[Archived] Birmingham City Away

[Rover Down Under]

I am not usually one to call for changes but it is pretty apparent that these guys have little to offer the club going forward:- Andrews (20k) Pedersen (35k) Roberts (30k) Reid (35k) Rigters (15k) Zurab (20k) Diouf (40k) We need to shift those seven, probably saving around 190k per week, or roughly 10m per season. size]

Jesus wept...when you think of the salaries of 99.99% of Rovers fans and what would happen to us if we performed that poorly and that inconsistently at work, how quickly we would lose our job, how difficult it would be to find another and how would we get through the weeks/months of unemployment... seeing these salaries just pi$$es me off!

If Peds goes to Celtic what would his salary be...if Roberts went to the Championship, where he belongs, he'd get what, 10k a week - half a million a year? And these people aren't even the worst of the lot, Terry, Cole et al. - shameful and disgraceful.

What a mockery we have made of this sport.

[cn174]

Keep seeing stuff like 'Utter disgrace by Allardyce - his team, his tactics etc........'

Utter bullsh!t - Andrews wasnt his signing, nor Roberts, nor Gamst.

Doesn't mean he has to play them though!! Which he does often.

His team selection last night was pants and you know it. We'd just come out of a game v Hull where we'd played relatively decent attacking football, and swapped the team to put in our three worst performing players of the season, then brought on Andrews when we could've brought on an attacking midfielder.

[Jackson]

And that would be what LW? We cant always put things into perspective, when clearly team selection was wrong on the night. When Benni and Hoiliett came on, things changed. Had they started, we would have sung a different tune. The over reaction is justified, because Sams selection and team performance was utter garbage.

I agree.

How many times do we have to see the likes of these better players come on in the last quarter and change the game, before Kalinic, Di Santo, Hoilett and possibly Benni Mac, all start the game. Together. For 90 mins.

[rebelmswar]

Doesn't mean he has to play them though!! Which he does often.

His team selection last night was pants and you know it. We'd just come out of a game v Hull where we'd played relatively decent attacking football, and swapped the team to put in our three worst performing players of the season, then brought on Andrews when we could've brought on an attacking midfielder.

While I was gibbering and rocking myself in the corner during last nights game, I kept telling myself "Sam is giving them one last chance, Sam is giving them one last chance, Sam..."

Maybe my fugue state persona was correct.

I hope so.

[waggy]

Were making birmingham seem like theyre barcelona...

i said real madrid

[roversfan1]

Utter sh!te from Rovers last night against a Birmingham side that is organised but nothing special and how we can make Cameron Jerome look like a decent striker is anyone's guess. There was at least a point to be had there - as there was with Hull - but again we blew it with an inept and insipid display!

Pedersen couldnt give a monkeys, Roberts and Diouf are toss and we all know about Andrews. I thought that the back 4 did ok but what was in front of them - Nzonzi and Kalinic aside - was awful and their lack of effort is the reason why we looked so open to every counter attack.

No protection, nobody tracking runners, no tackles, lack of concentration and in some cases ability, no creativity, no organisation (or organiser on the pitch), no plan B!!

[RIML]

It's a pity we can't field a team of players who show the same attitude as Nelsen, Samba and Givet. Yes, they may make mistakes but they always give total committment to the club.

Spot on.

No matter how much pressure was on our defence because our midfielders didn't offer anything defensively, they never stopped trying all night. What was Diouf all about, I was gutted after half time when I saw him with his coat on running towards the dugout thinking he had been subbed only for him to take off his coat and run on the pitch, what an absolute gaylord. I said at the game I could have put in a better shift then him, he's not a team player and we need to get rid.

Felt sorry for Nzonzi last night, he tried at least, the yellow didn't help, still absolutely gutted, I feel like crap today at work with being back so late last night.

You can't fault the commitment shown by some of the players, after the game I gladly clapped Robinson & Nelsen can't remember who else, you could see what the defeat meant to them, if only we had a whole team like that but I have great faith in Sam, he will sort it out but it isn't going to happen over night. Bring on the Spurs!

[Plastic Head]

Watched the game twice now. It's clear to me we need to play a more balanced/mixed game.

The Tactical Approach

We played an almost exclusively an aerial long ball game. The problem is all our long balls are high and straight. This means all we can do most of the time is head the ball back up into the air and scramble from there. For the long balls to work we need to get them from wider positions. This is a problem because we don't play enough passes to manufacture a crossing position and the wide men don't have the ability to deliver a good ball. We also don't have a forward good enough in the air to score from these balls are rely on Nzonzi and Samba who are too far back on the field to get on the end of crosses.

As for the long throws, as I have said before, we have scored 1 goal in a year and just give up possesion.

The corners are poorly delivered and out men attacking the ball get sucked in too close to the goal line.

We need to manufacture better positions to deliver balls into the box and i'm sure our attacking players will get goals.

The Players

Robinson - The least of our problems at the moment.

Chimbonda - Obviously a quality player. Wants to play some football but does Sam let him?

Givet - Is he a left-back or a centre-back? I'm not sure.

Samba - I know it's not easy, but stop heading the ball upwards.

Nelsen - Slow but steady

Diouf - A complete waste of a shirt. Can't see anyone buying him. Reserves.

N'Zonzi - Getting stronger all the time and refuses to be brought down by the sh!te around him.

Emerton - Useful when fit

Pedersen - We've tried everything now, Sell for 1 pence on January 1st.

Roberts- Lump of lard with the footballing ability of an onion. Past it.

Kalinic - Trying to do the right thing when all around are doing the wrong thing. Needs better composure but i'm sure he will score goals. Hopefully for us.

Andrews - What can I say that hasn't been said. On the ball he is more a hindrance than a liability. Off the ball he has no clue what he is/should be doing. A footballing numbskull.

Hoillet - Sam said he is a raw talent and that's one thing he is right on.

McCarthy - More abilty than anyone else at the club when fit and motivated.

[TimmyJimmy]

Long ball games can be constructive or destructive for a team. Sam wants the former the players give us the latter. The football world has known for years that we cannot handle being closed down quickly and put under pressure. Rather than be accused of losing the ball the players (and I mean ALL the players) punt it up field as far as they can without aim or reason, it's just get rid, get back in position and go again. We are being destroyed by the wrong kind of long ball game.

Time and again last night I saw players MAKE NO ATTEMPT to 'show' for a ball when a colleague was under pressure. The idea seemed to be that the pressured player would move the ball into a space and one of the others would run on to it. Problem - Big Clubs pressing and our sh!te positioning meant the ball was always picked up by an opposing player, and back it came. By comparison to us the Big Club midfield looked like angry killer bees.

The only reason we did well at the end of the game is that Big Club stopped pressing and fell back to defend the lead. We can play when not under pressure so we suddenly start to look better - but we weren't.

All players are allowed a bad day so I forgive the following who fell short but tried :

Chimbonda, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Emerton, N’Zonzi, Kalinic, Hoillet.

These guys in my opinion tried but got completely overwhelmed and ran out of ideas ending up looking like fish out of water :

Pedersen, Diouf, Roberts, Andrews.

The guys on the first list will have better days, the guys on the second list will not. Conclusion, dump the B List.

Robinson played very well and McCarthy almost did but yet again wasn't able to operate in the box where he's at his best.

Living right now in the moment I'm embarrassed by last night's performance but the future me seems to think Sam will enrol a few good youngsters in January and lose some dross. I'm happy enough to wait around and hope we become an Arsenal but last night really does stretch the patience.

Di Santo and Kalinic up front, N’Zonzi and Hoillet in support. A worker (Dunny or Emo) and a holding mid (Grella) is what I want to see. If that can be bettered by the new purchases all well and good but please don't make me watch the B List ever again, PLEASE.

[Sparky Marky]

I can't believe that Hoilett wasn't employed on the left wing to play against Carr....the guys past it and I'd have swapped Pedersen for Hoilett at half time and gone at Carr with Pace and trickery....

We should go for Aiden McGheedy in January.....

[roversmum]

I try not to criticise unless it's constructive because I don't believe it does any good in the long run, and most on here probably know more about such things than I do.

But

I'm thoroughy fed up with the tactics. Someone said recently that the players were given instructions and they were 'scared' not to implement them. Was the generally better play for Macca (second half of Fulham excepted - and the tactics there were patently not working after five minutes yet we continued with them for the rest of the game ) because the players felt they had more of a free rein?

Could I please implore the Expert to do something about it? I've looked at the fixtures, and I can't honestly see an away win anywhere. And as one who travels to every match, it's not a happy thought.

Should I take up golf instead?

[walk down bolton road]

Watched the game twice now. It's clear to me we need to play a more balanced/mixed game.

The Tactical Approach

We played an almost exclusively an aerial long ball game. The problem is all our long balls are high and straight. This means all we can do most of the time is head the ball back up into the air and scramble from there. For the long balls to work we need to get them from wider positions. This is a problem because we don't play enough passes to manufacture a crossing position and the wide men don't have the ability to deliver a good ball. We also don't have a forward good enough in the air to score from these balls are rely on Nzonzi and Samba who are too far back on the field to get on the end of crosses.

As for the long throws, as I have said before, we have scored 1 goal in a year and just give up possesion.

The corners are poorly delivered and out men attacking the ball get sucked in too close to the goal line.

We need to manufacture better positions to deliver balls into the box and i'm sure our attacking players will get goals.

The Players

Robinson - The least of our problems at the moment.

Chimbonda - Obviously a quality player. Wants to play some football but does Sam let him?

Givet - Is he a left-back or a centre-back? I'm not sure.

Samba - I know it's not easy, but stop heading the ball upwards.

Nelsen - Slow but steady

Diouf - A complete waste of a shirt. Can't see anyone buying him. Reserves.

N'Zonzi - Getting stronger all the time and refuses to be brought down by the sh!te around him.

Emerton - Useful when fit

Pedersen - We've tried everything now, Sell for 1 pence on January 1st.

Roberts- Lump of lard with the footballing ability of an onion. Past it.

Kalinic - Trying to do the right thing when all around are doing the wrong thing. Needs better composure but i'm sure he will score goals. Hopefully for us.

Andrews - What can I say that hasn't been said. On the ball he is more a hindrance than a liability. Off the ball he has no clue what he is/should be doing. A footballing numbskull.

Hoillet - Sam said he is a raw talent and that's one thing he is right on.

McCarthy - More abilty than anyone else at the club when fit and motivated.

[walk down bolton road]

Pretty good assesment of the players here,also like to add how many balls we put in the air in the Birmingham penalty box and never won a header.Maybe we should play the ball to the feet of Mc Carthy , Kalanic , De Santo.

There is a revolutionary thought.

[CAPT KAYOS]

how many balls we put in the air

Ironic really - when we haven't really got anybody who is good at attacking the ball in the heading term of things with any conviction or direction - McCarthy is capable but was on the bench , MGP so far off form for more than a season and lucky if he gets in the box. Nzonzi can win headers but doens't appear to have the ability to direct them (wip) and Samba the same.

[tomphil]

Pretty good assesment of the players here,also like to add how many balls we put in the air in the Birmingham penalty box and never won a header.Maybe we should play the ball to the feet of Mc Carthy , Kalanic , De Santo.

There is a revolutionary thought.

The point about putting those kind of balls into the box is our player heads it down to 1 of ours on the edge of the box or their defender heads it out to edge of box and our midfield pick up the second ball but it simply doesnt work for us, its the bolton way of sams reign when the likes of okhocha, stellious, a better diouf amongst others picked up the 2nd balls. The longer time goesn the more of that we will see because thats the managements style and they will sign players to fit that style in time rather than change i reckon, and its terrible!

[modes98]

Just a quick mention to the fans that made the trip – good effort the week before Christmas and in good voice.

Pity the players didn’t have the same enthusiasm, maybe jetlag from the Scandinavian adventure……

Agree 100%. The 689 fans(according to bbc) were in fine voice, mine has all but deserted me today with all the shouting and slagging off of Joe Hart, which definately worked and was worthwhile!

£15 well spent, just a shame the team didn't turn up until 60 minutes in.

[roversmum]

Exactly, tomphil, Capt, wdbr and Plastic Head. If I can make good sense of what you are saying then WHY CAN'T THE FLIPPIN MANAGEMENT?

Oh, but wait. We are not the Expert so what do we know?

[den]

Exactly, tomphil, Capt, wdbr and Plastic Head. If I can make good sense of what you are saying then WHY CAN'T THE FLIPPIN MANAGEMENT?

Oh, but wait. We are not the Expert so what do we know?

That's not like you mum.

[T4E]

That's not like you mum.

Even the calmest of us have a breaking point.

[mellison24]

Exactly, tomphil, Capt, wdbr and Plastic Head. If I can make good sense of what you are saying then WHY CAN'T THE FLIPPIN MANAGEMENT?

Oh, but wait. We are not the Expert so what do we know?

Good example! If a WOMAN (of more than reasonable intelligence, I hasten to add) can see it, why can't a man who is supposedly a master technician? For all we know, all his backroom staff might be saying what we are and BigSam being stubborn and stuck in his ways.

[T4E]

Good example! If a WOMAN (of more than reasonable intelligence, I hasten to add) can see it, why can't a man who is supposedly a master technician? For all we know, all his backroom staff might be saying what we are and BigSam being stubborn and stuck in his ways.

Hope there's a tin hat under that hood.

[mellison24]

Hope there's a tin hat under that hood.

Nope. A bit of foil though. Will that do?

[Fife Rover]

He said with barely disguised glee.

[roversmum]

Thanks mellison24! That made me smile!

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

I can't believe that Hoilett wasn't employed on the left wing to play against Carr....the guys past it and I'd have swapped Pedersen for Hoilett at half time and gone at Carr with Pace and trickery....

We should go for Aiden McGheedy in January.....

Its screamingly obvious that Hoilett was rested after playing his first 90 mins on saturday. Im not a manager yet that move was entirely understandable.