Home
Saturdays will not be the same again at Wanderers now that Neil Lennon has left the Match of the Day studio and gone back to the dugout.
You sensed life with the Northern Irishman was going to be a white knuckle ride but who among us had forgotten so much could be packed into 90 minutes?
Men in white throwing themselves into tackles, fans rising as one to sing a player’s name, fingernails chewed to the quick – it felt like a return to a long-forgotten era.
After the clinical, methodical and ultimately unsuccessful tenure of Dougie Freedman this was rock ’n’ roll football; and we love it.
By no means was a slender 1-0 win, courtesy of Matt Mills’ superb 20th-minute header, the complete performance. It was, however, a signpost for exciting times ahead once the new boss has really got his feet under the table.
Chung-Yong Lee revelling in a free role in midfield, Jay Spearing tackling again like a bulldog, Andy Lonergan pulling saves from the top drawer, it was no wonder the 1,800 travelling fans could still be heard singing into the early evening around the ground.
Yes, it was unfortunate that Lennon’s red card put a slight blot on the day, or that he could face repercussions for what amounted to natural exuberance on the touchline.
No stranger to a touchline ban during his time at Celtic, it would be even more of a worry if his card has already been marked with officials south of Hadrian’s Wall.
But this was an occasion to celebrate the positives, a victory for simple, passionate football, free from the over-complications that served to quicken Freedman’s departure 17 days ago.
The game itself was a hotch-potch affair. Birmingham lacked any cutting edge to match the swift feet of 18-year-old Demarai Gray – a star of the future on this showing – while Wanderers dominated for long spells but rushed their final ball.
The one oasis of calm on the field was South Korean Chung-Yong, someone who seems to reserve his very best performances for St Andrew’s and the only lasting remnant of the side that booked their place at Wembley there just three-and-a-half years ago.
The 26-year-old’s horrific broken leg the summer after that epic day in Birmingham probably prevented his career from hitting much higher peaks. This was a reminder, though, that he is by far a spent force when used in a tactical system that suits him.
Many remarked before the game that Lennon had handed in one of Freedman’s team-sheets by mistake but once the team settled down, there were some differences to be seen.
Darren Pratley was pushed wide left to expose the lack of height at the back for Birmingham, allowing Chung-Yong to drift around the middle of the park.
The tempo was also higher from the off, Neil Danns and Spearing getting through a mountain of work in front of the back four and also busting a gut to join lone man Jermaine Beckford up front.
Both teams swapped half-chances before Mills drew first blood for Wanderers, climbing to power home a header from Spearing’s corner with 20 minutes on the clock.
Birmingham will feel they had ample chances to equalise, Gray striking a bouncing shot over the bar and David Cotterill curling a free-kick just off target.
That pattern continued into the second half. Gray, a perpetual pain in the behind, must have wondered what he had to do to beat Lonergan when his fiercely-struck shot was tipped onto the bar.
Perhaps the Wanderers keeper deserved his good karma. Moments earlier he had talked referee Mark Haywood out of giving Wes Thomas a yellow card when the Blues striker chased down a bouncing backpass.
If only Lonergan’s diplomacy could have deterred the officials from going overboard with his manager later in the game.
True, Lennon had encroached upon the pitch so many times it looked at one point as if he was helping out Kevin McNaughton at right-back, but it was harmless stuff.
The more Birmingham pushed forward the easier it was to catch them on the break but while the build-up was good, the final ball from Wanderers was rushed.
Lennon, decked out in a black body-warmer, had the same pained expression we had seen so many times on his predecessor’s face.
He was accompanied in the dugout by the imposing blond figure of Johan Mjallby – the Swede barking orders with just as much determination.
When sub Craig Davies pounced on a mistake by Paul Caddis to race around keeper Darren Randolph, drawing a foul from the former Bury loanee, it looked game, set and match.
The Blues had used all their subs, Randolph was sent off for a professional foul and winger Lee Novak faced the penalty.
Little did we realise at the time but in trying to get his captain to take the spot-kick Lennon had gone back onto the pitch, incurring the wrath of fourth official Amy Fearn and being sent to the stands.
Lennon lingered just long enough to see Davies, not Spearing, smash his shot high over the bar into the travelling fans.
He re-appeared in the directors’ box, slumped over the front bar in frustration as his side mustered just one shot at the stand-in keeper.
Through six minutes of added time the Whites boss seemed dangerously close to toppling over the edge of the blue banister in front of him until referee Haywood finally put him out of his misery.
“It’s a lot less stressful being on Match of the Day,” Lennon joked after the game.
“It’s easy watching the game up there when you’re not involved but when you’re in that dugout you go through a wide range of emotions.”
Then, before heading back north to begin preparations for tomorrow’s trip to Charlton, he added: “It’s good to be back.”.
Speaking on behalf of the Wanderers fans who had sung his name for 96 minutes, they are glad to have him.
Source
You sensed life with the Northern Irishman was going to be a white knuckle ride but who among us had forgotten so much could be packed into 90 minutes?
Men in white throwing themselves into tackles, fans rising as one to sing a player’s name, fingernails chewed to the quick – it felt like a return to a long-forgotten era.
After the clinical, methodical and ultimately unsuccessful tenure of Dougie Freedman this was rock ’n’ roll football; and we love it.
By no means was a slender 1-0 win, courtesy of Matt Mills’ superb 20th-minute header, the complete performance. It was, however, a signpost for exciting times ahead once the new boss has really got his feet under the table.
Chung-Yong Lee revelling in a free role in midfield, Jay Spearing tackling again like a bulldog, Andy Lonergan pulling saves from the top drawer, it was no wonder the 1,800 travelling fans could still be heard singing into the early evening around the ground.
Yes, it was unfortunate that Lennon’s red card put a slight blot on the day, or that he could face repercussions for what amounted to natural exuberance on the touchline.
No stranger to a touchline ban during his time at Celtic, it would be even more of a worry if his card has already been marked with officials south of Hadrian’s Wall.
But this was an occasion to celebrate the positives, a victory for simple, passionate football, free from the over-complications that served to quicken Freedman’s departure 17 days ago.
The game itself was a hotch-potch affair. Birmingham lacked any cutting edge to match the swift feet of 18-year-old Demarai Gray – a star of the future on this showing – while Wanderers dominated for long spells but rushed their final ball.
The one oasis of calm on the field was South Korean Chung-Yong, someone who seems to reserve his very best performances for St Andrew’s and the only lasting remnant of the side that booked their place at Wembley there just three-and-a-half years ago.
The 26-year-old’s horrific broken leg the summer after that epic day in Birmingham probably prevented his career from hitting much higher peaks. This was a reminder, though, that he is by far a spent force when used in a tactical system that suits him.
Many remarked before the game that Lennon had handed in one of Freedman’s team-sheets by mistake but once the team settled down, there were some differences to be seen.
Darren Pratley was pushed wide left to expose the lack of height at the back for Birmingham, allowing Chung-Yong to drift around the middle of the park.
The tempo was also higher from the off, Neil Danns and Spearing getting through a mountain of work in front of the back four and also busting a gut to join lone man Jermaine Beckford up front.
Both teams swapped half-chances before Mills drew first blood for Wanderers, climbing to power home a header from Spearing’s corner with 20 minutes on the clock.
Birmingham will feel they had ample chances to equalise, Gray striking a bouncing shot over the bar and David Cotterill curling a free-kick just off target.
That pattern continued into the second half. Gray, a perpetual pain in the behind, must have wondered what he had to do to beat Lonergan when his fiercely-struck shot was tipped onto the bar.
Perhaps the Wanderers keeper deserved his good karma. Moments earlier he had talked referee Mark Haywood out of giving Wes Thomas a yellow card when the Blues striker chased down a bouncing backpass.
If only Lonergan’s diplomacy could have deterred the officials from going overboard with his manager later in the game.
True, Lennon had encroached upon the pitch so many times it looked at one point as if he was helping out Kevin McNaughton at right-back, but it was harmless stuff.
The more Birmingham pushed forward the easier it was to catch them on the break but while the build-up was good, the final ball from Wanderers was rushed.
Lennon, decked out in a black body-warmer, had the same pained expression we had seen so many times on his predecessor’s face.
He was accompanied in the dugout by the imposing blond figure of Johan Mjallby – the Swede barking orders with just as much determination.
When sub Craig Davies pounced on a mistake by Paul Caddis to race around keeper Darren Randolph, drawing a foul from the former Bury loanee, it looked game, set and match.
The Blues had used all their subs, Randolph was sent off for a professional foul and winger Lee Novak faced the penalty.
Little did we realise at the time but in trying to get his captain to take the spot-kick Lennon had gone back onto the pitch, incurring the wrath of fourth official Amy Fearn and being sent to the stands.
Lennon lingered just long enough to see Davies, not Spearing, smash his shot high over the bar into the travelling fans.
He re-appeared in the directors’ box, slumped over the front bar in frustration as his side mustered just one shot at the stand-in keeper.
Through six minutes of added time the Whites boss seemed dangerously close to toppling over the edge of the blue banister in front of him until referee Haywood finally put him out of his misery.
“It’s a lot less stressful being on Match of the Day,” Lennon joked after the game.
“It’s easy watching the game up there when you’re not involved but when you’re in that dugout you go through a wide range of emotions.”
Then, before heading back north to begin preparations for tomorrow’s trip to Charlton, he added: “It’s good to be back.”.
Speaking on behalf of the Wanderers fans who had sung his name for 96 minutes, they are glad to have him.
Source
