Birmingham 2-0 Bolton

A bit of a tough game this as Brum are currently in 1st place and have won the last 4 out of 5 games whilst we are lingering down at 11th position.

Can we get an away win at St. Andrews?

Nope!

Can't see us getting near Birmingham at the moment, especially if we are without Thomason and Toal.

This game will show us were we really are at the moment.

Well we've got to play our best and hope the Birmingham are just a bit overrated than people think.

I'd be happy with a draw right now but no point turning up if we can't make a game of it - is it?

We won't be playing 3-4-3-1 that's for sure!

We’ve also won four out of the last five league games.  I’d be happy with a draw, and hopefully we can up our game as well need to.

I think we’ll sneak a draw

Blimey, you’d think we were playing Real Madrid to read some of these comments. They’ve got worse injury problems than we have and it’s likely some of their star performers won’t be fit for tonight so no reason we shouldn’t go there and give them a hiding. If we have Toal and Baxter back in no way we can’t win this so I’m expecting us to show up tonight and come back with all the points.

Not sure how we will line up?

We have 3 at the back with Cogley playing there

We have 3 in midfield with Sheehan, Matete and I assume Arfield?

With the 2 wing backs that would make the 'five' in a midfield with Dempsey playing behind Charles?

3-5-1-1?

That can't be right surely?

Whitesince63 wrote:Blimey, you’d think we were playing Real Madrid to read some of these comments. They’ve got worse injury problems than we have and it’s likely some of their star performers won’t be fit for tonight so no reason we shouldn’t go there and give them a hiding. If we have Toal and Baxter back in no way we can’t win this so I’m expecting us to show up tonight and come back with all the points.

You were saying...

One of the worst performances I’ve seen in recent memory. Actually worse than Huddersfield because the manager actively lined the team up to get a draw and we conceded after 3 minutes. 

At least Vic and Mcatee give it a go but the later can’t finish his dinner sadly. 

Forrester should never see the pitch again as far as I’m concerned. 

Same goes for Collins. 

For all their money Birmingham don’t look too special. Just makes it more galling how far we’ve fallen off

Game was lost in the first half due to piss poor tactics - we went in scared with just Dion upfront and no out ball.  It was over in three minutes. Second half was better as we then tried to have a do but too little too late. I feel that if we went at them from the first whistle, we could have something out of the game. I'm putting this one down to Ian.
On another note - any game plan that includes our forwards holding up a ball is nonsense - last one who could do that was Jon Dadi.

Awful. They looked like strangers out there. This looks a mid table side at best.

The goals

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Negative line up and the plan went up in flames after 3 minutes! We gave them far too much respect, it wasn't Man City for Gods sake!

Arfield makes Jerome look like a world beater, what an awful signing he's been, bring back Morley from Wycombe as soon as possible please!

Ian Evatt felt Wanderers failed to make the “big moments” count as they were beaten 2-0 by leaders Birmingham at St Andrew’s.

Tomoki Iwata struck an early opener and Jay Stansfield wrapped up the result four minutes from time from the penalty spot.

John McAtee had a big chance to get Bolton back on level terms before the second goal but was denied by Ryan Allsop from close range.

“They are a really good team – and they should be obviously with the finances that have been spent here,” he said.

“They were as good as I have seen at this level. We, with the personnel we had available, had a plan to be tight and be in the game at 60 minutes.

“Then, we could get the attackers on, be a bit more adventurous and go for it. The disappointing thing is we conceded very early and we lose a dual in midfield, which we shouldn’t lose.

“It is a brilliant finish but I think the goal was a bit self-inflicted. We hung in there, stayed in it and get the moment that we wanted.

“We have to score, it is as simple as that. 1-1 with five or 10 minutes to go, we are in the ascendency and I think end up getting a really positive result.”

The hosts were awarded a spot kick when Will Forrester was judged to have caught Keshi Anderson late in the box.

“Will is trying to block the ball and momentum carries him through,” Evatt added. “You see that tackle so many times during games. The referee - I thought - was very poor tonight, he couldn’t wait to give it.

“I am disappointed that in another big game against a very good team, the big moments have cost us. We had our big moments.”

Evatt made two changes from the side that beat Burton over the weekend, with Jay Matete and Scott Arfield coming into the midfield.

“The personnel we have got available, we have got the spine of the team more or less missing at the moment, which isn’t ideal,” the manager continued.

“Their two number sixes, in particular, are very good footballers and everything they do well is through them.

“We tried to stop and take away that box they create in possession and frustrate them. We knew they would have a lot of the ball but it was where they had it that was important.

“For large parts, I don’t think they caused us loads of problems. As I said, with half an hour to go we wanted to be adventurous and try to take something from the game.

“It almost paid off and those are the fine margins of football. That big chance, which we should take, probably gets us a positive result and everyone would be delighted.”


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We had two very good chances but just couldn't finish which is a shame.

Birmingham are definately going up without a doubt with the amout of money they have spent this season. They dominated right from the start to be fair but with our performance last night, I find it difficult to stay positive thinking we will go up this season.

I feel mid season is the best we can do this season really.

On the flip side, I know he gets a lot of criticism but Santos played really well last night.

We’ll I got that one totally wrong as Sluffy helpfully pointed out but to be fair I wasn’t expecting that team which went out there with zero ambition and zero intent on trying to win and I put that all at the door of Evatt who even before the match set the negative tone with his pessimistic comments. The players apart from being in a totally unusual system and several in unfamiliar positions just looked devoid of any confidence just panicking and kicking the ball anywhere usually back to Brum since we had no outlet. 

Birmingham are undoubtedly a very good side but to go there with no ambition, throw away all the systems we’re used to and leave all your best and most expensive talent on the bench is pure madness especially when after coming on they showed what might have been had they started. I genuinely think Evatt’s lost the plot and I think the loss at Wembley may have damaged him more than we perhaps realise. I think his own confidence in himself is now shot and he just seems like he’s trying anything now and hoping it works rather than believing it will. This season we’ve seen none of that flowing, quick, one touch football we saw even last year and I’m afraid to say that I don’t think we will as long as Evatt stays here.

Whitesince63 wrote:I genuinely think Evatt’s lost the plot and I think the loss at Wembley may have damaged him more than we perhaps realise. I think his own confidence in himself is now shot and he just seems like he’s trying anything now and hoping it works rather than believing it will. This season we’ve seen none of that flowing, quick, one touch football we saw even last year and I’m afraid to say that I don’t think we will as long as Evatt stays here.