Birmingham City 3-4 Saints - Match Thread

[Lighthouse]

My main gripe with the Liverpool game was KWPs injury, hopefully he’s not out for too long. I’m also hoping we have Downes back for this one.

[SambaMaverick]

Bazunu

KWP Harwood-Bellis Bednarek Bree

Downes

Stu Aribo

Brooks Che AA

 

Fucking please!

[StrangelyBrown]

Please no more Smallbone and no more Manning.

Fingers crossed Downes and KWP can play...

[S-Clarke]

If we come out of these 2 league defeats in a row without KWP and Fraser then that is going to conclude an absolute season defining disaster for us.

Fingers crossed KWP is fine.

[Forester]

11 minutes ago, SambaMaverick said:

Bazunu

KWP Harwood-Bellis Bednarek Bree

Downes

Stu Aribo

Brooks Che AA

 

Fucking please!

After KWP limped off suspect it will be Bree right back and Manning left back, other than that I like your line up

[Give it to Ron]

14 minutes ago, SambaMaverick said:

Bazunu

KWP Harwood-Bellis Bednarek Bree

Downes

Stu Aribo

Brooks Che AA

 

Fucking please!

Isn’t Bednarek suspended? I thought he got booked Saturday?

Edited 28 February, 2024 by Give it to Ron

[trousers]

14 minutes ago, SambaMaverick said:

Bazunu

KWP Harwood-Bellis Bednarek Bree

Downes

Stu Aribo

Brooks Che AA

 

Fucking please!

Yep, probably our best starting 11 on paper. I guess we'll play Stephens and Charles in place of KWP and Downes if they're not passed fit to play though 

[Harry_SFC]

Providing KWP is out.

Bazunu; Bree, THB, Bednarek, Manning; Downes, Aribo, Stu; Edozie, Brooks/Arma, Adams.

[bpsaint]

Hopefully Downes is back, if not then Shea needs to play CDM. If Smallbone plays there then we’re fucked. 

Brum are doing ok of late, admittedly Mowbray won’t be in the dugout for this but I’m sure the team will be very well drilled in how to counter us, as his Sunderland side did so devastatingly earlier in the season.

Tough match, desperately hope we win but wouldn’t be surprised if we fluff it again. St Andrews always seems to be an awkward place for us to go.

[Winnersaint]

Another loss on the horizon. More toxicity on here on Saturday evening. 

[HKsaint]

Do we need another defeat (4 consecutive defeats) or Downes comeback to kickstart another unbeaten run?

[skintsaint]

Repeat of the Millwall game, somehow lose it to shit errors.

[Saint Fan CaM]

If we fail to beat Brum then we really know the wheels have come off, even without Downes and Fraser. Saints 2-1.

[woodsaint1]

Was going to say that Mowbray already did a number on us this season, but just seen that hes stepped away from the job for a period to deal with an illness. Wish him well.

We simply need to win this. The first of three big games (they're all big I know) before we get a well earned three week break. It just feels like the team is running on fumes at the moment with the amount of games we've had, the drop in performance and the injuries we're picking up. If we can somehow pick up 9 points before the break then we'll have given ourselves a great chance for the run in.

2-1 win 🤞🏼

[northam soul]

What was up with Stu last night.

Must be injured to not even be in the squad.

[AlexLaw76]

Lots of playing out from the back/being brave on the ball.

probably give the ball away in ridiculous positions, but we will score early and battle to a 2-1 away win, with a team with Smallbone in CM, THB at RB and Jack Stephens up front

Martin will be a bit of a prick in the post match interview 

Edited 29 February, 2024 by AlexLaw76

[musesaint]

If we could take our chances and actually score goals we’d dominate this game. But how many chances did we squander last night? Unless and until we eliminate that massive weakness it’s Playoffs at best. 

[SNSUN]

Must win. Keep the pace, keep the faith. 

[Toadhall Saint]

Draw

[Patches O Houlihan]

11 hours ago, SambaMaverick said:

Bazunu

KWP Harwood-Bellis Bednarek Bree

Downes

Stu Aribo

Brooks Che AA

 

Fucking please!

In fairness if we can field that team we'd smash them

[Wiggles31]

Got a bit of optimism back from the first 60 minutes yesterday. Granted we fluffed too many chances. 
 

3-1 win for me provided Downes is back. Still gutted that we’ve let the top 3 escape us. This needs to be the start of a winning streak to have any chance of auto. 

[Pamplemousse]

We'll win I reckon. We have nothing but the league to focus on now, full throttle, Leeds will choke at some point. As long as we are just 2 points off them come the final day of the season, it's in our own hands.

[Sheaf Saint]

11 hours ago, Winnersaint said:

Another loss on the horizon. More toxicity on here on Saturday evening. 

Username doesn't check out 🤨

[saintant]

12 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

If we come out of these 2 league defeats in a row without KWP and Fraser then that is going to conclude an absolute season defining disaster for us.

Fingers crossed KWP is fine.

RM said it could be a quad injury so if that is the case he may be missing for up to six weeks.

[Winnersaint]

16 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Username doesn't check out 🤨

Should have an h after the s to indicate my locality. My typo not a statement of optimism or intent😂.

[Wurzel]

34 minutes ago, saintant said:

RM said it could be a quad injury so if that is the case he may be missing for up to six weeks.

Unless I was dreaming as I can't find where I saw the quote now, apparently RM said they didn't know he was injured and it was the ref that told them. Begs the questions why would KWP carry on without at least seeking attention, and also would a ref even do that?

[Cabrone]

Finish like we did against Pool and we'll get a draw at best. If AA gets his scoring boots on again we'll win this.

[Wade Garrett]

Result doesn’t matter as long as we’re brave on the ball.

For me, brave is trying to move it forward rather than just going sideways or backwards.

I don’t love the players as much as Russ, and I certainly don’t love RussBall.

We are just a project for the manager and a project for the club.  The geezer who owns the club needs to fucking sort it out.

[Appy]

Any danger of seeing Downes this weekend? Or are we going to be told he’s “close” again and he’ll be nowhere to be seen?

[SuperSAINT]

3 minutes ago, Appy said:

Any danger of seeing Downes this weekend? Or are we going to be told he’s “close” again and he’ll be nowhere to be seen?

Lets hope so.  

[Lord Duckhunter]

Smallbone was excellent for the first 70mins yesterday, so I’d leave him in that role for the full 90. 
 

Bree has to come in regardless of whether KWP is fit or not.

Aribo has to start & so does SA. 
 

Fuck Mara off for Che, put Brookes in for one of the wide men. 
 

Not convinced by Charles yet, so if Downes is unfit that could be an issue. Personally, I liked Rothwells urgency first half at Liverpool , but I guess that’s the SA role as opposed to a more defensive position. On the basis of not tinkering around too much, I’d probably stay with Charles (in the event of Downes being out), but he needs to start producing a bit more and stop giving the fucking ball away. 

[Whitey Grandad]

29 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Smallbone was excellent for the first 70mins yesterday, so I’d leave him in that role for the full 90. 
 

Bree has to come in regardless of whether KWP is fit or not.

Aribo has to start & so does SA. 
 

Fuck Mara off for Che, put Brookes in for one of the wide men. 
 

Not convinced by Charles yet, so if Downes is unfit that could be an issue. Personally, I liked Rothwells urgency first half at Liverpool , but I guess that’s the SA role as opposed to a more defensive position. On the basis of not tinkering around too much, I’d probably stay with Charles (in the event of Downes being out), but he needs to start producing a bit more and stop giving the fucking ball away. 

Smallbone on the bench. The threat of him coming on will terrify the opposition. As they say in chess, the threat is greater than the execution.

[Harry_SFC]

I hope Bree plays ahead of Stephens at RB. Thought he looked really good last night considering it was his first game in 2 months.

[Miltonaggro]

Have to play strongest side and have to win. 

[Sarisbury Saint]

5 hours ago, Wurzel said:

Unless I was dreaming as I can't find where I saw the quote now, apparently RM said they didn't know he was injured and it was the ref that told them. Begs the questions why would KWP carry on without at least seeking attention, and also would a ref even do that?

Maybe he was just doing a Jason Puncheon.

[trousers]

1 hour ago, Miltonaggro said:

Have to play strongest side

Yep, and for the rest of the season... No more tinkering with team selections... Start with the best players in each and every game.

Edited 29 February, 2024 by trousers

[Wade Garrett]

48 minutes ago, trousers said:

Yep, and for the rest of the season... No more tinkering with team selections... Start with the best players in each and every game.

Should be a given for every game.  Instead we have a narcissist trying to be a clever bollocks every week.

[ErwinK1961]

41 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Should be a given for every game.  Instead we have a narcissist trying to be a clever bollocks every week.

Or we have a manager that has been rotating the team whilst we have been playing 3 games a week for a while. I’d expect to see a more settled line up as that now dies down.

[Give it to Ron]

1 hour ago, ErwinK1961 said:

Or we have a manager that has been rotating the team whilst we have been playing 3 games a week for a while. I’d expect to see a more settled line up as that now dies down.

But why Leeds haven’t and look where they are! The problem has been the change in tactics like Hull game why was Stu playing up front leaving us short wide and midfield Hulls strength ? Millwall shoe horning Stephens into 3 positions ? 
Martin has claimed responsibility let’s just hope he has learnt but I doubt it.

The 3 week break will help with injuries just hope we use it wisely not like Jones did with his.

[Toadhall Saint]

3 hours ago, trousers said:

Yep, and for the rest of the season... No more tinkering with team selections... Start with the best players in each and every game.

The best players available 

[Toadhall Saint]

18 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

But why Leeds haven’t and look where they are! The problem has been the change in tactics like Hull game why was Stu playing up front leaving us short wide and midfield Hulls strength ? Millwall shoe horning Stephens into 3 positions ? 
Martin has claimed responsibility let’s just hope he has learnt but I doubt it.

The 3 week break will help with injuries just hope we use it wisely not like Jones did with his.

Last night was weird - most games it’s been AA on the left and A N Other on the right  - when AA came on he started and stayed on the right.
Our most successful period this season was with AA on the left. Baffles me.

[for_heaven's_Saint]

8 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Smallbone was excellent for the first 70mins yesterday, so I’d leave him in that role for the full 90. 
 

Bree has to come in regardless of whether KWP is fit or not.

Aribo has to start & so does SA. 
 

Fuck Mara off for Che, put Brookes in for one of the wide men. 
 

Not convinced by Charles yet, so if Downes is unfit that could be an issue. Personally, I liked Rothwells urgency first half at Liverpool , but I guess that’s the SA role as opposed to a more defensive position. On the basis of not tinkering around too much, I’d probably stay with Charles (in the event of Downes being out), but he needs to start producing a bit more and stop giving the fucking ball away. 

He came on as a second half sub?

[Tommy Mulgrew]

That is precisely the point.

[Toussaint]

28 minutes ago, for_heaven's_Saint said:

He came on as a second half sub?

Whoosh!

[John Boy Saint]

8 minutes ago, Toussaint said:

Whoosh!

………..with smoke on!

[trousers]

RM: "KWP won't be out for long but this game is too soon. Hoping he'll be ok for the next two"

Did anyone hear him say anything about Downes? (Adam Blackmore mentioned Downes but I don't think he asked a direct question about his fitness?)

[trousers]

I suspect this morning's press conference is going to wind up some people. All about how "brave" we were versus Liverpool but not a single question or reflection on how awful our decision making was up front. Felt a bit head-in-sand territory to me. Conspiracy theory alert but I'm wondering if Adam Blackmore is a tad wary about asking 'home truths' type questions these days after his mini 'spat' with Russell earlier in the season...?

Roy Keane and Ian Wright called it out on Wednesday night, saying that the manager should be furious about how wasteful we were in the final third, but I'm not seeing any sign of that viewpoint being addressed in the press conference(s)...

Anyway, positivity is never a bad thing so maybe I'm wide of the mark in highlighting these observations...?

Edited 1 March, 2024 by trousers

[Jack]

Yeah sadly ‘being brave’ doesn’t mean being any good. And trying to be the team we want to be doesn’t mean we’re good enough to play like Man City. 
 

Baz

Bree THB Janny Manning 

Stu Downes Aribo

Arma Adams Edozie

 

Must win

[tdmickey3]

29 minutes ago, trousers said:

RM: "KWP won't be out for long but this game is too soon. Hoping he'll be ok for the next two"

Did anyone hear him say anything about Downes? (Adam Blackmore mentioned Downes but I don't think he asked a direct question about his fitness?)

Something must be up with Downes, more than is being disclosed, to keep saying "He`s close"  on repeat is nonsense when it clearly wasn't the case

[hypochondriac]

29 minutes ago, trousers said:

I suspect this morning's press conference is going to wind up some people. All about how "brave" we were versus Liverpool but not a single question or reflection on how awful our decision making was up front. Felt a bit head-in-sand territory to me. Conspiracy theory alert but I'm wondering if Adam Blackmore is a tad wary about asking 'home truths' type questions these days after his mini 'spat' with Russell earlier in the season...?

Roy Keane and Ian Wright called it out on Wednesday night, saying that the manager should be furious about how wasteful we were in the final third, but I'm not seeing any sign of that viewpoint being addressed in the press conference(s)...

Anyway, positivity is never a bad thing so maybe I'm wide of the mark in highlighting these observations...?

"the reward and the feeling the players get for the perceived risk tops anything" 

How about the feeling of winning Russell. Sometimes it feels tome like he's some scientist in charge of an experiment where the process is more important to him than the result. If we don't go up this year and are less successful next year, I can see this getting extremely tiresome incredibly quickly.