation zone and of a woeful Bolton side. The points away and the inconsistency at home this season lead me to believe that in all likelihood we are heading for another mid-table finish.The positives are that we do look improved defensively but our goal-scoring threat outside of Rhodes seems almost non-existent. I'm really suprised we didn't try and bolster the attack more in the summer, I do like Lawrence he looks a talent but he looks more of a creator than a likely goal-scorer. I can only think that Bowyer must have been hoping either for a Chris Brown metamorphosis into something resembling a fit striker or for Koita to hit the ground running to replace the goals of Gestede, sadly neither has happened and we've been left in a situation where we are now averaging less than a goal per game and being outscored by bottom of the league Rotherham.

Another thing I think Marshall has done a good job at right-back, he's looked steady and capable there. But is it any coincidence that we've only scored in one of the four games when he's been playing at right-back? He's one of our main attacking/creative threats and the only player still at the club, other than Rhodes, to have scored more than three goals last season. It seems a little ludicrous to me that the industry of a Taylor or a Delfouneso has been preferred in a forward position when we could have been playing Henley right-back and Marshall further forward.

Even more importantly, we need to get points on the board this side of Christmas.

One, to give us a chance of keeping Rhodes by being at least play-off outsiders. Two, have enough points in the bag to help us limp home in the second half of the season, should Rhodes leaving in January.

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OJRovers Champions League

OJRovers

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I'm not a bowyer fan but 4 points from Leeds away Birmingham away is a decent return, especially with 2 of our centre midfielders unavailable (Evans/Guthrie). Needs to be backed up with a home win on Saturday though.

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arbitro

arbitro

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Bowyer is saying that Birmingham paid us a huge compliment with their tactics. He is, of course correct but once again it showed his deficiencies as we couldn't capitalise on their negativity. The majority of our possession was in our final third as Birmingham sat deep with their attacking players on the half way line. It was painful to watch as our back continually passed the ball amongst themselves under no pressure.

In the final analysis this was certainly two points dropped. A good, tactically aware manager would have soon sussed out Birminghams game plan and adjusted ours to go on and win the game.

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joey_big_nose World Cup

joey_big_nose

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I'm not a bowyer fan but 4 points from Leeds away Birmingham away is a decent return, especially with 2 of our centre midfielders unavailable (Evans/Guthrie). Needs to be backed up with a home win on Saturday though.

A good return undone by dropping so many points earlier in the season.

If we can beat Brentford and Preston then Bowyer will be getting at least a little back towards track.

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Blue blood

Blue blood

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Bowyer will be delighted with the point, and in terms of Championship safety (all I can dream of this season under Bowyer even though the team is capable of much, much more) it is a good one. Along with 3 diabolical teams and others doing poorly, it puts more of a gap between us and the relegation zone, and we should be comfortably safe at this rate. Plus we can actually defend. This is huge after the calamity show of the last few seasons at the back.

Mind you, we could be doing better, and if they don't want sub 10K crowds after Christmas we need to do better. Not only will fans be put off by the meaninglessness of games - I stress it's the lack of ambition on this front, if we were a small club fighting for survival it'd be different but a club our size treading water and slowly sinking is a different ballgame - but also the lack of goals. Villa's problems last season pre-Sherwood was that fans saw very few goals. Games aren't just poor results, but they're growing in not being entertaining from a goals point of view. It's just another brick in the wall of disappointment Venkys are building between the club and the fans.

Still if nothing else, I can sleep a bit easier knowing that we won't get relegated this season. Whether we implode at the end of the season is another matter - be it financial or through losing Rhodes. But then, logically we should have been out of last chance saloon financially yonks ago, yet we're still frustrated even under an embargo we're not making a proper stab at promotion and financial rescue. So maybe we'll have another chance next season. Or under Bowyer maybe it'll be another season waiting for the axe to fall.

Or maybe this is the run we have turned the corner and we're going on a run which includes as many wins as draws. I can dream.

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Gav

Gav

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Posted

I went to the game.

it was awful.

Passing the ball sideways/backwards for 90 minutes (birmingham no better)

Williamson/Akpan both woeful

Bowyer... words fail me why he is still in a job.

I'll give you one word to help:

Venkys!

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