Ipswich Town v Birmingham City
Tuesday 24th February 2015 – 19:45
Portman Road
Opening Thought – Jamma
Saturday illustrated once again just how fine the margins between success and failure can be in the Championship. In an ultimately disappointing afternoon, the Blues started brightly and made all the running in the opening period until Reading scored with their first meaningful attempt on goal. Even after this bolt from the blue, Town continued to ask questions without ever really testing Adam Federici in the Royals’ goal. On another day, Daryl Murphy would have found the bottom corner instead of shooting straight down the keeper’s throat, Jay Tabb would have planted his header inside the post as opposed to into the side netting or Freddie Sears would have had more composure after working some promising openings. Instead of looking back on an accomplished performance to move us back into the automatic promotion places, we were left reflecting on another lacklustre Portman Road display which sees us casting an anxious glance towards the chasing pack. I thought Mick summed it up perfectly when he said that ‘We didn’t play that well, but we didn’t play badly either. They scored and we didn’t – that was the difference’.
Another telling remark from McCarthy’s post-match interview was his reference to the crowd’s impatience when the ball was played back to Bartosz Bialkowski on occasion. While supporters may argue that this showed a lack of ambition in a game that we looked more than capable of winning, I think the groans of frustration were a deeper-lying response to the situation we find ourselves in. Having been starved of success for so long, the Blue Army are desperate for their team to achieve something this campaign. That is intensified by the fact that this year’s Championship doesn’t feature a side that is running away with it, in the way that QPR, Cardiff and Leicester have done in recent seasons. We have put ourselves in the best position for a decade to win promotion, which means that every dropped point represents a missed opportunity. The air of anxiety around Portman Road on Saturday was a far cry from the jubilant scenes on the banks of the Thames seven days previous. If we are to reach the Promised Land, it will be essential for consistency on the pitch to be backed up by consistency off it. Now is the time for Ipswich Town’s famed support to get behind the team, with a second home game in quick succession providing the perfect chance to bounce back, against the Blues of Birmingham.
The Opposition – Birmingham City
Birmingham City were founded as Small Heath Alliance in 1875, and from 1877 played their home games at Muntz Street. The club turned professional in 1885. In 1892, Small Heath, along with the other Alliance teams, were invited to join the newly formed Football League Second Division. They finished as champions, but failed to win promotion via the test match system. The following season, promotion to the First Division was secured after a second place finish and test match victory over Darwen. The club adopted the name Birmingham Football Club in 1905, and moved into their new home, St Andrew's Ground, the following year. Matters on the field failed to live up to their surroundings. Birmingham were relegated in 1908, obliged to apply for re-election two years later, and remained in the Second Division until after the First World War.
Birmingham won their second Division Two title in 1920–21. In 1931, manager Leslie Knighton led the club to their first FA Cup Final, which they lost 2–1 to Second Division club West Bromwich Albion. Though Birmingham remained in the top flight for 18 seasons, they struggled in the league.
The name Birmingham City F.C. was adopted in 1943. The club won the Football League South wartime league and reached the semifinal of the first post-war FA Cup. Two years later, they won their third Second Division title. Bob Brocklebank, though unable to stave off relegation in 1950, brought in players who made a major contribution to the club's successes of the next decade. When Arthur Turner took over as manager in November 1954, he made them play closer to their potential, and on the last day of the 1954–55 season confirmed them as champions. In their first season back in the First Division, Birmingham achieved their highest league finish of sixth place. They also reached the FA Cup final, losing to Manchester City.
Birmingham became the first English club side to take part in European competition in 1956. They were also the first English club side to reach a European final, losing to Barcelona in the 1960 Fairs Cup final and to A.S. Roma the following year.
In 1963, they lifted their first major trophy, the League Cup,when they beat their bitter rivals Aston Villa in the final.
Sir Alf Ramsey briefly managed the club before Jim Smith took over in 1978. With relegation a certainty, the club sold Trevor Francis to Nottingham Forest, making him the first player transferred for a fee of £1 million. Smith took Birmingham straight back to the First Division, but a poor start to the 1981–82 season saw him replaced by Ron Saunders. Saunders' team struggled to score goals and in 1984 they were relegated. They bounced back up, but the last home game of the 1984–85 promotion season, against Leeds United, was marred by rioting, culminating in the death of a boy when a wall collapsed on him. This was on the same day as the Bradford City stadium fire, and the events at St Andrew's formed part of the remit of Mr Justice Popplewell's inquiry into safety at sports grounds. The club lacked stability both on and off the field and by 1989 Birmingham were in the Third Division for the first time in their history.
In April 1989, the Kumar brothers, owners of a clothing chain, bought the club. A rapid turnover of managers, the absence of promised investment and a threatened mass refusal of players to renew contracts was relieved only by a victorious trip to Wembley in the Associate Members Cup. Terry Cooper delivered promotion, but the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) put the Kumars' businesses into receivership until publisher David Sullivan bought it for £700,000. After a poor start to the 1993–94 season, Cooper was replaced by Barry Fry, followed by the return of Trevor Francis.
Francis introduced players with top-level experience such as Manchester United skipper Steve Bruce. In his second season, the club narrowly missed out on a play-off position, followed by three years of play-off semifinal defeats. By October 2001, lack of progress had made Francis's position untenable and he was replaced two months later by Steve Bruce, who took them from mid-table into the play-offs, where they beat Norwich City on penalties to win promotion to the Premier League.
Birmingham's first top-flight season for 16 years finished in mid-table.
In July 2007, Hong Kong-based businessman Carson Yeung bought 29.9% of shares in the club, making him the biggest single shareholder. Bruce left in mid-season to become manager of Premier League rivals Wigan Athletic. His successor, Alex McLeish, was unable to stave off relegation, but achieved promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt. In 2011, a second victory in the League Cup secured qualification for the Europa League. With relegation back to the second tier, McLeish resigned in June 2011 to join Aston Villa. Successor Chris Hughton narrowly failed to reach the knockout rounds of the Europa League and the play-off final before, with the club in financial turmoil and under a transfer embargo, leaving for Norwich City in June 2012. He was replaced by Lee Clark.
Under Lee Clark, Birmingham twice retained their divisional status, albeit through a 93rd-minute goal in the last match of 2013–14 to avoid relegation on goal difference. After a continuation of the poor form from the previous season, Clark was sacked in October 2014, to be replaced by Burton Albion manager and former Birmingham player Gary Rowett.
One To Watch – Darren Randolph
Randolph: clearly enjoying his football!
One player to have caught the eye in Ipswich’s last two trips to St. Andrew’s has been goalkeeper Darren Randolph.
The Republic of Ireland international, who still harbours ambitions of representing the U.S.A. through his father, put in a particularly memorable performance at the beginning of last season, making save after impressive save to earn a point for his team in a game dominated by Town. That display helped establish Randolph as Birmingham’s No. 1 following his arrival from Motherwell the previous month. He went on to be an ever-present in the Blues’ successful battle against relegation. Now 27, the ‘keeper had enjoyed plenty of success at Fir Park, reaching the 2011 Scottish Cup final and claiming the club’s highest number of clean sheets, a record that he took from Norwich’s finest, John Ruddy. Randolph started out at Charlton and has also taken in loan spells with the likes of Accrington, Gillingham, Bury and Hereford. But it has been at St. Andrew’s that he has really made a name for himself and surely that first competitive international cap can’t be too far away, whether for Ireland or the U.S.A..
The Gaffer – Gary Rowett
As a player, he was a defender. He started his career at Cambridge United, a product of their youth system, before earning a move to the Premiership with Everton in March 1994 for £200,000. After failing to break into the first team, Rowett went on loan to Blackpool before being sold to Derby County in part-exchange for Craig Short.
Rowett spent three seasons at Derby, followed by a two-year spell with Birmingham City, where he helped the club reach the play-offs, and also played for Leicester City and Charlton Athletic. A persistent knee injury put an end to his career in the Football League, though he did play for Burton Albion before retiring.
In May 2009, Rowett was named as assistant to newly appointed manager Paul Peschisolido at Burton Albion. Rowett was put in temporary charge of Burton, assisted by Kevin Poole, following Peschisolido's sacking in March 2012. On 10 May, Rowett was announced as the permanent manager of Burton Albion. In his first season, he led Burton to fourth place in League Two, losing in the play-off semi-final to Bradford City, and followed up with a sixth-place finish in 2013–14 and a defeat to Fleetwood in the play-off final.
In September 2014, with Burton near the top of League Two, Rowett rejected the opportunity to manage Championship strugglers Blackpool; he said he felt it was not the right job for him at the present time.
On 27 October, he was appointed manager of his former club, Birmingham City, one place above Blackpool at the bottom of the Championship table. He was joined at Birmingham by Burton backroom staff members Kevin Summerfield as assistant manager, Mark Sale as first-team coach and Poole as goalkeeping coach. All three are also former Birmingham City players.
Past Match - Video Highlights - Trev
Media Watch - K L Blue
Mick's comments from the club's website after the Reading match
Mick says Blues need to mix tempo with patience after his side are shut out by Royals
Mick McCarthy said Town have got to be patient when looking to break teams down after watching side frustrated by a resolute Reading.
Jamie Mackie’s 14th minute strike gave the Royals a 1-0 win at Portman Road, with Blues missing out on the chance to go into the automatic promotion places.
“We started well and had a couple of chances but we got caught out for their goal,” the Town boss told the Club website.
“It was a good strike but I’m not sure he should have been scoring from there. We didn’t close him down quickly enough.
“We had chances to have gone level and I fancied us to do that but they’ve got good players and they defended well. We didn't play that well, but we didn't play badly either. They scored and we didn't, that was the difference.
“We need to be patient though. I said that at half-time. Yes play with a tempo, but be patient. If we have to go backwards to go forwards, then do so. I know the supporters have got a sight of the Premier League and can get frustrated if we do that but you have to deal with that.
“Teams are going to come here and look to make it difficult for us. Get people behind the ball. You have to be patient and move the ball around to create that chance.
Stat Time
Head to Head
Ipswich Town Wins................31.....(45.59%)
Birmingham Wins..................23.....(33.82%)
Draws...............................14.....(20.59%)
Ipswich Town Goals...............101 (ave. 1.49 per match)
Birmingham Goals.................82 (ave. 1.19 per match)
Head to Head at Ipswich
Ipswich Town Wins................23.....(67.65%)
Birmingham Wins...................9.....(26.47%)
Draws.................................2.....(5.88%)
Ipswich Town Goals................66 (ave. 1.94 per match)
Birmingham Goals..................34 (ave. 1.00 per match)
The Predicted Teams
Ipswich Town
Time for a few changes ahead of the local derby?
01 Gerken
02 Parr
04 Chambers
06 Berra
03 Mings
27 Bishop
08 Skuse
17 Bru
07 Stewart
15 Varney
09 Murphy
Birmingham City
This is the side that took the field against Brighton in the weekend
01 Randolph
31 Caddis
23 Spector
04 Robinson
03 Grounds
08 Gleeson
15 Kiernan
33 Gray
22 Shinnie
40 Dyer
09 Donaldson
Match Referee – Lee Probert
Final Thought - Frosty
The weekend proved just how annoying the ‘Royals’ can be, and for that matter the Reading result pissed me off as well.
Still need to get straight back on the old horse and welcome the Brum to Tractor Boy land.
Birmingham are quite frankly in disarray, to compound matters the company that owns Birmingham FC went into receivership last week, whether this results in a points deduction at the end of the season remains to be seen. In many respects we are blessed having an owner that is apparently committed to our club, it’s a miracle what Gary Rowlett (Brum Manager) has achieved since he has taken the helm when you see how divided the Board of the club is courtesy of Mr Carson Yeung.
As I think Mike alluded to in another thread, Birmingham’s recent form hasn’t been great, last weekend saw them lose away to the Seagulls 4-3, prior to this were 1-1 draws against Boro and Fulham with 1-0 loss at home to Milwall in between.
Not too many eye catching match up’s this week between our title chasing rivals, perhaps the most interesting is the clash between Forest and Bournemouth on Wednesday. Elsewhere, the opposition we face on Sunday is away to Blackburn, Brentford host Blackpool, Derby at home to Charlton, the Millers travel to Watford and Middlesbrough welcome Bolton to the Riverside.
Chin up everyone ….. who wouldn’t have been happy with our current position on the table at the start of the season?
Have a great night on Tuesday as we gain another 3 points on our way to glory! COYB
IPSWICH TOWN 2 BIRMINGHAM CITY 0
My own view is that we need to still be patient - even though we have been patient for years. We would all have been delighted to take this position in August so lets not get downhearted, no matter how frustrating it may be. Like most Championship teams, we are a match for anyone on our day - it is just consistency that is the issue. That could also be said of any other team in this league, bar none. So... keep the faith and as for the budgie game on Sunday - if the right Town turn up, we will do ourselves justice. If not, lets just enjoy the day, sing our hearts out and be happy that we have a team who is still in contention with 15 games to go. There is still a long long way and many twists and turns to occur.
