Blues v Huddersfield Town - **Match Thread**

[bluenosekev]

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Can we beat The Terriers at home this Saturday?

Wont be easy, just two weeks ago Huddersfield were flying in the Championship, a couple of recent defeats leave them still riding high in eighth position.

One thing is for sure we cant play any worse than we did in our last home game, we cant can we ?

Well I got no confidence in Lee Clark so therefore am predicting a home defeat which should push our poor excuse of a football manager closer to the exit door. The defeat wont be a bad thing if it means LC is put on his bike next week.

By the way some of us are meeting in The Anchor in Digbeth from about 1.30pm for a beer or three anyone who wishes to join us will be most welcome.

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Blues 1. Huddersfield 3.

What say you?


kro

[evergreen blue]

See you for a beer, Kev. 2-1 Blues.

[bluenosekev]

TEAM NEWS

Birmingham manager Lee Clark could put out an unchanged side for the meeting with former employers Huddersfield.

Right-back Will Packwood has shaken off a back injury that saw him substituted against Cardiff in midweek.

Jermaine Beckford could start for Huddersfield having missed Tuesday's defeat by his parent club Leicester.

Fellow loanees James Vaughan (groin) and Adam Hamill (knee) could also return, while Joel Lynch is back after completing a three-match ban.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

• This is the 100th competitive meeting between these clubs, since they first clashed in 1910.

• Birmingham have won five and drawn four of their last nine second-level league meetings, including doing the double in the most recent games in 2000/01.

• The Terriers last took away maximum points from St Andrews in November 1990, in the old Third Division.

Birmingham City

• Birmingham have won every other of their last six Championship games, and are due a win for that pattern to continue.

• The shock 5-0 loss to Barnsley in their last game at St Andrews was their first home league defeat of the season and equals the total suffered in the whole of last season's Championship campaign.

• They have won fewer corners in the current Championship season than any other club (23).

Huddersfield Town

• Simon Grayson's team are aiming to avoid three successive league defeats.

• Tuesday's 2-0 home defeat by Leicester was only the second occasion the West Yorkshire club had failed to score in the league.

• No club has conceded more corners in the Championship this season than the Terriers (71).

[lowdham bluenose]

What time are you in the Wellington Kev?

[bluenosekev]

What time are you in the Wellington Kev?

Should be there before 12.30


kro

[lowdham bluenose]

What time are you in the Wellington Kev?

Should be there before 12.30


kro

nice one. Choose your beer off the website, text me which one and I'll get in for you.

[lowdham bluenose]

See you for a beer, Kev. 2-1 Blues.

see you in the Anchor Trev.

[lindis]

What time are you in the Wellington Kev?

Should be there before 12.30


kro

Wish I could join you, great pub the Wellington.

Only managed half of the beers on the screen

[evergreen blue]

Yes Lowdham. See you in the Anchor about 1.30ish.

[hootie63]

Ashame i wont be joining you guys but i will hold the fort here with the other members who cant make it to cheer on the Boys In Blue.
I'am expecting a few goals today with Blues just edging it that's a big reason why i didn't want to miss this one pretty sure Lee Clark will want this more than any before so is sure to have the team up for it.

[lowdham bluenose]

Hootie - now in the Old Joint Stock. Kev's been telling some Huddersfield fand what an arsehole Lee Clark is. All the Huddwrsfield fans agreed with him......and so do I.

CLARK OUT

[hootie63]

Tell them they have wasted their time and money Big win for blues Today

[hootie63]

Blues starting XI V Huddersfield Town: Butland; Hurst, Caldwell, Davies, Robinson, Burke, Fahey, Spector, Elliott, Redmond; Lita.

Blues Bench: Doyle, Hancox, Mullins, Lovenkrands, Ambrose, Zigic, King.

[hootie63]

Terrible 1st half apart from long range shot that hit the post from Redmond not a lot else to shout about needs to go 442 2nd half and give them something to think about. They are just having the run of the pitch big big improvement needed 2nd.

But luckily not out of it just no collapse like v Barnsley and could get something out of this

[hootie63]

Would love to do a match report but we huffed and we puffed but the players might of won in their attempt to get Lee Clark out and to be honest so Might D'urso how is that bloke still reffing

[bluenosekev]

Just got back.

Same old rubbish, got what we deserved.

Fekk knows what happened to Lowds, 5 mins from end Lowds got involved in a row with a Blues fan. The Blues fan disagreed with Lowds shouting Clark Out throughout the second half and they squared up.

Anyow despite the loss and rubbish football was a good day out with plenty of


kro

[Guest]

Just got back.

Same old rubbish, got what we deserved.

Fekk knows what happened to Lowds, 5 mins from end Lowds got involved in a row with a Blues fan. The Blues fan disagreed with Lowds shouting Clark Out throughout the second half and they squared up.

Anyow despite the loss and rubbish football was a good day out with plenty of


kro

Never met Lowds ,but he sounds like a yobbo

[sheenablue]

Clarke Out! was hoping he would turn us around but seems he cant

[bluenosekev]

You could tell right from the first few minutes yesterday that normal service had been resumed. Right from the off we were second best.

The midfield is an absolute shambles, the full backs are very poor and our forwards have lost the plot.

Be surprised if Peter Pannu sacks Clark tho as the tight bastard wont want to pay any compensation and cant see Clark walking.

So we may be stuck with Clark, all the way into League 1.

kro

[Raters]

You could tell right from the first few minutes yesterday that normal service had been resumed. Right from the off we were second best.

The midfield is an absolute shambles, the full backs are very poor and our forwards have lost the plot.

Be surprised if Peter Pannu sacks Clark tho as the tight bastard wont want to pay any compensation and cant see Clark walking.

So we may be stuck with Clark, all the way into League 1.

kro

Not taking away from clark being shit, because he is. However, its more than just him. I see a team that freeze at home and a support base who don;t help by booing the very first wayward pass. Amongst lots of other issues affecting our club.

[Raters]

Just got back.

Same old rubbish, got what we deserved.

Fekk knows what happened to Lowds, 5 mins from end Lowds got involved in a row with a Blues fan. The Blues fan disagreed with Lowds shouting Clark Out throughout the second half and they squared up.

Anyow despite the loss and rubbish football was a good day out with plenty of


kro

he was hyper! Came and had a chat to me and my son just before the game, after we left you down stairs, started shouting Clark out. before the game!!
Thought, glad he ain;t sitting next to me!!

[Raters]

As ever, well balanced...

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T REALLY is hard to fathom just what to make of Birmingham City this season.

There have been good performances, indifferent performances and downright ugly ones.

Pet theories about the manager, players, atmosphere and injuries abound in the pubs and on social media; comparisons are made to last season.

Then there’s the ownership situation, which is debilitating and without a shadow of a doubt and the major issue that needs to be addressed.



Birmingham City v Huddersfield: Bumper picture gallery
Oct 6 2012
View
It seems whenever Blues suggest that they have got a measure of things, they then take a step backwards.

And maybe this is where the team, the club, is at now; maddeningly inconsistent fare we are going to have to get used to on the field and financially impotent off it.

Blues have also had large dollops of bad luck come their way in regards to injuries and that cursed right-back position.

Perhaps we all got caught up too much with a free hit of a season last season when Europe was a blast and no one expected much.

Blues received a standing ovation at St Andrew’s after failure in the play-offs (and Blues chugged into them, not cruised).

This season, the mood is different and new manager Lee Clark has a tougher assignment than his predecessor Chris Hughton.

We can pick holes in Clark’s decision making, selections and so forth with hindsight and many are quick to lay the blame for any ills at his door.

He is a young boss, he wears his heart on his sleeve. He is passionate and I’ve not encountered a Blues manager for years who is so aching to do well.

To say everything (ie. Blues’ league position, another home flop) is all his fault is daft and maybe convenient.

Yes, Barnsley was an abomination. But the win at Brighton & Hove Albion wasn’t. Nor the displays immediately before Barnsley, and Blues played well in long patches at Cardiff City on Tuesday.

Then this happens on Saturday and it’s back to square one again, we are all scratching our heads wondering where the faults are.

Simply put, Huddersfield were the better side in most departments.

Blues – like against Barnsley, but unlike at Brighton – were too passive at the start. And although they rallied late and showed some gumption, despite Nikola Zigic’s sending-off in the 74th minute, they had given themselves too much to do.

Whilst it was a surprise that Blues didn’t go with two up front from the off, Clark could have deployed a diamond, rectangle, or octagon and I doubt it would have made much difference initially.

Blues allowed Huddersfield to dictate and their system saw one up front, the vibrant Jermaine Beckford receiving great, sparky support from Danny Ward and James Vaughan from the flanks. Huddersfield were much more dangerous in the first half, quicker, much more decisive and abrasive.

Clark has accepted the buck and apologised to supporters this season. Afterwards on Saturday he said some pretty strong words about the players.

How about taking some responsibility, too, was the request.


“Yes, OK, I am responsible. But I can’t keep saying that. Can they start taking responsibility?

“I am getting the flak from the supporters. Right. No problem.

“But I am not sitting in the dressing room telling them not to tackle, I am not telling them to pussyfoot around. I am not telling them to misplace passes. They can’t just hide behind me all the time, they have got to come out fighting.”

Clark pointed to Brighton and Cardiff performances.

“Why is it different when you are playing in front of fantastic fans? Yes there is an expectation. No disrespect to smaller clubs, but do they want to go and play for smaller clubs where there is no expectation?


“It is frustrating. It leaves you disappointed, leaves you angry.”

Clark was not trying to deflect blame, just stir some passions, get others looking inwards as well.

Blues are not a bad side, they do not have a bad manager at the helm, they do not have bad players. But they have been too unreliable this season, they have clicked sporadically not consistently and, due to injuries primarily, continuity has been lacking. They are not bullying or nasty enough either.

But this is where they’re at, what they’ve become as others (Brighton, Cardiff, Huddersfield) are more on the rise.


Jack Butland, watched by England’s Ray Clemence, was in wonderful fettle. Nathan Redmond, who started, struck the post five minutes after Beckford’s goal with a curler.

Clark sent on Zigic for the second half and Blues had a bit more about them. But James Hurst’s withdrawal due to injury then Zigic’s red card for an ill-judged sliding tackle on Calum Wood that rapped his knees, disrupted momentum.

And then when Curtis Davies was forced off – his ankle buckled as he tried to swivel and shoot at goal close in – more readjustments were needed.

Mitch Hancox, 18, came on for his debut and can be pleased with his urgent and determined contribution in the last 10 minutes. He’s only on a six-month contract but would sweat blood for his boyhood club.

And Blues’ rearguard by now once more had an unusual look due to the injuries: Jonathan Spector, Steve Caldwell, Paul Robinson and Hancox.

Ironically, Blues tested Huddersfield’s resolve when the odds appeared stacked against them.

Leroy Lita had a goalbound shot blocked by Peter Clarke, who seemingly dived in from nowhere.

And in the fifth minute of stoppage-time Redmond stood a cross up for Wade Elliott and, six yards out, it looked certain he would equalise but Alex Smithies executed a fine acrobatic save.

i

[Raters]

You could tell right from the first few minutes yesterday that normal service had been resumed. Right from the off we were second best.

The midfield is an absolute shambles, the full backs are very poor and our forwards have lost the plot.

Be surprised if Peter Pannu sacks Clark tho as the tight bastard wont want to pay any compensation and cant see Clark walking.

So we may be stuck with Clark, all the way into League 1.

kro

Not taking away from clark being shit, because he is. However, its more than just him. I see a team that freeze at home and a support base who don;t help by booing the very first wayward pass. Amongst lots of other issues affecting our club.

Also, should add. its about time the players took some irresponsibility


Next time I see redmond in touchwood Solihull, I'm going to kick him in the shin once for every time he backs out of a tackle.

You can add him to the injury list s of Wednesday.

[bluenosekev]

Match Stats.

Possession.

Blues 40% - Huddersfield 60%

Blues shots on/off target 14 - Huddersfield 22


Them statistics make shocking reading AGAIN. Mighty fekking Huddersfield Town who had lost their previous two home games.

[lowdham bluenose]

Just got back.

Same old rubbish, got what we deserved.

Fekk knows what happened to Lowds, 5 mins from end Lowds got involved in a row with a Blues fan. The Blues fan disagreed with Lowds shouting Clark Out throughout the second half and they squared up.

Anyow despite the loss and rubbish football was a good day out with plenty of


kro

he was hyper! Came and had a chat to me and my son just before the game, after we left you down stairs, started shouting Clark out. before the game!!
Thought, glad he ain;t sitting next to me!!

CLARK OUT

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