COLUMNIST KEN BUCKLEY

From my seat: Birmingham City (FA Cup)

By Ken Buckley :  23/01/2010 :  Comments (19) :

Euphoria and purring for two weeks then depression and grouchiness on the third week as we blow another route into Europe and two great days at Wembley due to a wretched first half display that saw the Blues believing their own hype and neglecting to win the battle first. The same team that looked so promising against City looked lacklustre and after the recent 1-1 against today’s opponents it seemed that McLeish had learned more than Moyes regarding the necessary ingredients, one being consistancy. The rapturous cheers that welcomed Arteta on his return via the bench were to be the only cheers of merit in that awful first half.

From the off Brum looked intent on closing us down in all the important areas and were willing to run and work to make breakaways that always had players in support. Only seven minutes in and the first breakaway saw a good move, that should have been ended by Baines, reach the head of the forward with the name ‘Benitez’ to put us one down. Surely now we must up our game but nothing tangible was forthcoming as although we had possession in our favour anything threatening was negligible. The visitors midfield especially Bowyer, Ferguson and Larsson ruled and if anything a second for the visitors looked the likelier.

With Bilyaletdinov and Donovan looking like they were still in the dressing room we capitalised on our greater possession with no more than long range efforts, one from Pienaar that had it been on target may have at least worked the keeper. Anxiously looking at the clock I was hoping we could go in just a goal down and let the manager have his rant and remind the players that the cup has to be fought for.

However from a free-kick for us in a dangerous position on the right which was taken by Baines who put in a trademark ‘hit the first man’ and allowed Brum to break and a flowing move that attacked the area Baines had left saw Larsson feed Ferguson who stepped over the ball and received the return from our old boy Faddy and calmly slotted past Howard. 2-0 down and my only consolation was the Spurs recovery but even that didn’t look likely as the boys were booed off at the break. That doesn’t help but you could understand the frustration.

The half time chat was solely concerned with how we could change it, who should come on for whom, could we turn it around? This was odd after the same players had outplayed City.

We got our answer Osman for Bilyaletdinov going centre mid and Pienaar resuming his wide left role. Yet it was the visitors who almost put the game to bed when that man Benitez was put through and but for a weak finish that allowed Howard to gather at his feet it would have been good-night. Osman started to make a difference and good play saw a Baines cross find the head of Donovan but his effort was neither on goal nor to a teammate.

Then with over half an hour to go Baines found Pienaar who went passed a player and found Osman on the edge of the box, he sized it up and curled beyond the keeper for an excellent finish. Now the volume turned up, could we salvage it? Well we gave it a good go but Birmingham stayed resolute and anything for us was going to have to be worked for.

We had chances but that all important iciness in front of goal was missing as Saha missed two presentable chances from near the penalty spot, Fellaini had one goal bound effort blocked by a diving defender and then referee Webb waved away a good shout for a pen for a tug and trip on Saha. Saha then decided it was not his day and asked to come off and trouped straight down the tunnel to be replaced by Vaughan who was soon putting himself about but it was all huff and puff and maybe’s.

With ten left the mercurial Mickey was introduced to wild applause and such is the wonders of sports injury science was an influence that made you wonder ‘What bad injury’? . We saw Fellaini shoot too close to Hart after he had made all the running himself then Vaughan have an acrobatic volley just miss and near the death Fellaini beat Hart with a shot across him to bring the groan of the game as it shaved the far post. Four mins of time added on brought nothing and at the whistle the ground as a whole was quiet as it reflected on our exit from this year’s FA Cup with little more than token resistance.

Overall I thought Birmingham deserved their win for it was they who took on the ‘Up for the cup’ mantle while we merely fiddled whilst Goodison burned. Today I thought we had players in Donovan and Bilyaletdinov who had little comprehension of domestic cup battles coupled with the site of Faddy routinely winning headers against Distin which might explain the loan of Senderos.

Many criticise Osman yet he was an influence that others could not match. Hibbert is often lampooned but this season I think his detractors have got the wrong full-back as Baines is an obvious weak link and teams have been quick to spot this. MotM was undoubtedly Ferguson but for the Blues Osman Fellaini Cahill and Heitinga looked the only cup battlers we had. The return of Arteta showed how much we miss him and we can only hope he has an injury free time.

We can now only move on and look for a high finish and some success in the Europa league. Cup-ties are always like this as it’s on the day that matters and today we failed to meet the demand but I believe we have a squad that if it can find consistency and not believe its own hype after just a few good performances then we can have a good second half to the season.

Sunderland on Wednesday and I hope we have learned that teams just don’t lie down at Goodison, we have to win the battle and earn the right to strut our stuff. See you there.

UP THE BLUES

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