As an aside, Birmingham is a very weird place. That walk from New St to the stadium is mainly through parts of the city centre (or adjacent to) yet it’s 50% or more derelict sites and wasteland. It’s crazy for the centre of the second largest city in the country.
Traditional big city football grounds are often in quite rundown areas but I was surprised too, loads of abandoned cars and litter everywhere. Took ages to get out of Birmingham for drive back to Leeds. Inevitably google maps took us through quite a bit of Birmingham and it was equally bleak. As the song says, I really did want to get home!!
Oh I know most stadiums aren’t in the sort of surroundings that Craven Cottage is, but my surprise is more at how much derelict and wasteland there is given the proximity to the city centre. You walk about 2 mins east from New St/Bullring and for the next 25 mins of your walk to the stadium I’d honestly guesstimate that 50% of the lane is either derelict buildings (I don’t mean closed shops - I mean actually derelict) or swathes of wasteland. That really isn’t the same in the city centre of London, Manchester, Newcastle, Bristol etc.
On the upside, the walk back felt less scary yesterday than it has in the past. New St station was the normal den of chaos and confusion however.
Birmingham is a weird city. The inner bit is nice, but then there is a ring of dereliction and scruffiness right around the centre before some nicer areas again.
If you walk to Edgbaston cricket ground or Villa Park you notice the same thing. Areas ripe for redevelopment, hopefully HS2 will accelerate this.
I used to work in B’ham in the early 90’s, if you think it’s bad now, you should have seen it then. The city grew up on the Industrial Revolution, it was once the metal bashing centre of the world, don’t think there’s a roll mill left there now.
I spent most of my weekends in the 80’s babysitting my nephew in Birmingham. I’d go up on the coach. The walk from Digbeth station to the bus stop to take me to my sisters was scarier than anything I witnessed in London. It was all concrete underpasses that all looked the same. I hated it. Once I got to her flats it was a different story, proper community. When I watched This Town it really reminded me of exactly what it was like.
What Ash MB did, and why I called it sneaky on the match thread, was come out and positon himself in the way of the lino's view. He smothered ball and line. No way could the officials give it as from their angle(s) it would have been supposition.
If you watch the replay he tried to kick the ball back into the penalty area, but missed it. I think he was on his way down (expecting the ball to be 'legal'). [Which is pretty much was @Six-a-bag-of-nuts just said].
I'm a harsher critical than most but I thought we were awful. They won't have a more comfortable 1-0 all season
I'm with you. Devoid of any football skills , plenty of heart but no nouse. Team gave everything except played as individuals, as if passing had never been invented.
As bad as Crawley game.
I love it when we win, however it comes about, but we play ugly football. Really ugly.
A chance to touch the ball then send up the pitch as far as you can. A chance to head the ball to a colleague- no go for distance.
Some passing might have relieved the pressure, and there was a glimmer in the last 15 mins but soon petered out.
If thats the way we were going to play - long range punts forward - then start with the big forwards who will stand a chance of holding the ball. Godden was just ineffectual- that stuff is not his game. TC not at it except for 2 brief moments.
Berry scores some nice goals but apart from those moments is invisible.
There is a chance of the playoffs but we will be the worse performing team ever to get there.
Sorry I can't lie, its what was there on the screen.
Well done to Brum they won with a moment of quality, in reality we were never in it.
Nonsense post.
Try counting the passes . In our half -afew. In their half close to nil. Schoolboy football played by adults.
The nonsense is saying -
1 It was as bad as the Crawley game.
2 We would be the WORST PERFORMING TEAM to ever reach the play offs.
3 You say we were never in it. Yet Brum spent the last 20 mins feigning injuries and wasting time, until the final whistle.
The best team in the league don’t need to do that at home if we were as bad as the Crawley game and we were never in it.
We were second best but pushed them until the final whistle.
We were always in the game, but I grant you we never really looked like equalising.
Very frustrating to lose to a single goal that was a result of three individual errors from Campbell, Coventry and the Keeper. Thought we would get out arses handed to us at half time but they are a nasty horrible team and we created almost nothing. Too many weak links. Solid and we tried hard but shows where we still lack something. Leaving TC on that pitch when it was clear after 20 mins that he was mentally and physically shot was
WTF……exactly what mistake did the keeper make? It was a superb hit and would have needed a nigh on ‘worldly’ to have saved it.
I'm a harsher critical than most but I thought we were awful. They won't have a more comfortable 1-0 all season
I'm with you. Devoid of any football skills , plenty of heart but no nouse. Team gave everything except played as individuals, as if passing had never been invented.
As bad as Crawley game.
I love it when we win, however it comes about, but we play ugly football. Really ugly.
A chance to touch the ball then send up the pitch as far as you can. A chance to head the ball to a colleague- no go for distance.
Some passing might have relieved the pressure, and there was a glimmer in the last 15 mins but soon petered out.
If thats the way we were going to play - long range punts forward - then start with the big forwards who will stand a chance of holding the ball. Godden was just ineffectual- that stuff is not his game. TC not at it except for 2 brief moments.
Berry scores some nice goals but apart from those moments is invisible.
There is a chance of the playoffs but we will be the worse performing team ever to get there.
Sorry I can't lie, its what was there on the screen.
Well done to Brum they won with a moment of quality, in reality we were never in it.
Nonsense post.
Try counting the passes . In our half -afew. In their half close to nil. Schoolboy football played by adults.
The nonsense is saying -
1 It was as bad as the Crawley game.
2 We would be the WORST PERFORMING TEAM to ever reach the play offs.
3 You say we were never in it. Yet Brum spent the last 20 mins feigning injuries and wasting time, until the final whistle.
The best team in the league don’t need to do that at home if we were as bad as the Crawley game and we were never in it.
We were second best but pushed them until the final whistle.
We were always in the game, but I grant you we never really looked like equalising.
On the final leg out of Charing X, good but long day with Jnr.
Game wise, we gave them far too much respect first half and a few players looked overawed for some reason. Unless we were playing backwards, lots of panic when in possession and we didn’t retain the ball well at all.
Poor from Coventry for the goal and equally poor from Gillesphy showing him space outside onto his right to shoot. Quality finishing from a £10m player, absolutely no idea why he decided to run the width of the pitch to goad us after. Sometimes players don’t help themselves.
Second half our shape just didn’t look right, not sure where Small was meant to be playing after HT and then when we made changes, having to put Campbell to what, right wing back when he was having a really poor game did show some of our squad limitations.
We put up a spirited effort but in all honesty never really landed a decent punch at any stage. Their shithousing in the last 15 mins was dire but the don’t blame them solely because almost every team does it now.
We go again. We’ve definitely improved but today showed we we’ve still more to do. Bit worried about this 11 burning out come May, but that’s a worry for
Disagree with the part about Gillesphy and being poor for the goal.
They had a 3v2. As a defender you’re taught to isolate the player and force them to shoot in that situation, knowing that it has to be a great finish for them to score. Unfortunately Birmingham have the only two strikers in this league who will consistently score from those chances.
Don’t think there was much else he could have done.I
I don’t know @SOTF maybe you’re right. But it’s certainly not how would have defended it.
After the initial steal on the touchline. Stansfield initially went more central than I realised. MG has a decision to make. Show him left towards Jones so Stansfield either has to play to the player wide left or have a more difficult shot with his left foot with two closing defenders narrowing. Or switch his body shape at this point and try to show Standfield wide right
He doesn’t do that though. He continues to shape his body to show him left towards Jones, but positionally he’s two yards too far to the right to do that. He makes Standfield decision for him.
By the time MG slowly switches his body to show him right, it’s too late as he’s been worked too central too close to the goal. Positionally he’s at sea and in no position to block a shot let alone show him wide. Stansfield ends up setting himself up nicely for a shot centrally just to the right of the D (still a good strike)
Retrospectively, I think he should have shifted his position more left at the earlier phase to have forced Stansfield to go left towards Jones. But he didn’t really do neither. Just my take, I thought MG had a decent game bar that move.
I read at least one comment saying Stansfield scored from 10 yards 😁
What Ash MB did, and why I called it sneaky on the match thread, was come out and positon himself in the way of the lino's view. He smothered ball and line. No way could the officials give it as from their angle(s) it would have been supposition.
Do you really think he was aware of where they were? It’s possible I suppose but somewhat doubtful I’d say.
PWR - Calamity defending from Gillesphy for their goal. He shows him so much on his left foot that he actually shows him a big angle to shoot with his right. Proper Sunday league stuff.
You’re taking the piss if you’re putting that goal on Gillesphey. If he’d closed Stansfield off on the right he’d have cut inside and maybe the goal goes in that way and he’s criticised for showing him inside. Showing him outside at least meant he needed a quality strike to score. Some are so down on Gillesphey that he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. He had an ok if unremarkable game. The error was Coventry’s. He’s still in credit, so we move on.
Did I say it’s all on Gillesphy? If you think that was even ok defending from him, then you’re very wrong. Of course he shouldn’t show him on his right, but you don’t go so far onto his left that you leave him with a huge angle to shoot on his right.
No, you didn’t say it was all on Gillesphey. But you did say it was “Calamity defending” which is hyperbolic at best. He could have adjusted position a bit and it wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t that bad.
The main reason for the chance was down to Coventry and the main reason the goal went in because it was a very good strike.
My point is that people need to stop with the demonisation and overblaming of Gillesphey. It’s getting ridiculous.
As an aside, Birmingham is a very weird place. That walk from New St to the stadium is mainly through parts of the city centre (or adjacent to) yet it’s 50% or more derelict sites and wasteland. It’s crazy for the centre of the second largest city in the country.
Traditional big city football grounds are often in quite rundown areas but I was surprised too, loads of abandoned cars and litter everywhere. Took ages to get out of Birmingham for drive back to Leeds. Inevitably google maps took us through quite a bit of Birmingham and it was equally bleak. As the song says, I really did want to get home!!
I know every big city has its problems, but I have to agree with this. First trip to Birmingham and must admit I was shocked at how run down much of it was. A lot of abandoned graffitied buildings right in the heart of the city. Stayed at the Aston University Conference hotel as was on my way with family up to Preston to see in laws for half term holidays. We walked into town to get something to eat and it was not a nice atmosphere. Lots of very open drug dealing and unlike at the game no Old Bill in sight on a Saturday night in the middle of the city. My daughter wanted to go back to the hotel because she didn't feel safe. She went to the game with me and said the song was right about Birmingham and she really did want to go home.
As an aside, Birmingham is a very weird place. That walk from New St to the stadium is mainly through parts of the city centre (or adjacent to) yet it’s 50% or more derelict sites and wasteland. It’s crazy for the centre of the second largest city in the country.
Traditional big city football grounds are often in quite rundown areas but I was surprised too, loads of abandoned cars and litter everywhere. Took ages to get out of Birmingham for drive back to Leeds. Inevitably google maps took us through quite a bit of Birmingham and it was equally bleak. As the song says, I really did want to get home!!
I know every big city has its problems, but I have to agree with this. First trip to Birmingham and must admit I was shocked at how run down much of it was. A lot of abandoned graffitied buildings right in the heart of the city. Stayed at the Aston University Conference hotel as was on my way with family up to Preston to see in laws for half term holidays. We walked into town to get something to eat and it was not a nice atmosphere. Lots of very open drug dealing and unlike at the game no Old Bill in sight on a Saturday night in the middle of the city. My daughter wanted to go back to the hotel because she didn't feel safe. She went to the game with me and said the song was right about Birmingham and she really did want to go home.
I have always found it a decrepit place since going there intermittently since the late 80s. There are some nicer suburbs, like Solihull, apparently. Went to the Aston area a few times twice about 6 years apart and it had ran down rapidly there. Lots of issues like all UK cities and more recently the council had massive problems and declared bankruptcy. I suspect that will have halted any redevelopment plans around the centre, as well as hs2 development works being a factor.
PWR - Calamity defending from Gillesphy for their goal. He shows him so much on his left foot that he actually shows him a big angle to shoot with his right. Proper Sunday league stuff.
You’re taking the piss if you’re putting that goal on Gillesphey. If he’d closed Stansfield off on the right he’d have cut inside and maybe the goal goes in that way and he’s criticised for showing him inside. Showing him outside at least meant he needed a quality strike to score. Some are so down on Gillesphey that he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. He had an ok if unremarkable game. The error was Coventry’s. He’s still in credit, so we move on.
Did I say it’s all on Gillesphy? If you think that was even ok defending from him, then you’re very wrong. Of course he shouldn’t show him on his right, but you don’t go so far onto his left that you leave him with a huge angle to shoot on his right.
No, you didn’t say it was all on Gillesphey. But you did say it was “Calamity defending” which is hyperbolic at best. He could have adjusted position a bit and it wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t that bad.
The main reason for the chance was down to Coventry and the main reason the goal went in because it was a very good strike.
My point is that people need to stop with the demonisation and overblaming of Gillesphey. It’s getting ridiculous.
As a professional footballer, it was calamity defending. Getting your position right is proper basic stuff.
PWR - Calamity defending from Gillesphy for their goal. He shows him so much on his left foot that he actually shows him a big angle to shoot with his right. Proper Sunday league stuff.
You’re taking the piss if you’re putting that goal on Gillesphey. If he’d closed Stansfield off on the right he’d have cut inside and maybe the goal goes in that way and he’s criticised for showing him inside. Showing him outside at least meant he needed a quality strike to score. Some are so down on Gillesphey that he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. He had an ok if unremarkable game. The error was Coventry’s. He’s still in credit, so we move on.
Did I say it’s all on Gillesphy? If you think that was even ok defending from him, then you’re very wrong. Of course he shouldn’t show him on his right, but you don’t go so far onto his left that you leave him with a huge angle to shoot on his right.
No, you didn’t say it was all on Gillesphey. But you did say it was “Calamity defending” which is hyperbolic at best. He could have adjusted position a bit and it wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t that bad.
The main reason for the chance was down to Coventry and the main reason the goal went in because it was a very good strike.
My point is that people need to stop with the demonisation and overblaming of Gillesphey. It’s getting ridiculous.
As a professional footballer, it was calamity defending. Getting your position right is proper basic stuff.
Lots of disparaging remarks about the city, but outside the bleak centre, there are some lovely suburbs especially to the west. Stourbridge, Kinver (see the graveyard), Brierley Hill (do the Delph Run, don't miss the Bull and Bladder) and Cradley Heath. The Waterfall Inn at Old Hill is one of my favourite English pubs.
Odd day in Brum, in my head this was going to have a bit of the edginess of old, a bit of care needed on the way in and out, a bit of hostility in the crowd, a bit of noise from them. Actually for a L1 side they seem to have already attracted a lot of plastic amongst the genetically challenged. Felt a bit like going to a ground where they know they're up and it's getting boring waiting for the end of the season. Most vexed they seem to get was for the grabbing too many yards at a throw in. Felt a little bit shitty that 2 or 3k of theirs couldn't be bothered to turn up.
Glad we had a good turn out but wish the game had given us something to be noisy about. As for the teams, they were competent and we were less so but not incompetent. We should be pleased that they thought about how to play us and in my view they stopped us from playing well rather than we were 'lacking spark'. We needed something in the second half to get the support and the players on the front foot and we weren't allowed to get it. Would have been interesting with a run of corners in front of us and the noise level up. I thought we could of kept coming into our corner of the ground when Miles came on but we didn't seem to have a plan. However Klarer was too good for what we tried. At Bolton the aggression of the subs panicked them but Brum had a moment then resettled to their task, a goal would have been very interesting as I felt Brum could be vulnerable if we'd overloaded Klarer but we let him boss the pitch.
Other than that what a good drink and was decent being in a city on a Saturday for a change.
Sorry that we lost, but not devastated as we made them work bloody hard for it. We even had a period of dominance towards the end of the game after the subs. Birmingham has a lot of good bars and pubs, went to a pub recommended by a mate. The Colmor tap, a Tnornbridge brewery pub Had a good mild bitter in there and had a friendly chat with Walsall fans. Who were home that day.
Lots of disparaging remarks about the city, but outside the bleak centre, there are some lovely suburbs especially to the west. Stourbridge, Kinver (see the graveyard), Brierley Hill (do the Delph Run, don't miss the Bull and Bladder) and Cradley Heath. The Waterfall Inn at Old Hill is one of my favourite English pubs.
Ok, so apart from Stourbridge, Kinver, Brierley Hill, Delph Run, & Cradley Heath...What has Birmingham ever done for us...😉
If Gillesphey gets beaten there it’s a definite goal, if he forces the striker to shoot from outside the box then it’s a relatively low percentage chance. He did fine, it was a good finish. Obviously Coventry at fault…
Yes, the screen shots prove this. If Gillesphey goes to Stansfield there is a 3 on 1 if he goes past him and a 2 on 1 if not. He has to play in relation to there being a 3 on 2. If he goes too wide there is a 2 on 1. The best outcome was a shot from where it happened. Absolutely no fault on Gillesphey and if shot was a bit to the left we would be saying great defending. Hindisght analysis if ever I saw any.
If Coventry avoids yellow card next week he will avoid 10 yellows and 2 game suspension
The yellow yesterday for handball was ridiculous.
To be fair both were. Ours and theirs. Coventry's one puts him one booking away from a 2 game ban. It is ridiculous if a key player gets a ban because an official is inept!
Lots of disparaging remarks about the city, but outside the bleak centre, there are some lovely suburbs especially to the west. Stourbridge, Kinver (see the graveyard), Brierley Hill (do the Delph Run, don't miss the Bull and Bladder) and Cradley Heath. The Waterfall Inn at Old Hill is one of my favourite English pubs.
Ok, so apart from Stourbridge, Kinver, Brierley Hill, Delph Run, & Cradley Heath...What has Birmingham ever done for us...😉
Lots of disparaging remarks about the city, but outside the bleak centre, there are some lovely suburbs especially to the west. Stourbridge, Kinver (see the graveyard), Brierley Hill (do the Delph Run, don't miss the Bull and Bladder) and Cradley Heath. The Waterfall Inn at Old Hill is one of my favourite English pubs.
Ok, so apart from Stourbridge, Kinver, Brierley Hill, Delph Run, & Cradley Heath...What has Birmingham ever done for us...😉
Anyone get the free 1875 shuttle bus from the city centre? We were queuing for the 13.45 one, about 15-20 people in the queue, all mainly families. Raining, I’m on crutches with a protective boot, My 14yr old had a Charlton badge on his coat and there was a bloke with a 4yr old girl wearing a Charlton shirt. Just as the bus was arriving having waited 5 mins The Marshall moved down the queue to tell the four of us as we were away fans, for health and safety purposes you’ll have to walk to the ground, and it’s that way. There is no advertising of the bus being home fans only.
To be fair, every Blues fan in the queue were disgusted and tried arguing with the steward, but he wasn’t having any of it and said there could be trouble. Absolute nobhead. Really felt for the bloke with the little girl.
After a bit of hobbling around not really knowing where we are going, we ended up jumping a taxi.
Took forever to drive there and back over an hour to get out of that shithole to get on the motorway, saw some players at the motorway service station . most been said already, personally I think Kanu is nowhere near this level, his first touch and shooting ability aren’t good enough , send him on loan please , he shouldn’t be getting on the pitch for us . Really good noise from our fans today but some proper states in our end as well as theirs (I’m not talking about the lovely Fanny I spoke to after the game , hope you got home safe ) some fucking weirdo off his tits in our end asked my nephew at the end of the game “did we lose’ fucking freak show . ’where were you when you were shit’ sung to a team in their first third tier season in 33 years 🤷♂️
there’s plenty to play for and the play off lottery is up for grabs we have as good a chance as any of that cluster of clubs
the underlying message of where were you when you were shit completely valid
13 years in the champ since they went down from Prem… average crowds varying between 15k to 22k probs overall average of about 18k. Similar to what we would probably average in the champ (on paper anyway).
This season 27k… the swell not turning up cos a load of them suddenly thought they need to rally round cos they got relegated … it’s cos they’re glory merchants giddy at the top 6 championship side they’ve bought their flash owners and promises of a 60k ground and European football
for those of us that continue to graft through the misery of the week in week out at the valley the last few years/ decade, they more than deserve that stick
We’re massively overanalysing the Birmingham goal.
Is that because we’ve been conceding so few recently? Goals happen, players make mistakes, it’s not the end of the world. Stay positive. The fact that we’re not as good as Brum doesn’t mean our season’s over.
Comments
I’d go up on the coach. The walk from Digbeth station to the bus stop to take me to my sisters was scarier than anything I witnessed in London. It was all concrete underpasses that all looked the same. I hated it.
Once I got to her flats it was a different story, proper community. When I watched This Town it really reminded me of exactly what it was like.
1 It was as bad as the Crawley game.
2 We would be the WORST PERFORMING TEAM to ever reach the play offs.
3 You say we were never in it.
Yet Brum spent the last 20 mins feigning injuries and wasting time, until the final whistle.
The best team in the league don’t need to do that at home if we were as bad as the Crawley game and we were never in it.
We were second best but pushed them until the final whistle.
We were always in the game, but I grant you we never really looked like equalising.
It was a superb hit and would have needed a nigh on ‘worldly’ to have saved it.
It’s possible I suppose but somewhat doubtful I’d say.
But you did say it was “Calamity defending” which is hyperbolic at best. He could have adjusted position a bit and it wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t that bad.
My point is that people need to stop with the demonisation and overblaming of Gillesphey. It’s getting ridiculous.
We'll agree to disagree.
😎
😉
Glad we had a good turn out but wish the game had given us something to be noisy about.
As for the teams, they were competent and we were less so but not incompetent.
We should be pleased that they thought about how to play us and in my view they stopped us from playing well rather than we were 'lacking spark'. We needed something in the second half to get the support and the players on the front foot and we weren't allowed to get it. Would have been interesting with a run of corners in front of us and the noise level up. I thought we could of kept coming into our corner of the ground when Miles came on but we didn't seem to have a plan. However Klarer was too good for what we tried.
At Bolton the aggression of the subs panicked them but Brum had a moment then resettled to their task, a goal would have been very interesting as I felt Brum could be vulnerable if we'd overloaded Klarer but we let him boss the pitch.
Other than that what a good drink and was decent being in a city on a Saturday for a change.
Birmingham has a lot of good bars and pubs, went to a pub recommended by a mate. The Colmor tap, a Tnornbridge brewery pub Had a good mild bitter in there and had a friendly chat with Walsall fans. Who were home that day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoHVO1eSMFc
Goals happen, players make mistakes, it’s not the end of the world. Stay positive. The fact that we’re not as good as Brum doesn’t mean our season’s over.