BFTM - Brum Away 8 Aug 2015

[Pepe the Horseman]

Who was arguing over the pen? Didn't that happen last season with Murray missing?

[percy_freeman]

To be honest, did you expect anything more. First half we ruled the game and got caught by a sucker punch, scond half we upped it a tad, don't know where that second came from. We have not got a goal scorer. It's going to be a long season lads......

[paultheroyal]

To be honest, did you expect anything more. First half we ruled the game and got caught by a sucker punch, scond half we upped it a tad, don't know where that second came from. We have not got a goal scorer. It's going to be a long season lads......

Hope so. 46 games and a cup run. Take that all day long.

[Hoop Blah]

Gutted we didn't get something from the game of course but, from everything I've read and heard about the game, we played pretty well and should've got at least a point.

Some concerns hang around about around inability to turn performances into goals and points of course but I'm a strong believer that results follow performances over the long term so I'm pretty pleased with that as a start to the season.

[taipairoyal]

To be honest, did you expect anything more. First half we ruled the game and got caught by a sucker punch, scond half we upped it a tad, don't know where that second came from. We have not got a goal scorer. It's going to be a long season lads......

Said we should have considered Cureton, still banging in the goals.

[Royal Rother]

[gazzer, loyal royal]

First half was a bit nervous, we kept the ball well but didn't really have any cut in the final third, looked very narrow with Quinn and Williams wide with Sa showing some nice touches and linked ok with Blackman. Norwood hit the bar with a free kick and then put another one just over, although I thought the red should have booked both their centre midfielders for cynical tackles, the Tshibola got booked for the same foul a few minutes later. Birminghams first goal is a stupid foul from Mcshane as Donaldson is back to goal, no need to try and win the ball in that situation, and the free kick takes a deflection off the wall and in.
Second half, silly mistake from hector and a goad cross and header for their second, though mcshane got caught under the ball a little. We then hit the bar again with a good set price which saw mcshane come from a cross field ball late from a set piece.
Goal came from the first time Gunter overlapped and a good cross from a save and Blackman finished well. I thought at the time the Tshibola goal was in, it just looked in but our players didn't really complain so I thought it hadn't gone in. I have a bad hip so left early for the penalty so I will have to say that. All in all if we play like that all season we should be fine, and may challenge. We are crying out for wide men to take full backs on.

News signings looked good. McShane looked composed and was excellent position ally. Quinn was busy but not with a lot of quality and Sa showed good touches.

[kwik-silva]

Put up my thoughts here

In summary - first half fairly poor going forward, second half (after the 47th minute) brilliant. Should have won.

[Pandoras Box]

Didn't Gunter set up our goal with one of those crosses?

Yes, you are completely correct Pepe.
But what's that saying?
'One swallow doth not a Summer make'.

[Man Friday]

I thought I was a craggy moaning old fart but there was a bloke behind me who made me seem positively positive! Never said anything but criticism of the Reading players. Never heard him praise a player, or a pass, a save, a tackle, or indeed anything that Reading did. Unbelievable. Great material for a situation comedy. This bloke would have you cutting your wrists by the end of the day if you had to live or work with him.

[percy_freeman]

Could of been Unbelievable Jeff...... I would also like to add that I am so glad that I now have the set of Birmingham grounds under my belt and never have to go there again. I usually cringe when people sing the song about places being Sh** Holes but it must of been originally written about Birmingham.

[Royal Rother]

It's difficult to get past the accent of course but Birmingham actually has some superb areas.

[MoorgateRoyal]

It's disappointing not to get the result it sounds like we deserved.

But, we had lots of chances and hit the woodwork a few times, plus missing a penalty- it would be a lot more worrying if we hadn't created anything. So, although a defeat is never good, at least this one came with a good performance and some dominance.

I'm also pleased for Tshibola- he has a lot of quality and seemingly has the physicality as well. He was unlucky not to score (or to not have a goal allowed) and I think he could be a real asset this year.

[Will95]

Thought we dominated the game tbh, should have won, terrible penalty and cheated out of a goal that definitely was.

[madreadingfan]

Do not know how we didn't come away with at least a point let alone all 3!

Impressed with Sa and Tish. Obita and Hector didn't have the best of games and I think Jonny Bond's kicking is poor.

Atmosphere went in and out of spells but overall good (especially for us). Also, liked there was a variety of different songs other than the standard shit we here every game. Hope we keep it up for the rest of the season. I especially liked Tishibola's new song!

[CountryRoyal]

Very frustrating.

Overall it was a pretty good performance, let down by conceding extremely soft goals. We did our usual of dominating without creating too much, then conceding against the run of play. First looked a softish free kick however even from where it was should have had to have been a pretty good effort to beat bond. No one in the wall knew what they were doing, they were moving all over the place and I don't think at any stage were completely side by side. I think it was tish who it deflected off, straight through the middle. Bond no chance but felt he should have been shouting and trying to organise them.

Don't know what Clarke said to them at half time but the players were completely vacant. Didn't put any pressure on them, free cross into the box, free header. 2-0. Took a while to get back into the game but we started to threaten and eventually Blackman got a well deserved goal - really good performance from him. We asserted a decent amount of pressure but really should have made it more but for a combination of bad luck and bad finishing, tish and mcshane both hitting the crossbar - the formers definitely looking like it crossed the line. Penalty was a joke. Don't get me started. Just oxf*rd hit it!

Ratings:

Bond 7 - no chance at saving either, collected crosses well

Gunter 6 - thought it was an improved performance from Gunter, but made no challenge to stop the cross for their second

McShane 8 - ditto, won most things, at times a bit naive to Donaldson's tactics, but no blame here, he was pretty good at it.

Hector 6 - standard hector, some really good things, a few rubbish

Obita 7 - solid

Tshbola 8 - really good, confident, mature performance

Norwood 7 - better from him, nice to see some passion and urgency from him

Williams 8 - good performance all round just needs to hit the target more with his shots

Quinn 8 - fantastic energy, with decent technical ability as well

Blackman 8 - best I've seen him play, goal really gave him so much confidence, one or twice made the wrong decision and dilly daddled on the ball but overall a great improvement

Sa 6 - linked up well at times but very frustrating, far too often just tried to back into his man and not win the ball, inevitably falling over. Mixed feelings about the penalty. Good to see he had the confidence to step up but absolutely awful strike and should be ashamed of walking off by himself at the end of the game without applauding the fans.

Subs:

HRK 0 - tbf slightly unlucky with one or two decisions that went against him, but was only involved in one or two things, and therefore did nothing

Samuel 5 - tried hard

Cox 5 - won the penalty which he then missed the rebound from 2 yards

MOTM: crossbar

Ref: 0 truly awful.

It's important we don't let our heads drop after that last minute disappointment. We were playing a lot of confidence at times and it was refreshing to see. Same team against Colchester to try and get back on track please.

[sandman]

Sa 6 - linked up well at times but very frustrating, far too often just tried to back into his man and not win the ball, inevitably falling over. Mixed feelings about the penalty. Good to see he had the confidence to step up but absolutely awful strike and should be ashamed of walking off by himself at the end of the game without applauding the fans.

No he shouldn't.

[Jagermesiter1871]

Do not know how we didn't come away with at least a point let alone all 3!

Impressed with Sa and Tish. Obita and Hector didn't have the best of games and I think Jonny Bond's kicking is poor.

Atmosphere went in and out of spells but overall good (especially for us). Also, liked there was a variety of different songs other than the standard shit we here every game. Hope we keep it up for the rest of the season. I especially liked Tishibola's new song!

Am I the only one who was disappointed with the Brum support? Admittedly I haven't been for a couple of years but I've been there numerous occasions and always thought they were loud. Thought yesterday they were really poor with an embarrassing 20 odd near to the away fans offering the only real audible support. Not sure if it has anything to do with the lack of fans that used to be next to the away support (including 'baldy').

[Drew_3]

Do not know how we didn't come away with at least a point let alone all 3!

Impressed with Sa and Tish. Obita and Hector didn't have the best of games and I think Jonny Bond's kicking is poor.

Atmosphere went in and out of spells but overall good (especially for us). Also, liked there was a variety of different songs other than the standard shit we here every game. Hope we keep it up for the rest of the season. I especially liked Tishibola's new song!

Is this the one to the tune of gold that Hartlepool fans started for him last year?

[CountryRoyal]

Sa 6 - linked up well at times but very frustrating, far too often just tried to back into his man and not win the ball, inevitably falling over. Mixed feelings about the penalty. Good to see he had the confidence to step up but absolutely awful strike and should be ashamed of walking off by himself at the end of the game without applauding the fans.

No he shouldn't.

I can't imagine Steve Clarke forgot to mention that's the done thing, in which he therefore completely disregarded it the first time he didn't get his own way (after he did)