It was a good stop from Lee Camp from Sols. The fact it was Sols makes a wee bit more disappointing. Had it crept in the game may have had to be abandoned becasue a Sols goal would have taken the roof of the Covered End and caused it to fly into the street.
Did anybody see that Birmingham fan run on the pitch to get rid of that flare? He tried to go back to the stands after and got kicked out lol
I thought it was out of order , he was an oldish fella and was doing a bit of housekeeping because whoever was supposed to get smoke bombs off the pitch hadn’t arrived . He then gets turfed out but fair play again he seemed to take that well rather than kick off .
Disagree!! Fella was playing the big man strolling on the pitch ignoring stewards telling him to get back. Then when trying to get back in the stand he started chanting and waving his arms. Bloke was a bellend IMO
Didn't have a shot on target until the 70th minute.....and then that was from a defender. Never mind, it will please the statto boys & their expected goals flim flam.
RedLaneRed said to me before that game that Taylor wasn't playing but he wasn't too despondent because we're not a one-man team. Whilst not a one-man team, there's one man who's more important than any of the others.
Not a pretty game of football and Birmingham produced the only decent move of the game and for that deserved their win. They were also too solid, strong and determined and out-muscled us far too often.
Early days but I do worry about Field and Hemed. Field has great technique but looks like he is strolling about in a celebrity testimonial and seems to lack confidence and aggression. Hemed and Leko looked like they had never played together before which they haven't. I don't remember either having a shot on, or off target, all match. Oztumer was unrecognisable from the brilliant player he was against Forest.
To be fair, apart from their, goal which was more of a midfield error than a defensive error, we looked very solid at the back. Neither Solly nor Purrington played poorly but both saw lots of the ball and looked slightly out of their class at this level when in offensive mode.
Overall we were very average but better then we were against Brentford but we won one that so everyone pretended not to notice.
Think pretty much everyone's summed it up. Seen a couple of comments about the atmosphere. Wasn't awful today but thought the J block was almost silent after the first 10 mins. H block definitely seems to start a lot more chants nowadays. Atmosphere's been class since the start of last season as we kept playing well and winning but it can become pretty flat pretty quickly when its not going well (like today)
'The Adams family', 'who the fucking hell are you ' to a team with 3000 supporters, ' you're just a shit Aston Villa ' to a team beating us. Are not going to get the Covered end rocking.
if that's all you heard you must be deaf as well as bald
Eh? I forgot the 'we pay your benefits'. Except for a couple of good VFRs we never really got going.
It is quite simple, we created few chances. LB needs to manage the squad and yesterday the 11 on the pitch did not gel. Gallagher was the best player but on his own, he was not creating for others to benefit from, not a criticism just a statement the team being dis jointed. On some days that team will gel. Taylor a psychological loss but he would have done nothing if no chances came to him.
I felt that yesterday's game was what I was expecting at the start of the season. A lot of huff & puff but not enough quality & no where enough attacking threat. Only 2 shots on target all game, with the first coming after 70 mins & from a defender not known for his scoring abilities !!
Hemed doesnt look atm a decent enough replacement for Taylor & likewise Oztumer for Williams. The rest played ok but being without 2 of the players that make you tick isn't going to work out well. We also seem to have a team full of players who can pass into eternity but cant shoot. Ah well, that's what happens when you put all your faith in the Expected Goals mantra.
Everyone played well and worked very hard except that our forwards are not as good as they need to be if we are going to score goals. The absence of Taylor is the reason we lost the game if not only because of his defensive capabilities . The two forwards were poor at defending and this may be the reason we lost this game or at least did not win it. Bowyer Needs quickly to improve the front 2.
We are going to encounter plenty of teams like Birmingham this year.Yes losing Taylor is a worry,but I am sure it will be sorted ,bowyer will find a way to play without him and ,we have quality players waiting for a chance of an extended run in the team.Dont often have a go at referees,but this guy to today was toothless.When the play is continually being broken down by niggly tugs and pulls,the cards must come out.They got away with murder,yet Pearce was booked(rightly) for his first foul.On the plus side,thought Solly had a good game,and the defence looked as usual solid.Some tough games coming up,our support will be vital,whatever is happening on the field.
A game of fine margins. I felt it was one in which we certainly did not do enough to win but could have taken a point from on the balance of play. By the same measure, it would be hard to counter a Birmingham supporter who contended that their all round performance was worthy of the three points. They did a job on us and, from their perspective, it could hardly have gone better as a commensurate away performance.
The first half resembled a game of chess, with Birmingham sitting deep, allowing us to play the ball around at the back and then springing into the press once we threatened to split the lines or make any meaningful progress. We struggled to make much of an impression, particularly down the left flank, where an out of sorts Purrington had little support, but a patient approach started to pay dividends when we made a couple of threatening forays down the right towards half time. For their part, Birmingham looked sporadically threatening on occasions, with their lively right winger, Crowley, at the heart of most of their best moves and a series of long throws coming in from their full back.
We started the second half ok but once their player broke through Field’s weak challenge in central midfield, we were in trouble. A ball to the right saw them get around the back of our defence for the first time in the game and a neat pull back gave their 16 year old Bellingham a great chance, which he finished with aplomb, giving Phillips no chance.
We responded pretty well and Jonny Williams’ introduction prompted our best spell of the game, with his ability to run with the ball, draw the opposition in and create space for others. Solly drew a good save from their keeper (how apt it would have been for one of our centurions to get on the Valley scoresheet for the very first time) and Gallagher’s snapshot produced an even better save shortly afterwards. Thereafter, we pressed hard but were unable to create a clear opportunity in the face of some resolute Birmingham defending, supplemented with some late and cynical fouling and timewasting.
I thought that we defended pretty well, with Lockyer particularly impressive. The middle of the field was a bit attritional against Birmingham’s numbers and we struggled to cut through them until Jonny William’s introduction. Up front, Leko blew hot and cold but did pretty well but we suffered with Lyle’s absence, as Hemed looked slow and static. Hopefully the 90 minutes will help to sharpen him up. In contrast to Williams, neither Aneke or Kayal impressed in their cameos and the latter’s two massively overhit crosses late on were frustrating to say the least.
Disappointing but the first defeat had to come sometime and, running into a tough and streetwise Birmingham side in decent form, the first goal was always going to be pivotal.
Let’s hope that we can recalibrate tactically and be fully primed and fired up for next game up at Wigan next Saturday.
All very well commenting on what we did or didn’t do but I don’t think there has been enough respect or recognition of what Birmingham did. They did their homework on us and stopped us playing. They pressured us high up the pitch and never allowed our full backs a chance to influence the game going forward. Cullen and Gallagher had their work cut out just getting the ball and Oztumer was never allowed any time on the ball. Front two often isolated. They defended really well and blocked pretty much every shot we had. Showed just how good Williams is because until he came on all our possession was pretty sterile.
Three weeks ago, in the first half against Forest, we were on fire: quick passes in waves of incisive attacks. Yesterday against Brum we were less than that.
The vast difference was caused by more than Taylor's absence; Oztumer did not orchestrate moves as he had against Forest. Sideways passing across the back was a deliberate strategy - which seldom works, because our possession is almost invariably lost without even approaching the box. We had one shot in the entire first half: wide from Leko.
Williams' replacement of Oztumer galvanised our midfield. Gallagher made sturdy tackles, was involved in most forward moves, and almost scored with a thumping low shot to the keeper's left. Our close-passing approach play was a notch too predictable: several times a Brum defender shadowing Hemed nipped in front to intercept. Hemed's scoring stats of one-in-three over several seasons at Brighton and QPR are healthy; we hope neither he nor Aneke turns out to resemble a lumbering Lee Novak. Certainly yesterday neither was quick or clever enough to make a threat.
Leko should learn from Taylor: be direct and arrow in on goal; more than once he beat an opponent, yet inexplicably turned round and tried to beat him again. Birmingham are a tough side: physically resolute and swifter than us in moving from defence to attack.
The game lacked forward action, yet late drama was provided by Bowyer's sending off. Remarkable that the Blues fans - who had admired Bowyer as their own player late in his career - joined the chanting of his name.
Now, if only we had begun the game on fire, as we did against Forest...
I’d forgotten how much I disliked watching Birmingham over the years, a niggly horrible team, limited in ability, trying every trick in the book known to man to con the ref.
A midlands version of Millwall, in fact they should do a club share and be renamed Midlands Millwall.
I really hope they sink in this division and get relegated.
It was an ugly game and Bowyer clearly knew that would be the case as he reiterated we needed to be patient in posession, we lost it by playing into Birminghams hands going too direct.
Phillips, Lockyer, Pearce, Cullen had good games I thought, there were also a few who done well but a few passengers. I thought Field should have shown for the ball more, especially when Birmingham shut down the flanks we were trying to play down. Field should have tried to be a linchpin and try to switch the play or speed up passing through the middle to take advantage of gaps from their midfield line being stretched. There wasn't enough confidence taking the ball in tight spaces and gaps.
Birmingham did what we thought they would do and they did that well in frustrating us and being very very solid.
The goal was poor not only in the way their player just cut through our middle but the fact the midfielder who scored was free on the penalty spot.
I won't comment too much on the ref as he lost control and made various poor decisions. The linesmen were also gutless shambles who didn't make a decision until the ref made it, spineless and lackluster. Their player should have been sent off, no doubt, would it have made a massive team on a team who were well organised and difficult to break down? Not sure, we just didn't flow very well.
It was a setback but teams will see that by not being so open and expansive against us, we struggle. Wigan will be interesting.
As difficult as the result was to swallow, the most disappointing thing I experienced yesterday was the pathetic slating of players for not "hoofing it" then when they did hoof it was "pass it back" then when they did pass it back "move it forward ffs". I was sat in the East stand and a couple of guys behind me just could not wait to slate Purrington at any chance, I imagine he was the same on Lockyer at the start of the season. Apparently to him Purrington was ok in league 1 and not at all championship standard, not sure which Purrington he is referring to but a little respect is not a lot to ask for on a player who has rediscovered his game under Bowyer.
We would have bitten people's hand off to be 2nd at this stage. It's healthy to expect better but it is unhealthy to forget essentially what standard you have. Our support has been superb and this was quite isolated but support of the players has been an added strength to our competitiveness.
How this team reacts to this defeat will be another chapter in the Bowyer journey.
A game of fine margins. I felt it was one in which we certainly did not do enough to win but could have taken a point from on the balance of play. By the same measure, it would be hard to counter a Birmingham supporter who contended that their all round performance was worthy of the three points. They did a job on us and, from their perspective, it could hardly have gone better as a commensurate away performance.
The first half resembled a game of chess, with Birmingham sitting deep, allowing us to play the ball around at the back and then springing into the press once we threatened to split the lines or make any meaningful progress. We struggled to make much of an impression, particularly down the left flank, where an out of sorts Purrington had little support, but a patient approach started to pay dividends when we made a couple of threatening forays down the right towards half time. For their part, Birmingham looked sporadically threatening on occasions, with their lively right winger, Crowley, at the heart of most of their best moves and a series of long throws coming in from their full back.
We started the second half ok but once their player broke through Field’s weak challenge in central midfield, we were in trouble. A ball to the right saw them get around the back of our defence for the first time in the game and a neat pull back gave their 16 year old Bellingham a great chance, which he finished with aplomb, giving Phillips no chance.
We responded pretty well and Jonny Williams’ introduction prompted our best spell of the game, with his ability to run with the ball, draw the opposition in and create space for others. Solly drew a good save from their keeper (how apt it would have been for one of our centurions to get on the Valley scoresheet for the very first time) and Gallagher’s snapshot produced an even better save shortly afterwards. Thereafter, we pressed hard but were unable to create a clear opportunity in the face of some resolute Birmingham defending, supplemented with some late and cynical fouling and timewasting.
I thought that we defended pretty well, with Lockyer particularly impressive. The middle of the field was a bit attritional against Birmingham’s numbers and we struggled to cut through them until Jonny William’s introduction. Up front, Leko blew hot and cold but did pretty well but we suffered with Lyle’s absence, as Hemed looked slow and static. Hopefully the 90 minutes will help to sharpen him up. In contrast to Williams, neither Aneke or Kayal impressed in their cameos and the latter’s two massively overhit crosses late on were frustrating to say the least.
Disappointing but the first defeat had to come sometime and, running into a tough and streetwise Birmingham side in decent form, the first goal was always going to be pivotal.
Let’s hope that we can recalibrate tactically and be fully primed and fired up for next game up at Wigan next Saturday.
Good analysis Blucher. That Field "challenge" in the lead up to their goal was a pivotal moment - he had to make that and he didn't. I'm pretty sure that Pratley or Pearce would have made sure they got the ball or the man.
Not a great game. Ref terrible - though not as bad as some we had last season, but Birmingham must have thought it was Christmas the way he let them get away with all the time wasting. We had that "special occasion" muted atmosphere when you know things are going to go wrong. Thought Philipps, Lockyer, Solly, Gallagher all had good games. Made me laugh walking away from the ground someone was saying "how can we go 90 minutes without a shot" and I was thinking does Solly shoot so rarely that people just blank it from their memory? Would have been a fitting goal. We definitely looked smaller than them and I think LB had underestimated just how physical Birmingham would be. Not particularly upset - never thought we'd keep a run going this long and strongly suspected that Brum would have done their homework on us.
I think our moment in the sun was due to come to an end and hopefully not to be replaced by a winter of discontent! I've been overwhelmed with our start, but Bowyer knows the job he's got and the players he has. When he says he'd snatch your hand off for a season ending fourth bottom, I don't think he's being coy. He knows the job ahead and despite the early season bounce, the reality of staying even top half, is unlikely. We have been good to great so far but being realistic, our chances of going another 6 unbeaten over the rest of the season is slim.
Think pretty much everyone's summed it up. Seen a couple of comments about the atmosphere. Wasn't awful today but thought the J block was almost silent after the first 10 mins. H block definitely seems to start a lot more chants nowadays. Atmosphere's been class since the start of last season as we kept playing well and winning but it can become pretty flat pretty quickly when its not going well (like today)
'The Adams family', 'who the fucking hell are you ' to a team with 3000 supporters, ' you're just a shit Aston Villa ' to a team beating us. Are not going to get the Covered end rocking.
if that's all you heard you must be deaf as well as bald
Eh? I forgot the 'we pay your benefits'. Except for a couple of good VFRs we never really got going.
Good bye horse, Jon Leko, red army, LBs red army, Conor Gallagher, Allez Allez, woke up this morning, Bowyer had a dream, Chris Solly Solly. You need to sort those hearing aids.
Our quick tempo game didn't work cos Brum concentrated on shape rather than pressing. They may have been under more pressure if the at least half a dozen decisions awarded against us or ignored, went the other way. And two yellows.
Sorry that there seemed no game plan. Hemed is decent but can't see where he fits our style. Like to see Bonne on the shoulder, Leko dropping deep to turn and run at defences and Aneke (poor yesterday) as false 9 taking up the positions that LT does.
Mostly all been said. But I didn't think it was that bad a performance. Hemed seems naturally less mobile than Taylor. It seemed to me that Oztumer and Co were therefore deployed to buzz around him, but Brum were very disciplined. Williams clearly needed a rest after Wales, so was right not to start. They also had their own bit of flair in no. 7 and the 16 year old kid that caused problems.
Draw would've been a fair result though. They never gave up.
Comments
Grrrr.
Birmingham done a Charlton and squeezed a result fair play to them .
we have still had a miracle start beyond any sane persons wildest dreams .
good to see Curbs , Bent and co
4th bottom is the requirement and anything on top is a bonus
a lot more painful defeats will come , its how we react that will be the making or breaking of us
Hopefully the missing man will be rightfully rewarded handsomely cos he’s worth more than money can buy to us as a team .
Early days but I do worry about Field and Hemed. Field has great technique but looks like he is strolling about in a celebrity testimonial and seems to lack confidence and aggression. Hemed and Leko looked like they had never played together before which they haven't. I don't remember either having a shot on, or off target, all match. Oztumer was unrecognisable from the brilliant player he was against Forest.
To be fair, apart from their, goal which was more of a midfield error than a defensive error, we looked very solid at the back. Neither Solly nor Purrington played poorly but both saw lots of the ball and looked slightly out of their class at this level when in offensive mode.
Overall we were very average but better then we were against Brentford but we won one that so everyone pretended not to notice.
I forgot the 'we pay your benefits'.
Except for a couple of good VFRs we never really got going.
Hemed doesnt look atm a decent enough replacement for Taylor & likewise Oztumer for Williams. The rest played ok but being without 2 of the players that make you tick isn't going to work out well. We also seem to have a team full of players who can pass into eternity but cant shoot. Ah well, that's what happens when you put all your faith in the Expected Goals mantra.
With taylor like out for at least a month - we are going to struggle!
A game of fine margins. I felt it was one in which we certainly did not do enough to win but could have taken a point from on the balance of play. By the same measure, it would be hard to counter a Birmingham supporter who contended that their all round performance was worthy of the three points. They did a job on us and, from their perspective, it could hardly have gone better as a commensurate away performance.
The first half resembled a game of chess, with Birmingham sitting deep, allowing us to play the ball around at the back and then springing into the press once we threatened to split the lines or make any meaningful progress. We struggled to make much of an impression, particularly down the left flank, where an out of sorts Purrington had little support, but a patient approach started to pay dividends when we made a couple of threatening forays down the right towards half time. For their part, Birmingham looked sporadically threatening on occasions, with their lively right winger, Crowley, at the heart of most of their best moves and a series of long throws coming in from their full back.
We started the second half ok but once their player broke through Field’s weak challenge in central midfield, we were in trouble. A ball to the right saw them get around the back of our defence for the first time in the game and a neat pull back gave their 16 year old Bellingham a great chance, which he finished with aplomb, giving Phillips no chance.
We responded pretty well and Jonny Williams’ introduction prompted our best spell of the game, with his ability to run with the ball, draw the opposition in and create space for others. Solly drew a good save from their keeper (how apt it would have been for one of our centurions to get on the Valley scoresheet for the very first time) and Gallagher’s snapshot produced an even better save shortly afterwards. Thereafter, we pressed hard but were unable to create a clear opportunity in the face of some resolute Birmingham defending, supplemented with some late and cynical fouling and timewasting.
I thought that we defended pretty well, with Lockyer particularly impressive. The middle of the field was a bit attritional against Birmingham’s numbers and we struggled to cut through them until Jonny William’s introduction. Up front, Leko blew hot and cold but did pretty well but we suffered with Lyle’s absence, as Hemed looked slow and static. Hopefully the 90 minutes will help to sharpen him up. In contrast to Williams, neither Aneke or Kayal impressed in their cameos and the latter’s two massively overhit crosses late on were frustrating to say the least.
Disappointing but the first defeat had to come sometime and, running into a tough and streetwise Birmingham side in decent form, the first goal was always going to be pivotal.
Let’s hope that we can recalibrate tactically and be fully primed and fired up for next game up at Wigan next Saturday.
A midlands version of Millwall, in fact they should do a club share and be renamed Midlands Millwall.
I really hope they sink in this division and get relegated.
Phillips, Lockyer, Pearce, Cullen had good games I thought, there were also a few who done well but a few passengers. I thought Field should have shown for the ball more, especially when Birmingham shut down the flanks we were trying to play down. Field should have tried to be a linchpin and try to switch the play or speed up passing through the middle to take advantage of gaps from their midfield line being stretched. There wasn't enough confidence taking the ball in tight spaces and gaps.
Birmingham did what we thought they would do and they did that well in frustrating us and being very very solid.
The goal was poor not only in the way their player just cut through our middle but the fact the midfielder who scored was free on the penalty spot.
I won't comment too much on the ref as he lost control and made various poor decisions. The linesmen were also gutless shambles who didn't make a decision until the ref made it, spineless and lackluster. Their player should have been sent off, no doubt, would it have made a massive team on a team who were well organised and difficult to break down? Not sure, we just didn't flow very well.
It was a setback but teams will see that by not being so open and expansive against us, we struggle. Wigan will be interesting.
As difficult as the result was to swallow, the most disappointing thing I experienced yesterday was the pathetic slating of players for not "hoofing it" then when they did hoof it was "pass it back" then when they did pass it back "move it forward ffs". I was sat in the East stand and a couple of guys behind me just could not wait to slate Purrington at any chance, I imagine he was the same on Lockyer at the start of the season. Apparently to him Purrington was ok in league 1 and not at all championship standard, not sure which Purrington he is referring to but a little respect is not a lot to ask for on a player who has rediscovered his game under Bowyer.
We would have bitten people's hand off to be 2nd at this stage. It's healthy to expect better but it is unhealthy to forget essentially what standard you have. Our support has been superb and this was quite isolated but support of the players has been an added strength to our competitiveness.
How this team reacts to this defeat will be another chapter in the Bowyer journey.
That Field "challenge" in the lead up to their goal was a pivotal moment - he had to make that and he didn't.
I'm pretty sure that Pratley or Pearce would have made sure they got the ball or the man.
We definitely looked smaller than them and I think LB had underestimated just how physical Birmingham would be. Not particularly upset - never thought we'd keep a run going this long and strongly suspected that Brum would have done their homework on us.
In Bowyer we trust.
Sorry that there seemed no game plan. Hemed is decent but can't see where he fits our style. Like to see Bonne on the shoulder, Leko dropping deep to turn and run at defences and Aneke (poor yesterday) as false 9 taking up the positions that LT does.
Draw would've been a fair result though. They never gave up.