COLUMNIST KEN BUCKLEY

From my seat: Birmingham (A)

By Ken Buckley :  13/04/2008 :  Comments (4) :

In a first half that was best forgotten only the excitement of seeing two Brum defenders playing 'After you Claude' and allowing Lescott to fire into the side netting from an acute angle. We also had efforts toward goal from Yak, Carsley and AJ but they could hardly be described as shots. Just before the break we had our first real scare when a Faddy cross was headed against a post with Howard beaten.

Second half and not much the manager could do to freshen things up but it was marginally better than the first ? and that's not saying much. The game ebbed and flowed like watching a junior game. One team would hoof it toward the other team who would in turn hoof it back to them. If you were sitting on the half-way line you would be nursing a stiff neck .

On the hour mark, Pienaar, who hadn't looked fit throughout, was repalced by Big Vic who took up the right mid-field berth!! He was soon swopped with AJ who looked just as much a fish out of water.

Birmingham were now having their best spell of the game and our back five had to stand up and be counted, none more than Tim Howard who saved brilliantly from a Jaidi snapshot but the ball fell to Faddy who struck it with venom only for Howard somehow to be in position to turn it acrobatically away. USA-USA was the cry.

But then on seventy odd minutes we had a SHOT, Manny forced the keeper to turn his effort around for our first corner. It was taken short and drilled in low. Carsley managed to control it on the byeline and chip a delicate ball to the far post which Yak headed goalwards and Lescott added the final touch that had me thinking 'Lets take the smash and grab and get out of here'.

Alas, our lead lasted no more than five minutes and were undone by a superb free kick into the top corner with laser like prescision. Then a bit more huff and puff and it was all over. Not much to shout about on that final whistle.

My MotM was the 'back five' who all played well considering all in front of them were woeful and caused the ball to be ever coming at us and they stood up solid.

These last few games have summed up to me just how much the season has caught up with us. With Cahill, Arteta, Osman out and a half-fit Pienaar our midfield was a collection of bodies rather than any cohesive unit which suggests that we have a very good first eleven but non existent cover for the midfield department,something that surely must be addressed. Big Vic right midfield.... I ask you!

Although these last few games have been woeful compared to our earlier offerings, gaining 61 points to date suggests that we are making progress; for that progress to be continued the powers that be must recognise that we are paper thin in terms of proficient squad numbers that could have seen us avoid this rather flat position that we are now in where probably the results of others will determine our final position as much as any of our efforts.

Chelsea next and looking at our midfield and bench it doesn't fill me with confidence. Still if the magic sponge is found and football being so unpredictable we may yet have Goodison rocking on the night and Big Vic curling in the winner from his right-midfield berth. UP THE BLUES

Reader Comments

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer