[Archived] Birmingham City 2-1 Rovers

[ihtd]

I apologise if this isn't up to scratch as i have been ill all week but that is no excuse hope somebody enjoys reading it lol.

Well after Saturdays results all going against Rovers challenge for 4th place in the F.A. Barclays Premiership, it makes every single match from here until the end of the season a must win match, and with that it brings us to this match.

Blackburn Rovers Vs Birmingham City

Now as all of us fans know we do not like Birmingham City, not only because of the Savage deal but to do with the fact that their management and fans seem to believe that they have a divine right to be a big club. But we do have a lot to be thankful to the so called ‘Big Club’ as they have an habit of signing our what I could only describe as rejects with the exception of Dunny, examples of these would be ‘Tim Nice But Dim’ Martin ’Tiny’ Taylor, Damien Johnson, Dwight Yorke and Alex Bruce who so far has looked shocking when he has played for them. To think we got 5 million for Dunn with his injuries I think that it proves that at Birmingham, their owners aren’t the smartest when it comes to funding transfers.

Well after that little tirade against the Brum, back to the match. Both sides will be coming off a match on the Sunday with both sides needing a win at the weekend. Birmingham finds themselves away at their biggest rivals in football…Aston Villa. The game at Villa could in a way dictate the way that the match on Wednesday night goes, should Brum defeat their rivals it will do wonders for their low confidence levels and it could end up being like the Pompey match as Birmingham haven’t lost in the their last three matches and have defeated notloB in that time. Should Villa somehow find some backbone and put in a performance for once it may be the final nail in the Brum coffin as a defeat in such a valuable Midlands derby should end up draining whatever confidence the Brum players had left from them. But either way we could be facing a backlash come Wednesday night and the lads must be aware of that.

As for our own team, well we haven’t been playing well of late to say the least. We have ground out results in our last few games and if it wasn’t for the magician that is Craig Bellamy and Brad Friedel last week at Fratton Park we could have been 8 points behind Spurs for 4th place instead of the current 7 point gap. Previous performances versus Wigan and Sunderland prior were far from impressive and showed none of the flair and passion that we have been playing with for most of this season, lets hope for an upturn in fortunes for Rovers when they play Liverpool on Sunday afternoon and for the game versus Brum on Wednesday.

Key Players

Birmingham City (Squad Numbers)

1. Maik Taylor-On his day he can be a very good keeper but on others he can be absolutely shocking.

7. Jermaine Pennant-Everything from the flanks comes from his right flank-provides all the service for their strikers in an aerial sense and will be looking to find either Heskey or Sutton should he be fit to play.

16. Emile Heskey -No matter how low of an opinion I have of the guy, he does have an habit of scoring against us especially when he were playing for Liverpool although I do remember Brad pulling off a good save from a penalty from him at Ewood Park in the League Cup in the 2003/2004 3-4 defeat to the Reds. Many fans may remember that game for a rare goal from ‘Homesick’ ‘Mummy’s Boy’ Barry Ferguson. Heskey, an ex England international and goal scorer will be a threat to our CL aspirations even if he is running low on confidence. He has also been linked with a move to us for next season numerous times in the British rags.

Emile Heskey

Jermaine Pennant lol

Birmingham City Facts

•The Brum were formed as a club known as Small Heath Alliance in the same year as we were formed in 1875

•They have lost in play-off finals three times before they were promoted after a play-off final win versus Norwich City in 2002

•There first ground was called Muntz Street and was rented by the then owners for £5 a year.

•They turned professional in 1888.

•Birmingham City were the first club to adopt limited liability which simply means that if the club were to fold I believe that all that can be seized to pay off debts is the clubs property and none of the owners personal belongings such as cars and houses etc as long they are not club property. This was in 1889.

•In the 1962/1963 season they had a cup time postponed no more than 16 times versus Bury due water-logged pitches, coaches not turning up and torrential snow of all things.

Previous Matches between Rovers and Birmingham City

22/10/2005-Blackburn Rovers versus Birmingham City-Home Win- 2-0

30/05/2005-Birmingham City versus Blackburn Rovers-Home Win-2-1

21/11/2004-Blackburn Rovers versus Birmingham City-Draw- 3-3

15/05/2004-Blackburn Rovers versus Birmingham City-Draw- 1-1

06/12/2003-Birmingham City versus Blackburn Rovers-Away Win- 0-4

18/01/2003-Blackburn Rovers versus Birmingham City-Draw- 1-1

24/08/2002-Birmingham City versus Blackburn Rovers-Away Win-0-1

Form Guide (Last Six Matches)

Birmingham City

DLLDWD

Blackburn Rovers

LWWWDD

Now if I knew anyone who supported the ‘big’ club I would have done a Q+A for you guys but I don’t and I didn’t want to risk getting abused on the Brum message board as they don’t seem to like us for some reason lol.

Prediction

Birmingham City 0-2 Blackburn Rovers

I’ll leave you guys to speculate the rest!!!

[1864roverite]

city without dunn and upson, a team in desperate need of points leave Rovers facing some sort of whirlwind of Wednesday.

I foresee some sort of bcfc line up like this

taylor

cunningham, tebily,taylor and young left back

izzit lazaridis butt and sutton

forsee and 'eskey

They have to win, a draw is no good to them.

Rovers have to play waiting on the break football, therefore 4-5-1 should be ideal or the first half to take the sting from the game.

Friedel

Todd Nelsen Zurab Neill

Emerton Reid Savage Pederson

Pongolle

Bellamy

2-0 Rovers

[philipl]

Got a feeling the whirlwind will come from the Rovers as we virtually condemn them to the second division. Rovers will be mad after today and Sparky will channel it.

[grizfoot]

Wouldn't it be a great time for a certain Mr.Savage to get his first Rovers goal.

[SAS]

its gotta be a win

hasnt it?

anyone gettin robbie savage wigs?

[frosty]

Birmingham 0-1 Rovers

Pedersen 83

[Oakland]

0 - 4

Bellers

Nelsen

Pedersen

kuqi

...and then I wake up...

....it was OFFSIDE!

[Blue blood]

Both teams really need this one - added in the bad feeling ebtween the two clubs and this is going to be a cracker. I predict at least 7 yellow cards and possibly a red.

For me there's a few interesting battles:

Tielby vs Bellamy

Bruce is spouting on about how well Tielby's done in recent weeks and been the catalyst of their (relatively speaking) decent run of form. He'll have the unenviable job of marking our welsh wizard Bellamy as Taylor could be outmuscled by a paper bag. He's quite nippy for a centre back but I've a feeling that Bellers will be a bit too quick for Teilby and lead rovers on to victory.

Pennant vs Gray

IMO our weak link in our team. Pennant's fast and Gray isn't to put it bluntly and if Brum are to create anything it's most likely to come down their right flank. MGP will ahve to be tracking back and give Gray a lot of protection methinks to keep the youngster quiet.

Butt/whoever else is playing the hardman role in midfield vs Savage

It's going to be a real battle proper blood and thunder type encounter and whoever dominates the midfield will probably dictate the tempo and should win the game. Robbie will be desparate to play well vs Brum (indeed my only worry is he tries too hard a la thompson) and Brum will be desparate to see that he doesn't.

Therefore my team would be:

Brad

Neill Todd Nelsen Gray

Emerton Savage Reid MGP

Bellamy Dickov

subs: Tugay, Mokoena, Kuqi, Bentley Enks

A few players who've 1st team chances been discussed recently are Dickov, Bentley and Zurab. I'd have the latter two out and Dickov in. Why? Dickov against Taylor will be great (so long as we don't do any stupid long balls to him) Tiny really doesn't like in your face attackers and they don't get much more in your face than Dickov! I'd be a tad worried about the power that Heskey and Sutton could bring and as Zurab isn't too comfortable with these kind of players I'd bring back Todd who likes a good scrap. As for Bentley imo he's been disappointing on the wing and Emerton would be more solid for what is likely to be a frantic midfield scrap. Added to which Emo normally plays well when recalled and I've a feeling he's playing for his future and thus motivated would put in a blinder. I'd love to see Tugs come on for a good 20 mins (more if their midfield is tamed) as I've a feeling he could pick out some very promising passes in the gaps that Brum will definatley leave.

Thinking it should be a rovers win, and a good one at that, but I've got a naging feeling in the back of my mind that Savage will get sent off and we crash to our second successive loss. It's going for europe that's making me very nervous.

[Flopsy]

1-1 draw

utter shocker of a game

[The Dart]

I think BIG CLUB's utter desperation will mean Rovers will be dragged down to their level, and anything could happen.

3-3

Edited April 16, 2006 by The Dart

[pick32]

we need to change the team around abit

friedel

neil tod nelsen gray

reid tugay savage MGP

bellamy kuqi

subs: mokoena, bentley, zurab, peter, enks

ill go for a 3-0 win

hope we get to see three of are former players play aginst us

dunn

tinny taylor

sutton

[colin]

tinny taylor

399670[/snapback]

Don't know if that was a typo or not, but a tip of the hat to you there Pick.

This really is a game that we should be winning, Taylor and Cunningham are truely aweful, they have the mobility of a fully laden longboat on the Leeds & Liverpool canal and if MH gets the midfield to play some low fast balls through to Bellamy and (whisper it) Dickov we should be OK.

I just hope Savage manages to stay away from Damien Johnson, there's an early bath waiting to happen for both.

[emerton]

Rovers 1 - 0 Brum

Savage 90 + 4 (Pen)

[philipl]

Brum were an absolute disgrace against their other pet hates, Villa. Rovers should win this one but I am worried that a lot of clubs in the Prem seem to be putting long sequences together and just hope that we haven't started on a non-winning sequence.

How Villa beat Brum. On this basis, Bellamy will enjoy himself on Wednesday- for Brum only a win will do. We just have to make sure we don't fall behind but even then that Brum defence is vulnerable.

Edited April 17, 2006 by philipl

[James No. 7]

We're going to give them a 6-1 shellacking.

Birmingham City get the first goal. Sutton scores after Heskey is offside.

Savage scores his first goal to equalise.

Bellamy and Pongolle and MGP get the other five goals.

Personally, though, I wouldn't start MGP. I would rather play a "tough as nails" kind of side to match a desperate team and then finish off with flair.

Friedel

Neill Todd Nelsen Gray

Reid Savage Mokoena Emerton

Bellamy Sinama-Pongolle

Lee, Pedersen, Khizanishvilli, Dickov, Bentley

[frosty]

We're going to give them a 6-1 shellacking.

Birmingham City get the first goal. Sutton scores after Heskey is offside.

Savage scores his first goal to equalise.

Bellamy and Pongolle and MGP get the other five goals.

Personally, though, I wouldn't start MGP. I would rather play a "tough as nails" kind of side to match a desperate team and then finish off with flair.

Friedel

Neill  Todd  Nelsen  Gray

Reid  Savage  Mokoena  Emerton

Bellamy Sinama-Pongolle

Lee, Pedersen, Khizanishvilli, Dickov, Bentley

399706[/snapback]

Yeah surely Pongolle has got to come back soon, Dickov is a liability at the moment.

[juggalo_rover]

Everyone has put Bentley to the bench.........WHY

He was the only player that looked like creating anything against Liverpool.....

Anyway, Rovers 4-0

[RoyRover]

God, I really hate Birmingham and their moaning manager Steve Bruce. I would love it if we could beat them on Wednesday and really increase their chances of relegation! The return of Robbie Savage is likely to increase the tension in this match and I'm sure Bruce would love to put one over on him and Mark Hughes. This could be a difficult game for us, but we have the better side and should win. I'd like to see a line up of:

Friedal

Neill Todd Nelsen Gray

Emerton Reid Savage Pedersen

Bellamy Pongolle

2-1 to Rovers, with Bellamy and Reid scoring. Sutton with Brum's goal.

[greggyk]

If Pompey win today, Big Brum will be 6 points from safety by the time our match comes around. And by the end of it, they will be down!

Brum to bottle it;

Brum 0-2 Rovers

Bellamy(39)

Reid(52)

[92er]

I found this an interesting read................ www.telegraph.co.uk/smith about the chairman's reaction to yesterday.

I apologise if I haven't been able to do the link.

[Exiled_Rover]

I found this an interesting read................ www.telegraph.co.uk/smith about the chairman's reaction to yesterday.

I apologise if I haven't been able to do the link.

399776[/snapback]

Hmmm, that site seems unlinkable. Funny stuff though.

Edited April 17, 2006 by Exiled_Rover

[1864roverite]

dickov or pngolle ?

lets get it right, since dickov came back has he actually done owt apart from moan and get booked ?

no he iant

keep him well away

[cletus]

Birmingham City Facts

•The Brum were formed as a club known as Small Heath Alliance in the same year as we were formed in 1875

Surely they were known as BIG Heath Alliance??

Let`s help send them down, where they belong

[Manchester Blue]

dickov or pngolle ?

lets get it right, since dickov came back has he actually done owt apart from moan and get booked ?

no he iant

keep him well away

399781[/snapback]

Scored a number of crucial goals that went a long way towards keeping us up last season. Apart from that he's done nothing.

Dickov is holding the team back of that there is no doubt but don't forget he did a good job at keeping us up, very short term memeories some fans.

[blinddevotion]

Friedal

Neill, Khizanishvili, Nelsen, Gray

Bentley Reid Savage Peter

Bellamy Flick

Flick will be nice and fresh after not playing the pool match and will score a hat-trick, as we all call for him to become a Rover full-time, this happens and he never does much again.

Brum 0 - Rovers 3