Ipswich Town v Birmingham City
Friday September 18th 2015 – 19:45
Portman Road
Opening Thought – Jamma
So, who feels better after that, then? Thought so!
The omens weren’t looking good for our trip to Elland Road, a ground where we hadn’t enjoyed the best recent record. Town had followed up their excellent start with two defeats on the bounce, with an aggregate score of 8-3, while Leeds were unbeaten in the league and coming off the back of an impressive haul of 4 points against Derby and Brentford. Add to the mix the fate-tempting statistic that our opponents had not won at home since our last visit back in March and the stage was seemingly set for another difficult night. But, almost as predictably, the Blues went back to basics and defended superbly…to secure only their second clean sheet in 18 attempts! If Mick hadn’t been just as hurt by Friday night’s debacle as the rest of us, I would almost be tempted to suggest that it had been a deliberate ploy on his part. Maybe he had sent the team out to play the expansive football that we were all clamouring for, just so that he could then set it against a typically gritty, resolute, belligerent ‘Mick McCarthy’ performance! Whatever the thinking behind it, it certainly did the trick, as we claimed a vital, confidence-boosting 3 points.In the same way as I was saying how quickly the games come around in the Championship, so the landscape can change just as rapidly. Having slipped down to mid-table after the back-to-back losses, the 3 points picked up at Elland Road sent us soaring back into the top 6. Sky will be as happy as the two sets of supporters ahead of Town’s televised meeting with Birmingham on Friday, with the sides lying in 5th and 7th in the league respectively. This sets the clash up nicely: a home victory will send us up to 2nd, while a win for the visitors will see them leapfrog us into the play-offs (I won’t mention the fact that a 5-1 win for ‘the other Blues’ will be enough to put them in the top two!
There was understandable despondency around the Reading match in particular but the position we find ourselves in should help lend some perspective, even at this early stage of the season. McCarthy didn’t quite go as far as to admit that he would have taken 3 points from these two tough away games but you got the impression he wasn’t exactly disappointed in his post-match interview at Leeds. If we can get our home form back on track with a win on Friday night, we will be on 16 points from our opening 8 matches, the 2-points-a-game average which is needed for automatic promotion. What better time or place to lay the Sky hoodoo to rest than under lights at Portman Road?!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 semi-finals 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 they were confirmed 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 semi-final 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.
Last season, under Rowett’s guidance, Birmingham finished in 10th place with 63 points
One To Watch – Stephen Gleeson
Birmingham are staking a strong claim to be this season’s surprise package in the Championship, with 3 wins and 2 draws from their opening 6 games seeing them on the fringes of the play-off zone with a game in hand. Like last week’s opponents Reading, the Blues’ fortunes have turned around under a new manager, as Gary Rowett has overseen a dramatic upturn in their results. This has largely been achieved by the same players who were involved last season, including key midfielder Stephen Gleeson.
Gleeson signed from MK Dons in the summer of 2014, having spent 6 years in Buckinghamshire. The Dubliner moved across the Irish Sea as a youngster and started out at Blues’ West Midland rivals Wolves. He earnt a 3-year professional contract in 2006 but struggled to break into the First Team as Mick McCarthy’s side won promotion to the Premier League. Having furthered his footballing education with loan spells at Stockport, Hereford and the Dons, he finally moved to Stadium MK on a permanent basis in July 2009. After becoming an integral member of the team which consistently challenged in League 1, Gleeson made the step up to the Championship last summer. By no means prolific for a midfielder, the 27-year-old keeps things ticking over in Birmingham’s midfield, turning defence into attack with his eye for a pass. He seems to have found his goal touch in the early stages of 2015/16, though, netting 2 strikes in 5 league matches, including, almost inevitably, against his former club before the international break.
The Manager – 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, who he helped 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.
In his first season in charge, Birmingham finished in a respectable 10th place on the Championship ladder.
Past Match - Video Highlights - Trev
Action from the last time Birmingham came to Portman Road, an entertaining 4-2 win for Town back in February.
Trev's Trivia
Players to play for both teams:
Paul Cooper ITFC 1974-1987 BCFC 1971-1974
Jamie Clapham ITFC 1998-2003 BCFC 2003-2006
Darren Ambrose ITFC 2001-2003 BCFC 2012-2014
Alex Bruce ITFC 2006-2010 BCFC 2005-2006
Media Watch – K L Blue
Mick McCarthy’s reaction on a big result back in his native Yorkshire:
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/li ... n/339610/-
And, as there still seem to be supporters out there who are intent on being fleeced further by the club, the following article should dispel any lingering hopes of the orange ‘third kit’ becoming available to purchase. I’d have thought that demand had probably plummeted since its first outing last week anyway…
http://www.football-shirts.co.uk/fans/e ... sued_34801
Stat Time
Head to Head
Ipswich Town Wins................32.....(46.38%)
Birmingham Wins..................23.....(33.33%)
Draws...............................14.....(20.29%)
Ipswich Town Goals...............105 (ave. 1.52 per match)
Birmingham Goals.................84 (ave. 1.22 per match)
Head to Head at Ipswich
Ipswich Town Wins................24.....(68.57%)
Birmingham Wins...................9.....(25.71%)
Draws.................................2.....(5.71%)
Ipswich Town Goals................70 (ave. 2.00 per match)
Birmingham Goals..................36 (ave. 1.03 per match)
The Predicted Teams
Ipswich Town
If Mick didn’t see the need to make widespread changes after the capitulation at the Madejski, surely he won’t change a winning side… will he? If Cole Skuse doesn’t recover from a twisted knee in time, Giles Coke, Kevin Bru and Teddy Bishop will be competing for a start.
1 Dean Gerken
4 Luke Chambers
5 Tommy Smith
6 Christophe Berra
3 Jonas Knudsen
7 Ainsley Maitland-Niles
17 Kevin Bru
22 Jonathan Douglas
14 Ryan Fraser
9 Daryl Murphy
10 David McGoldrick
Birmingham City
Gary Rowett is likely to have more to ponder with his selection, after Birmingham suffered their first league defeat – and first goalless 90 minutes – of the season against Nottingham Forest in the week.
29 Tomas Kuszczak
31 Paul Caddis
28 Michael Morrison
23 Jonathan Spector
3 Jonathan Grounds
7 Demarai Gray
22 Andrew Shinnie
8 Stephen Gleeson
20 Jon Toral
19 Jacques Maghoma
9 Clayton Donaldson
Marko’s Caption Contest
Due to the reason that I will be out of internet coverage in the coming week, I will score both Reading and Brum together and the results will be in the Bristol City preview.
cheers Marko
Here, have a go at this heart-warming picture:
Match Referee – Keith Stroud
Final Thought - Frosty
So just like last week we have a game on Friday night, live on telly …… on paper this is a really distressing thought.
However, as I said in the Leeds preview, if the side could bounce back from the mauling they received at the hands of the Royals then it would speak a huge amount about the side’s resilience and character. I think the win on Tuesday against a useful side, the clean sheet and the fact that it was the first win away at Leeds in 10 years means that both the lads and, to a lesser extent, MM answered some of the (justifiable?) criticism.
The Brum slipped at home up against Forest on Tuesday night, but like us have had a good start to the season. Recent wins over Bristol City and the MK Dons, preceded by draws against Derby and Burnley. Currently they sit in 7th place on the Championship table.
We have an excellent record against Birmingham at home and they haven’t had a win over us for 8 fixtures now either home or away. In our last 7 outings against this club we have managed 3 wins and drawn 4.
A couple of other fixtures this round worth keeping an eye on that could determine where we sit on the table after the weekend. Forest are at home to Middlesbrough, the two relegated sides Hull and QPR square off at the KC Stadium, Wolves could do us a favour and stop the high-flying Seagulls, whilst, on Monday, Burnley pay a visit to Derby.
If you are going to PR on Friday night, what a great way to start your weekend. With any luck, I too will see the game while eating my toast on Saturday morning as opposed to giving it to my dog after losing my appetite last weekend.
COYB!
IPSWICH TOWN 2 BIRMINGHAM CITY 1
