[Archived] Blackburn Vs Birmingham

[promoted2001]

Blackburn Rovers vs Birmingham City

Match preview

Next Saturday we welcome possibly the biggest team in the premiership, Birmingham City. Known throughout the world and celebrated as the undisputed biggest team in the footballing world. Well that’s what they like to think, in reality Birmingham will do well to finish in the top half. I decided to ask some of their fans a few questions:

1. How do you think you'll do this season?

Looks like a struggle unless we can hit a winning run. I would say we're looking at 14th place.

We aint gonna be top 6

2. Who do you feel will cause problems in the rovers side?

Bellamy, Pederson

Either Bellamy or Savage, depending on who gets to the hairdressers first!

3. Whose better, Savage or Dunn and why?

Dunn is the most natural gifted British player since Gazza

Dunn, natural talent with a fire inside

4. Are Birmingham a bigger team, if so why?

At the moment yes - bigger crowds, more financial clout. Over history no - you've won more trophies.

Of course! I'd like to think!

5. Pandiani, useless?

The jury is still out IMO. I don't think we've seen the best of him yet though.

Not at all, just needs to get settled into the system and take his chances when they appear.

6. Lastly, How do you think rovers will do?

15th place.

As my boss is a BRFC fan, i'd love to see em go down, just for the fun I could have, but they prob wont, mid table at best, same as us

Likely Injuries

At the time of writing Nafti is the only Birmingham City player who is out injured over the long term. David Dunn made his first Premiership appearance this season against Aston Villa today coming on as a substitute.

As for Blackburn Bellamy is a doubt and probably will not play, Gresko is also a doubt and Matteo is out till November. So it looks as if Shefki Kuqi will be called into action again alongside Paul Dickov or Matt Jansen.

Past Meetings

Last season there was a 3-3 thriller at Ewood in a game where Blackburn came back from a 3-1 deficit at half time. Overall our record against Birmingham at home is not great, as you have to look back to the season of 2000/1 in Division 1 when we beat them 2-1 at Ewood with a goal in the last minute from Matt Jansen. However the last time Birmingham beat us at home was in 1968 in the old division 2 (Now known as the Championship). Overall in all competitions we have won 39 games, there’s been 24 draws and Birmingham have won 40 times.

Former Rovers

David Dunn, Damian Johnson, Martin Taylor and Alex Bruce have all been contracted to Blackburn Rovers. David Dunn was a firm favourite with the Blackburn Fans as he helped us get promoted to the Premiership. He was sold by Graeme Souness for 5.5m pounds in the summer of 2003.

Players to watch

Birmingham’s top scorers this season are Heskey and Jarosik who are both threats. However Birmingham have only managed to score 7 goals this season (same total as Blackburn). Many would predict this game to be a boring 0-0 draw but that is what everybody thought last season and the game was quite the opposite! My prediction is a 2-2 draw in a well thought match.

[modes98]

With the brummies losing today i feel even more confident we will add to our victorys against them in the premiership.

Only player who looked a threat for them today was dunn and maybe that says everything you need to know!

If bellamy is back i can see us knocking in a few, without him it will be close winning by the odd goal in 3.

[greggyk]

After watching them today (on a streaming), Rovers SHOULD have no problem against a very average side in very poor form. I dont think they even had a chance today.

Although Dunn looked quite good when he came on. But also very fat.

[philipl]

Dangerous fixture this one- will be relieved if we get three points as I expect Dunny to run the show.

A question of which side uses the bitterness between them to best effect. In that matter it is down to the two managers and Hughes is head and shoulders better than Bruce.

Even so, with Brum pretty certain to drop into the bottom three if they don't get anything at Ewood, got a sneeking suspicion that Savage will see red and the Brummies will nick this one.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

2-0 Rovers.....Bellamy, Dickov

Birmingham city?....sh1thouse of a club on all fronts,for their potential size they take the prize as the biggest footballing non-entity known to man.

Att: 19,500

Edited October 16, 2005 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[AlanSheppard]

I rather sense you missed an opportunity to ask some "provocative" questions there;).

[1864roverite]

19500 ? SG how dare you ?

Brum are the midlands biggest club and will bring 10000 supporters alone pLUS 3000 fans who want to pay on the door

2-0 Rovers

[krislu]

These are the kind of games we really should win. Even though we lost against Liverpool we are in good shape at the moment, just need Bellamy back.

Rovers 2

Brum 1

Bellamy, Dickov

Heskey

Att: 18 750

[herbergeehh]

Coming over for this one (and the Leeds match) - should really be a win!

Would love it if Bellamy returns to start against Birmingham, but I guess he'll probably be rested some more..?

2-0 win, goals by Dickov and Nelsen.

[waggy]

i'm sure i so dunny on the highlights through my drunken gaze,be great to see him back at ewood saturday

[Bobby G]

Typical match which has had 3 points written on it for us, as many many other matches over the past two seasons. But I hope, it doesnt turn out to be like most of those games, where we end up with 0 points or even 1.

I dont like this fixture at all. I think of them as somewhat of a bogey team for us. They have a win in them somewhere.

If we have Bellamy back and raring to go, and our midfield playing to its potential I can see us winning it though.

[Cheshireblue]

Bellamy could have played against Liverpool but the club decided to rest him so that he was ready for Birmingham. I think we'll stuff the Brummie Big boys and small town Rovers will take all three points. We are playing well at the moment and as long as we keep 11 on the pitch, we are favourites for this game.

2-0 to us. Pedersen and Bellamy.

[Ronin]

A David & Goliath match methinks

If we can keep our current form and 4-4-2 then I think we could easily win this, probably be a game similar to the one we played against West Brom, and similar scoreline. If Bellamy is fit, and if we can keep all 11 men on the pitch, even moreso.

[DudeAbides]

No problem here.

3-0 to the Rovers.....

Sav will score also.

[Neil Weaver]

i'm sure i so dunny on the highlights through my drunken gaze,be great to see him back at ewood saturday

353774[/snapback]

Waggy, didn't see it on the telly, but had the radio on during the game. He came on for the last 20 mins or so, and apparently was the best player on the pitch. Think they said it was his first first team game for the best part of a year.

[sambo]

brum only brought about 100 fans last year. and theyre a massive club..........

[roversmum]

And at the moment they are in the relegation zone.

Come on, Rovers, let's keep them there!

[RoyRover]

God, I really dislike Birmingham and Steve Bruce and I would love it if we could beat them. It's important that we get a win after the weekends result. We have been playing well and Birmingham haven't, so I expect us to win. I was sad when we sold David Dunn, because I thought that he was a great player, but he just had to stop eating the pies. I hope that he doesn't get too hostile a reception, because he will undoubtly answer it with a goal.

2-0 to Rovers, Pedersen and Kuqi with the goals.

[RovertheHill]

Rent-a-gob Sullivan has been in the papers again - having a go at (in no particular order)

- O Leary

- Butt

- Heskey, Pandiani, Forsell

Fantastic - when will he realise he has a dud for a manager?

[Ronin]

Rent-a-gob Sullivan has been in the papers again - having a go at (in no particular order)

- O Leary

- Butt

- Heskey, Pandiani, Forsell

Fantastic - when will he realise he has a dud for a manager?

When it's too late and they're playing Championship football again!?

[Fife Rover]

This is definitely one of the MUST-WIN matches and whatever else happens we must NOT allow ourselves to get complacent and even begin to think it easy or "in the bag". However I do place my trust in Sparky and his staff to firmly get that message through to the players should it be neccessary to do so.

Quite a difficult one to call without appearing to be complacent, so I will confine myself to saying it is well within Rover's capability to win and win well, but it wont be easy, especially after Sullivans little outburst this morning in which I detected a hint that Bruce's job is on the line.

Edited October 18, 2005 by Fife Rover

[blue phil]

....er...are we allowed to call Dunny a fat ba£tard ......or might it upset him ?

[Ozz]

Only if you want him to score a 25 yarder in the middle of the goal.

[blue phil]

What do we pay Brad for ?

[Bobby G]

Is Neill suspended?