A bizarre season ended in a fittingly bizarre way for Birmingham City, with a 93rd minute header from 5'7 Paul Caddis to keep the club in the Championship. Though Blues will be disappointed to have been in that position, the relief at full time was almost worth it. That goal was more significant than it seemed on the surface; to those not clued in with goings on, it seemed like we just stopped up. However, that goal could save Birmingham City as we know it. With consortiums supposedly interested in buying, staying in the Championship might be absolutely vital to the sale, which may just preserve the long term future of the club.
The season started shakily but encouragingly, with a close-fought 1-0 loss to Watford, who were deemed to be a team who would be near the top of the league. This was encouraging as we expected to get hammered. Clark started the season playing a 3-5-2 system, which defensively was quite sound, conceding just 2 goals in the first 3 league games. We weren't scoring too many, but this may have been down to a number of new players trying to find their feet.
Shinnie hadn't hit the ground running and Novak was looking very unimpressive up front. Eardley started poorly, but after five league games his season was over. Luckily, Blues had Paul Caddis to fill in at right wing back. Dan Burn was one of the more successful recruitments, looking composed and strong at the heart of the Blues defence. Adeyemi was improving with every game and looked to be a key part of Blues' team.
Jesse Lingard joined on loan, with an instant impact. Days after joining, Lingard smashed home a four-goal haul, grabbing three within half an hour, with a lot of credit going to Roger Johnson. He couldn't quite keep up that scoring record, though he did grab one more goal before his loan was prematurely ended, helping Blues to a 4-0 victory against fellow strugglers Millwall. That, unfortunately, was Blues' last home victory of the season. David Murphy grabbed two goals in that game, but his season was cut short by injury, before he had to cut his career short.
Though the players were finally starting to adjust, the 3-5-2/3-4-3 system was bombed out in favour of a more orthodox 4-2-3-1, which some fans were crying out for. I was more for 3 at the back, but clearly the players were more suited to a four at the back system. Blues went 10 games unbeaten, including 4 away wins. Lee Novak was reveling in his new wide role, grabbing a brace away to Blackburn and scoring one of the goals of the season.
The cups were a fun distraction. An incredible game finished 4-4 AET against Premier League Stoke City, even with 10 men. Penalties didn't go as well as the rest of the game, but there was still the FA Cup. Blues eased past Bristol Rovers (who have plenty of problems themselves) then were drawn to Swansea in the cup. Everything looked to be going well until a man worth more than the entire Blues team, Wilfried Bony, decided that enough was enough.
Blues had problems, though. Loan players were leaving and their replacements weren't quite clicking. Burn, Lingard and Bartley returned, with Thorpe, Blackett, Macheda, Huws and Rusnak coming in. Clark used an inordinate amount of players, with an incredible 21 loan players involved. However, this seemed to be the downfall. A constant changing of systems and players left the team with no consistency and no identity. Fortunately, two of those January loan signings really paid off.
Federico Macheda was hardly prolific at his other clubs smashed home 10 goals in his short spell at Blues. It's puzzling that he couldn't score many goals elsewhere, as he looked a proper striker. Pace, power and a deadly eye for goal; let's hope we can keep him.
Emyr Huws was absolutely superb in his few months at Blues. There's no way that he'll be at a Championship club next year; he should be at a Premier League team. He bossed the midfield with his strength, composure and range of passing. He showed that he has wonderful technique, with some lovely deliveries from set-pieces and some incredible goals, not least the wonderstrike against Middlesbrough.
Blues' home woes continued, but this time the away form was struggling too. Though we looked safe with 5 games to go, we still needed a point or three to make sure. Despite Huws' goal against Middlesbrough, Blues succumbed to a 3-1 loss against 9 men, somehow. Former Blues loanee Matt Derbyshire put Blues' survival chances in doubt, as Blues crashed to a 1-0 loss against a struggling Forest.
It looked to be written in the stars. Thoughts of the end of the 10/11 season under McLeish crossed all Blues fans' minds. A bizarre team selection from Clark screwed us over against Blackburn and at 0-4 Blues' fate looked all but sealed. Not even a late rally could rescue a point. It boiled down to the last day.
Even after Robinson's tough words to the loanees, they showed immense fight and passion for the club which they have no real affiliation to. Macheda, Huws and Ibe were superb and showed that they really do care. Ibe changed the game against Bolton, but Blues found themselves 2-0 down with 13 minutes left.
Up stepped the big game man. Nikola Zigic did what he does best - inspire Blues to the result they need in a big game. Hancox found the big man in the box with a delicious cross, and Zigic nodded home for 2-1. Doncaster were losing to Leicester, so only a point was needed. The Blues fans believed. Neil Danns did his best for the cause, spooning a great chance miles over the bar.
6 minutes added on. Time was running out. A long ball was launched forward, landing at the feet of Jordon Ibe. He made a yard before shooting, but it looped into the air off a defender. Zigic was there to surely head in the equaliser, but Tim Ream did superbly to head off the line. Luckily, his keeper tripped him as he tried to block the second header. Luckily, Caddis was there to score his first and probably his only headed goal of his career, but what a time to get it.
Blues survived.
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