[Archived] Birmingham Preview

[Glenn]

I'm down there for the weekend. As Floppy says, I'll be in the sack o potatoes and/or gosta green before hand then out in the town centre at night (there is a cracking real ale pub, just off the main drag).

[rover_groo]

I think Derbs will score and set off a thousand posts on here about how we've missed out.

1-1 and I'd take that

In agreement.

1-1

Derbyshire, Mama Biram Diouf.

Derbyshire will be well set on proving a point to Big Sam and both Nelsen & Samba will have to be on top form to restrict his chances. It will be tough one, but hopefully we will get a chance to somewhat shine upfront with Brums less than tight defence.

[Manc Rover]

Samba will have to keep zigic quiet, he came on and Made a nuisance of himself on Saturday.

Samba will have Zigic in his pocket! 2-0 to Rovers (Kalinic and Pedersen)and onwards and upwards we go!

[b12_simon]

Home win. It always is.

[RibbleValleyRover]

We are venturing into the great unknown. Will our away form be as shocking as last season? Or will we see a major improvement? If Sam or the club have any aspirations of improving on last seasons finish then we need to do better on our travels this season.

1-1 draw and I would be pretty happy with that.

[Amo]

We're capable of stealing three points, but based on last year's form the best we can hope for is a draw.

[tony gale's mic]

If we get three points it would be a massive start to the new season. Two games where we could have easily got no points from. I think it'll be a draw but there's a real wave of optimism around Ewood and a real buzz around the club, granted it's an away fixture but you never know it could just tip us over the edge.

[Pedderz0912]

I predicting the alternative fixture at Ewood last season spot on with a 2-1 win and Dunn to score a couple against old club.

I am optimistic due to how solid we looked at the back however without Dunn + our game there last season i'm going for a 1-1 draw - Jerome for them and Givet for us in the last 20 minutes and also a penalty miss involved somewhere.

I really hope the blackpool game won;t go on this game as Im also at a wedding and went to 5 away games last year including Burnley - will that be enough?

Cheers.

[LeChuck]

Fancy us to win this one, Birmingham haven't really improved and looked poor on Saturday. I'll go for a 2-1 win.

My guess for the team (not what I would play...):

................... Robinson

Salgado . Samba .. Nelsen . Givet

............ N'Zonzi ... Andrews

.. E. Diouf ... Pedersen ... Olsson

..................... Kalinic

[Amo]

Fancy us to win this one, Birmingham haven't really improved and looked poor on Saturday. I'll go for a 2-1 win.

My guess for the team (not what I would play...):

................... Robinson

Salgado . Samba .. Nelsen . Givet

............ N'Zonzi ... Andrews

.. E. Diouf ... Pedersen ... Olsson

..................... Kalinic

Interesting you would choose Andrews there, when Jones has showed more promise in one game than he has all his career. I'm not sure we'll have any luck if we play the same way we did against Everton. You can't afford to give the home side so much possession and not expect them to take advantage. I think there has to be a little caution to the wind on our travels, because it clearly never worked away from home last season. I'd throw Mame Diouf in there and have him supporting Kalinic at every opportunity.

[Montfort]

Last season I thought we looked pretty poor at Birmingham until about the last 20 minutes when it was all over, we decided to have a go at them and decided that they weren't that good after all.

At Ewood I thought we were clearly the better team and wondered how Birmingham had got to their exhaulted position in the league.

With the win on Saturday, plus remembering the last meeting I think rovers will really fancy this.

A massive 1 nil win for Rovers

[SergioPeter89]

What kind of reception do you think that Derbs will get? I hope he will get a good one. He will from me..

[joey_big_nose]

Fancy us to win this one, Birmingham haven't really improved and looked poor on Saturday. I'll go for a 2-1 win.

My guess for the team (not what I would play...):

................... Robinson

Salgado . Samba .. Nelsen . Givet

............ N'Zonzi ... Andrews

.. E. Diouf ... Pedersen ... Olsson

..................... Kalinic

Interesting line up. I would like to see Pedersen play a bit deeper but it is hard to see who we can put in behind Kalinic. Also agree that Jones should start somewhere. Could maybe give this a go:-

................... Robinson

Salgado . Samba .. Nelsen . Olsson

E. Diouf--. N'Zonzi ... Jones-----Pedersen

..................M Diouf---- Kalinic

Get Nzonzi and Jones to sit deep (well they will anyway) and give Olsson a lot of licence to get forward. M Diouf looks a handful, and is also dangerous in the air and with the ball to feet, so it is a shame to not start him.

Agree that your lineup is likely though Le Chuck, but probably with Jones starting ahead of Andrews.

[b12_simon]

What kind of reception do you think that Derbs will get? I hope he will get a good one. He will from me..

And from me. I imagine he'll be very well received.

[The Rover of Finland]

Interesting line up. I would like to see Pedersen play a bit deeper but it is hard to see who we can put in behind Kalinic. Also agree that Jones should start somewhere. Could maybe give this a go:-

................... Robinson

Salgado . Samba .. Nelsen . Olsson

E. Diouf--. N'Zonzi ... Jones-----Pedersen

..................M Diouf---- Kalinic

Get Nzonzi and Jones to sit deep (well they will anyway) and give Olsson a lot of licence to get forward. M Diouf looks a handful, and is also dangerous in the air and with the ball to feet, so it is a shame to not start him.

Agree that your lineup is likely though Le Chuck, but probably with Jones starting ahead of Andrews.

Niko and Mame won´t both start. Fact.

[braddock]

What kind of reception do you think that Derbs will get? I hope he will get a good one. He will from me..

he'll get a good one i imagine

and deservedly so since his presence will mean one less player likely to score for the opposing team

will he be starting though?

[Majiball]

Without doubt we will line up like this:

Robbo

Salgado Samba Nelsen Givet

B.Diouf N'zonzi Jones Olsson

Pedersen

Kalinic

I cannot see G.Diouf starting as who will replace Kalinic when he tires? Pedersen had a good game and with Dunn booked into the glue factory again, he's about the only one who can play there.

Its the team that basically beat Everton so I see no reason why Sam will change it.

We lost 2-1 last season so I'd take a draw, but a win would be great.

[only2garners]

I really hope the blackpool game won;t go on this game as Im also at a wedding and went to 5 away games last year including Burnley - will that be enough?

Yes - I'm sure 5 games will be enough.

[Wilko Rover]

Should be close, im going on 0-1 Rovers, M.B. Diouf to score, he looked so sharp on saturday, just hope he gets longer this week.. If not Kalinic, confidence up, don't see why not. Hoping for win, happy with draw.

[Tom]

In all honesty not many (me included) expected us to win last week and therefore it wad hard to see where the first win would come from which would have made Saturday a nervy affair for us.

Now I am looking forward to it more than anticipated and the boys should go out full of confidence.

[67splitscreen]

If Dunn is not fit we will struggle to create enough, they are very well drilled in defence,

Maybe a change with Kalinic and M Diouf from the start in whatever formation fits them in.

Larsson's free kicks were very good last week, keep him well out of range.

1-1

[Tom 1]

Birmingham just scraped a lot of 1-0 wins last year, not to be bitter vs a rival but the amount of games they deserved to win on that ludicrous run they went on was minimal. They've got good fight and spirit but I just don't think they have the kind of threat that Blackburn really struggle against.

Normally they just go for it with the closing down and crunching and that horrible cramped little ground gives them a bit of atmosphere and momentum. If you set up with a good defensive plan and keep the ball for a little while their fans will get seriously ###### off. Sam knows how to set up vs these teams, he's cleverer than he gets credit for.

Zigic is a lump, Samba is as big, theoretically that should take out that biggest threat (obviously easier said than done but you know)

Their main threats (i.e set pieces, the serbian lump, good energy and closing down) is not stuff I would expect your side to be bowled over for. You looked v.good towards the end of last season, I remember it being an impressive finish which ended when you beat us at VP.

I just think your comfortably a better team, as said, I am quite sure you'll win. I'll hold my hands up and admit to being wrong if you don't.

They won't be finishing near where they did last year that's for sure, and as for the promised 50m spending spree from whatever loon is in charge of them now...well that didn't happen. They've only signed the tree.

[ABBEY]

0.0

[Ricky]

They bought in foster for quite big money as well as zigic and they have an option to buy derbs. The £50m was also to cover wages if I recall.

Shows you don't get much for £50m these days.

[Mr. E]

This game will be all about confidence. Last season we lacked it very badly in our away games. Hopefully we've worked on that and have adapted a new mentality.

A draw wouldn't be the worst result. I suspect Brum will be very hard to beat at home again this season.