Birmingham

[john_smullen]

15 games unbeaten when will it stop I am in dreamland

[sinikala]

A great flick by McFaggot to set up the second goal.

[oompah18]

Great day for the underdogs today, what about the likes of troubled Southampton, Portsmouth & Reading winning too?! And Leeds were not too bad either! Thank you god- we LOVE the FA cup

[simon]

I knew this thread was going to be here...

Great second goa. Birmingham do look good at the mo.

Wasnt Mc Leish on is way out at one time?

[john_smullen]

I dont think so. I know a lot of the fans me for 1 were upset by the negative tactics he was playing last season and a few were upset when he persisted with 4-5-1(he had no choice because of injuries)but I am happy that he stuck to his guns and he seems to now be proving he is a good manager. He has been able to produce a team that look like they will compete for every thing and with the purchases of Dann and Johnson for peanuts in todays market looks very astute in the transfer department aswell, added to that with the exception of Larsson and Benitez we have a squad of British(including the Republic) so things are looking very rosy and it is a good time to support Birmingham.
We are all just waiting for it to end with a bump as it usually does.

[Salopian]

A good victory for Birmingham, and a great run of results. But they were nothing special at all yesterday. Offered very little threat and without a disgusting first half performance from Leighton Baines, Brum would've done sod-all.

If McLeish doesn't use the money at his disposal very well, then I don't see where all the hardwork on and off the pitch can take the club beyond mid-table in the league.

[john_smullen]

To be honest Salopian I think you were watching a different game or through Evertonian tinted glasses have you read any of the reports of the game(or are you Barry Horne really). We scored 2 goals that any team would be pleased with and Hart only had to make one save Everton were very poor compared to the December game and it looked like Mcleish had looked were the problems were in that game and corrected them. I am normally very nervous when watching Birmingham especially when we are defending a lead but on Saturday despite Everton's second half preformance when they were chasing the game we did not look under threat. Liam ridgewell who is not a left back did not have any problem controlling Evertons right wing and as I have already said Hart was only tested once.
Everton resorted to the long ball time and time again and both Dann and Johnson managed with that very well, and man of the match Barry Fergusson was a real handfull.

[Salopian]

To be honest, MagicJ wouldn't have had trouble stopping Everton's right flank on Saturday, and he only shuffles around these days. Then, why wasn't Ridgewell booked in the first few minutes for hauling down Landie-cakes Donovan...?

Speaking of minor details, they can have massive impacts - and that's what did it on Saturday, not Birmingham being superior. If Baines wouldn't have had a stinker of a first half, he'd've been able to beat the first man from the set piece which led to the counter attack for your first goal (and a good one), which then, of course, wouldn't have come - as Brum didn't create anything. Baines could also have brought down the attacker in midfield, but didn't want the card, and even then had the chance to stop the ball reaching Benitez but ballsed-up. Second goal was class, but the only chance carved out. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitter - I just thought that it was Everton being very poor rather than Birmingham being good - as I say, McLeish needs to spend wisely to push Brum further than being well-organised and hard-working (e.g. Barry Ferguson).