|
|
|
|
I’ll be the first to admit in the aftermath of the Preston game I was one of the fans questioning Alex McLeish’s future at the club. Having gone a goal up and been within touching distance of the Premier League the heartbreak of throwing it all away was unbearable. The prospect of going to Reading and recording the win we needed looked almost impossible.
Against Preston it was the same old story for Blues. The team lacked the ability to unlock the opposition’s defence and not for the first time this season the supporters questioned the players’ desire and hunger to distance themselves from the chasing pack. It seemed every time the team had an opportunity to put in a performance that would lift them clear of Sheffield United, Reading and Cardiff they would blow it. The games against Norwich at home and Charlton away spring to mind!
Putting the ball into the opponents net has been the biggest problem this season for Blues. No matter which combination of million pound strikers Big Eck used, the goals just wouldn’t flow. The fact is that Birmingham scored only 54 goals (lower even than relegated Norwich) despite having strikers of the calibre of James McFadden, Kevin Phillips, Cameron Jerome, Marcus Bent, Garry O’Connor and the saviour himself Carlos Costly!
Scoring goals has never been Birmingham’s strong point though. Not since 1995 and Steve Claridge has a Blues player hit the magical 20 mark in the league. Mikael Forssell came close in 2003 but the Finn aside, strikers at St Andrews are generally lucky to get into double figures. It just seems that Blues are destined never to be the fast flowing, easy-on-the-eye football team that many of the supporters want to see. Maybe the irritation shown towards McLeish had stemmed from expectation levels being too high following the assembling of a team that, on paper, looked capable of entertaining.
Despite the team not setting the world on fire the fact of the matter was that McLeish was grinding out results. Going into the final game of the season with a point advantage over Sheffield United demonstrated this. Without having truly excelled over the campaign the club had the chance to get the instant return to the top flight that the board and the supporters had demanded.
After playing us off the park at home earlier in the season I admit I wasn’t particularly confident of a victory at Reading but how McLeish and the team delivered. From the minute Keith Fahey’s speculative effort squirmed through Jaidi’s shadow, Birmingham never looked in doubt of losing their lead. Even when Marek Matejovsky ruined the chance of a totally nerve free final half-hour there was no suspicion of Blues repeating the disappointment of the previous game.
As a result, surely Alex McLeish has earned the right to have another shot at the Premier League with Blues next season. Birmingham might not have been run away leaders but Big Eck’s team was industrious and effective and did the job required of them. Not many managers lead their club back up at the first attempt and McLeish must be congratulated for that. If the board back their man and refrain from any more public outbursts over the summer then why shouldn’t he keep the club in the Premiership in the same way that Steve Bruce did or that Tony Pulis has done with Stoke?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1. Lateisha, You have shed a ray of su
wrote...
|
|
You have shed a ray of sunshnie into the forum. Thanks! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Add Comment
|
All fields are required *.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Back To Top
|
|