[Archived] Birmingham City At Home

[Neal]

Watt's goal reminded me of Matt Jansen. Wonderful feet and a smashing finish.

Yeah agreed, very Jansen like although it is almost impossible to tell him and Marshall apart from distance... They look like clones.

[Crimpshrine]

Great performance. I think most people have mentioned Graham having another good game but I thought Bennett was also excellent. He seems to pop up all over the pitch, won a few headers and tackles too and never stops running.

Another good signing who is contributing to current upturn in form

[bob fleming]

Graham is leading the line better than anticipated, and he's probably still got two or three decent years left in him. The only question is how far he's willing to drop from his current £35k p/w. If he continues to impress here some of the clubs coming down may be very interested in taking him on and able to afford a much better wage than we can offer.

Better than anticipated?!? Christ. He's played in the top league - can do a bit. And he looks settled. I'd break the bank for him. Promotion would pay for him.

Some very good performances tonight. However I will single out Steele. He looked a real assured keeper tonight. Commanded his box, some great catches under pressure and kicked well, including an assist. Also pulled off a great save in the second half. I hope he keeps performing like this.

Sorry David, I deleted some of your post.

Totally agreed. 'Twas only the West Ham match when I said "first job in the summer, new keeper" - what do I know? Superb tonight. Brilliant in fact. Caught crosses. Made saves. Pleased for him. He had a great game. Now for some consistency. But since the hammers he's been pretty bloody good. A lesser man would have bottled it. Hats off.

[Crimpshrine]

I think Birmingham would be in a playoff position if they had won tonight. Heard one of their fans after the match say they would get more pleasure from a traffic jam on the way home than he did from the match. Made me laugh. We made them look average at best.

[47er]

He's only a pawn in the game.

at the Gates of Ewood.

[bazza]

Yeah agreed, very Jansen like although it is almost impossible to tell him and Marshall apart from distance... They look like clones.

I was watching them shooting in before KO and I couldn't tell them apart.

Good win tonight. The real Brum only started playing in the 2nd half.

We are looking good and the crowd know it.

Can't wait for 12:30 on Saturday.

[garnersfags]

Watched the 'penalty' numerous times and it is difficult to see that Marshall connects with him, although Donaldson cleverly cuts across him.

Either way, he nudges the ball slightly further to the right than he wants to and goes down. I'm pretty sure any contact from Marshall was insufficient to bring him down, but was enough for him to bottle it or lose concentration.

Birmingham deserved to lose tonight, that is the only point worth discussing with Rowett.

Rovers deserved to win.

Bennett and Graham are playing like they're on Sharapova's prescription, and Hanley was more imperious than ever in the 2nd half.

No poor performances, possibly bar Grimes who is understandably struggling to match the others for industry and composure. I think he is improving, just needs to do it fast before we have to play him due to injuries or suspensions.

Not many teams in any division win five home games in a row so we need more of the same against a slightly resurgent Leeds, and PL will be in serious record-breaking territory.

Need to wrap DG in cotton wool....

[grizfoot]

After the home game against Hull it was 9 league games without a win, and people were beginning to doubt whether the team had actually improved since Lambert took over or whether we had simply stagnated. However since then we do seem to have turned a corner somewhat. The win tonight means we've won 4 back-to-back league home games for the first since early 2010 and the heady days of Pre-Venky's ownership. Add into that period two good away performances in narrow 1-0 defeats and we have ever reason to be positive about this team going forward.

We would all like to be able to relax and look forward to next season but with the teams picking up points again at the bottom, we still only stand 8 points above the relegation zone. Given our levels of performance you would expect us to pick up the neccessary points to stay clear of danger. I would like a couple more wins as soon as possible just to be sure. I'm now pleasantly pleased with our Lambert is shaping this team, considering we lost our star striker and last season's player of the season in January it is a testament to the shrewd signings made that we actually look a much stronger, better side now.

[Stuart]

I disagree Stuart. That's for Lambert to assess, not you or I. The thing about our manager now is he's all about the whole rather than individual players, and if he thinks Lowe fits the bill for his ideas, he'll play him. Just for example he may think Lowe will give Gomez more freedom to do his thing. Clean slate?

Of course we can make an assessment. That's what being a football fan is about. If you disagree with that its time to close the mb down.

Lowe is behind Evans, Lenihan and Akpan. I don't see how he fits into this team at the moment, unless it is to give Gomez or Marshall a rest with a game already sewn up.

[Stuart]

Bennett and Graham are playing like they're on Sharapova's prescription, and Hanley was more imperious than ever in the 2nd half.

Bennett perhaps but I thought Graham looked shattered for most of the second half and I was amazed when Lambert brought Watt off. Maybe it's just Graham's style but he did an awful lot of walking about and was stranded in an offside position many a time forcing players to stop and play the ball backwards or sideways to keep play alive. On my MoM sheet, he was behind Hanley, Bennett, Lenihan, Evans and even Steele.

[Speedie Dived]

I agree. Penalty and red card for me. I have just heard Rowetts interview and he is blazing. Swings and roundabouts after some of the recent travesties we have seen.

Marshall got the ball, great tackle.

[Speedie Dived]

Maybe it's just Graham's style but he did an awful lot of walking about and was stranded in an offside position many a time forcing players to stop and play the ball backwards or sideways to keep play alive. On my MoM sheet, he was behind Hanley, Bennett, Lenihan, Evans and even Steele.

Couldn't agree less. Graham ran himself into the ground in the second half as well. You ain't getting away with walking about in this side, if you do you end up on Boro's bench :-)

[martonrover]

Whether it should've been a penalty or not it could've easily been given, and it could've been 1-1 with ten men.

Fine margins.

I thought it was an excellent game in which Birmingham played their part, especially in the second half.

The improvement in the last two home games has been huge and clearly the fans are starting to buy into it.

[koi]

I think we're going to p!55 the league this season

[K-Hod]

Bennett perhaps but I thought Graham looked shattered for most of the second half and I was amazed when Lambert brought Watt off. Maybe it's just Graham's style but he did an awful lot of walking about and was stranded in an offside position many a time forcing players to stop and play the ball backwards or sideways to keep play alive. On my MoM sheet, he was behind Hanley, Bennett, Lenihan, Evans and even Steele.

I can remember several occasions in the second half where Graham did look shattered, but because he'd run all the way back into our half after the ball had been cleared. I don't think Watt is up to speed yet, fitness-wise, thus he always seems to be sacrificed.

Anyway, the players seem to be fitter and are playing at a higher intensity with urgency at last. Long may that continue.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

If only we'd have made the managerial changes at the end of last season. Given a full pre season who knows what our fitness levels would be like ?

[tonyoz]

With Lambert wanting to change the way we played the game, Graham was/is the right man at the right time.

Gary Rowett on how Blackburn exploited Blues' defence...

"They did what we do well and got a lot of balls down the side and played a lot of balls over the top into space and we just didn’t deal with it very well. I felt particularly Danny Graham was a real handful physically and I thought at times he was too strong for our two centre halves. There’s not too many times I’ve said that as my two centre halves have been brilliant for me so I’m not being critical of them. But I thought he came out the better tonight in that battle."

Read more at http://www.bcfc.com/news/article/reaction-blackburn-rovers-blues-birmingham-city-2996929.aspx#KgIZZtMeRfsCe7KK.99

[den]

Bennett perhaps but I thought Graham looked shattered for most of the second half and I was amazed when Lambert brought Watt off. Maybe it's just Graham's style but he did an awful lot of walking about and was stranded in an offside position many a time forcing players to stop and play the ball backwards or sideways to keep play alive. On my MoM sheet, he was behind Hanley, Bennett, Lenihan, Evans and even Steele.

Give over Stuart.

Gary Rowett on how Blackburn exploited Blues' defence...

"They did what we do well and got a lot of balls down the side and played a lot of balls over the top into space and we just didnt deal with it very well. I felt particularly Danny Graham was a real handful physically and I thought at times he was too strong for our two centre halves. Theres not too many times Ive said that as my two centre halves have been brilliant for me so Im not being critical of them. But I thought he came out the better tonight in that battle."

Read more at http://www.bcfc.com/news/article/reaction-blackburn-rovers-blues-birmingham-city-2996929.aspx#KgIZZtMeRfsCe7KK.99

Not long ago, expecting strikers to run the channels and run at defenders was scoffed at on here?

[tonyoz]

He's only a pawn in the game.

We'll be Ok................................With God on Our Side.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

We'll be Ok................................With God on Our Side.

Mm, I thought we'd just sold him ?

[arbitro]

When was the last time we saw a player run the channels like Bennett did, particularly in the first half? I counted five when he did it and a couple actually looked like lost causes. There were some murmurings about these from the crowd. I think this was because with previous players it would have been given up. Now what might seem a hopeless ball can be a good one.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

When you're a defender it's great to see your strikers prepared to graft to try to turn your poor passes into good ones.

[rigger]

Clean slate absolutely. But it is fair to say Lowe needs to show a remarkable improvement to win over the doubters. Be great if he could as a home grown player. Don't think anyone can say he doesn't care. For that reason alone it'd be fantastic if he could become the player a previous intoxicated 'manager' said he could become.

He doesn't have to win over the doubters, he has to win over PL.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Gary Rowett on how Blackburn exploited Blues' defence...

"They did what we do well and got a lot of balls down the side and played a lot of balls over the top into space and we just didn’t deal with it very well. I felt particularly Danny Graham was a real handful physically and I thought at times he was too strong for our two centre halves. There’s not too many times I’ve said that as my two centre halves have been brilliant for me so I’m not being critical of them. But I thought he came out the better tonight in that battle."

Read more at http://www.bcfc.com/news/article/reaction-blackburn-rovers-blues-birmingham-city-2996929.aspx#KgIZZtMeRfsCe7KK.99

Rowett also mentioned that we were aggressive. That was an element of our game that's been missing since the Big Sam days.

[sambo]

Bennett and Graham have been two unbelievable signings, even just for their attitude alone. They've both been brilliant in the last month and are the type of players I love to have at the club.