Birmingham City v SAINTS Match Thread

Davis was solid and no-one else made any defensive slip-ups, which considering the conditions is pretty pleasing.

Think some people are kidding themselves regarding west ham though. They're top for a reason and winning a game playing with 10 men for 80 minutes is impressive despite a lucky break...

They'll take some beating.

 

I watched the whole game today and West Ham were nothing special. Millwall were just diabolocally ****e. I know it was only one game though.

I'm just saying we didn't fend them off of top spot until the turn of the new year to let go with a whimper. We will push them all the way. Game in a couple of weeks is massive.

 

Watched West Ham v Millwall.

Millwall were just awful. How on earth dd we not bet them last week. They honestly were a shambles today

 

You don't want promotion through the play-offs?! Are you crazy?

Think you mean you don't want to finish in a play-off place!

 

I agree with this. I know what people are implying - ie. we are a better footballing side. This isn't so much in dispute, but we don't have the mental strength that they have. If we did, we'd be points ahead, but we chucked it in on a number of occasions when the pressure to maintain our lead was highest. That's why I do not want to finish in the play-off positions if we can possibly avoid it. I don't think we would have the strength to get through it - and playing the better football in a play-off game will be scant consolation.

 

West Ham win loads of their games by one goal margins, often penalties, which suggests to me that they're not always playing on top form, but are still not conceding (granted, I only see them on the FLS highlights). They're a team of winners. Not sure what went wrong at Ipswich, but it repaired itself again against Milwall by the sounds of it.

Also, does anyone know how Blackpool beat Cardiff away 3-1 - we struggled to get a point from them at SMS. Did Cardiff play badly, or Blackpool well? Wondering what sort of perspective it puts us in is all.

 

Cardiff were 1 up and cruising, got complacent, KP came on and scored, after that the Bluebird defence went in to meltdown, I suspect that if we had had the breaks and scored first at SM it may well have gone the same way, but those two denied penalty decision were the difference.

 

The West Ham 2nd had a remarkable similarity to the Cardiff goal, one forward flattens the goalkeeper and another one gets a free shot.

 

Apparently Holloway put five strikers on or something and Cardiff sat back and invited pressure.

 

For their 1st and 2nd goals, they had Kevin Phillips, Matt Phillips, Roman Bednar and Gary Taylor-Fletcher all on the pitch. Likewise, those four players were all on the pitch when they scored their two late goals in midweek against Coventry.

It's amazing what options you can have available to you when you don't bother to select a substitue goalkeeper (in both of those games, this Dicko lad was also in their matchday squads, as well as Lua Lua for the Coventry game). Holloway and Big Sam both deserve immense credit for this imo.

 

Happy days for us...but Blackpool are an excellent side, only four points behind us and we still have to travel there. They're in the race alright.

Holloway made those who thought we should buy Matt Phillips look a bit silly last night. No idea why they thought he would sell for a few million quid.

 

And we can expect them to pick up three more on Saturday, as they're at home to our a blue neighbours from down the road. After letting us down against West Ham and Cardiff in recent times, I have no faith in them helping us out against Birmingham (Tuesday) or Blackpool this week.

 

Portsmouth aren't a pushover..they've had some decent results. Thinking they will get a draw or win against Blackpool. I think teams like Blackpool, Boro and Cardiff can string a few results together, but simply aren't as good as us. When we get back in scoring form (look at our frontmen!) we will pull away again. Be too much to ask that only 2 teams will still be in it; I expect Birmingham to hang on as well.

 

Come on poopey you can do it...cough.... **** just coughed up a little sick into my mouth saying that .

 

Was I the only person screaming "SQUARE IT" just prior to Billy taking his shot yesterday?? Completely understandable he wanted a goal on his debut mind....

 

Same conditions didn't help either tbh, did you go or watch on tv?.

 

I'm afraid it was TV for me yesterday as I had an event in the evening I had to go to. Actually very encouraged by the performance yesterday - it feels like we're getting a little bit of the "passing swagger" back again.

 

I'm usually positive even when all the evidence is against me and my brain is whimpering, but I really really believe we are on the turn for the better now.

 

I went with a few mates didn't get bk until about 1 in the morning. But yeah we are starting to look our old self

 

May have been the coldest I have ever been watching a football match! awful conditions that meant that decent football was never gonna happen. Absolutely dire! Only people who truely support a team would understand why we went! I really wish Saints could have at least attempted a half chance though as it might have made the whole thing slightly worthwhile. What made me so angry was the freekick at the end. It could have been the only decent chance Saints would have had all evening. With 90mins on the clock why on earth didnt Rickie just have a blast?!! Instead he chipped it toward Fonte - absolutely pathetic! Made everyone groan.... I will try my very hardest to forget this one but am still worried about the poor saints form. COYR!