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.
Monday, 5 May 2014
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
Disgusting.
I have tried to defend Clark for months. I've said that he has had a difficult job, relying on the 21 loanees that have come in to the club this season as well as the free transfers that we have had varying levels of success with.
However, I think it's now time for me to submit. Clark is not doing a good enough job.
Maybe this is just an overreaction to the shambles of yesterday. Or maybe, this is the perfectly acceptable reaction to not winning at home for half a year.
Yesterday was a snapshot of everything wrong with Clark's tenure. As soon as the team was announced, I knew we would lose.
I've never been so certain in a result.
The worst part is, every single Blues fan in the ground, every Blues fan who couldn't make it, every Blues fan who lives abroad, every Blues fan who has fallen out of love with football; we all knew. We knew we would lose and that it wouldn't be pretty.
But Clark was oblivious to it. His post-match interview tells us everything we need to know. He doesn't realise that his asinine meddling is nearly as cancerous to the club as Peter Pannu himself.
How can any professional manager possibly justify playing 5 players out of position? Deliberately. At the same time. Absolutely insane. The most baffling part is that we had the players to play in the right positions. But that would be too simple for Lee Clark. He has to play a right back in midfield, despite the fact that he has proven incompetent there. At least Spector couldn't play, as he's incompetent nearly everywhere anyway. But don't fret - he's likely to be fit to play on the left wing on Saturday.
He can't be much worse on the wing than Howard, who hadn't played for months. Therefore, the only logical thing to do was to play him out of position in a massive game, then take him off after 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, we went to our second left-back of the game. Callum Reilly, a young, tenacious midfielder, surprisingly enough couldn't deal with the pace and direct dribbling of Josh King. Who knew?
Luckily, Blackburn's Man-of-the-Match Tyler Blackett went over to deal with him. I'm not sure I've seen a clumsier footballer in my lifetime. His positioning is dreadful and he is entirely inept at left-back. Surprisingly enough, he couldn't handle the aerial presence of Rudy Gestede.
Fortunately, we were only 0-3 down by the time we decided to play players in the positions they know how to play. There was a marked improvement in the performance then, amazingly. The problem was that not only was the game already over, Blackburn had given up. They took off two of their most dangerous players, King and Gestede, and we took off their most dangerous player, replacing Blackett with Hancox.
Clark keeps doing this though. Reece Brown has been superb when he has played. He's now languishing in the U21's whilst Caddis runs around in midfield. Shane Ferguson comes out of nowhere to start a game, then gets subbed at half-time then he's out of the squad again. Ibe didn't make the bench - though Demarai Gray was, and he scored, so that's something.
Peter Lovenkrands' inclusion was just as stupid. His signing has been a disaster. Fans complain about Zigic and his wages (and sometimes rightfully) but Lovenkrands is easily on over £10,000 a week, but he's over 10,000 times as invisible as Zigic.
This won't change anything. I'm just telling you things you already know. That was the most moronic piece of management I've ever seen. I give up trying to defend him. This season has been a shambles. Blues are 4/1 to be relegated with certain bookmakers - as League 1 beckons, you might as well make some money out of it.
However, I think it's now time for me to submit. Clark is not doing a good enough job.
Maybe this is just an overreaction to the shambles of yesterday. Or maybe, this is the perfectly acceptable reaction to not winning at home for half a year.
Yesterday was a snapshot of everything wrong with Clark's tenure. As soon as the team was announced, I knew we would lose.
I've never been so certain in a result.
The worst part is, every single Blues fan in the ground, every Blues fan who couldn't make it, every Blues fan who lives abroad, every Blues fan who has fallen out of love with football; we all knew. We knew we would lose and that it wouldn't be pretty.
But Clark was oblivious to it. His post-match interview tells us everything we need to know. He doesn't realise that his asinine meddling is nearly as cancerous to the club as Peter Pannu himself.
How can any professional manager possibly justify playing 5 players out of position? Deliberately. At the same time. Absolutely insane. The most baffling part is that we had the players to play in the right positions. But that would be too simple for Lee Clark. He has to play a right back in midfield, despite the fact that he has proven incompetent there. At least Spector couldn't play, as he's incompetent nearly everywhere anyway. But don't fret - he's likely to be fit to play on the left wing on Saturday.
He can't be much worse on the wing than Howard, who hadn't played for months. Therefore, the only logical thing to do was to play him out of position in a massive game, then take him off after 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, we went to our second left-back of the game. Callum Reilly, a young, tenacious midfielder, surprisingly enough couldn't deal with the pace and direct dribbling of Josh King. Who knew?
Luckily, Blackburn's Man-of-the-Match Tyler Blackett went over to deal with him. I'm not sure I've seen a clumsier footballer in my lifetime. His positioning is dreadful and he is entirely inept at left-back. Surprisingly enough, he couldn't handle the aerial presence of Rudy Gestede.
Fortunately, we were only 0-3 down by the time we decided to play players in the positions they know how to play. There was a marked improvement in the performance then, amazingly. The problem was that not only was the game already over, Blackburn had given up. They took off two of their most dangerous players, King and Gestede, and we took off their most dangerous player, replacing Blackett with Hancox.
Clark keeps doing this though. Reece Brown has been superb when he has played. He's now languishing in the U21's whilst Caddis runs around in midfield. Shane Ferguson comes out of nowhere to start a game, then gets subbed at half-time then he's out of the squad again. Ibe didn't make the bench - though Demarai Gray was, and he scored, so that's something.
Peter Lovenkrands' inclusion was just as stupid. His signing has been a disaster. Fans complain about Zigic and his wages (and sometimes rightfully) but Lovenkrands is easily on over £10,000 a week, but he's over 10,000 times as invisible as Zigic.
This won't change anything. I'm just telling you things you already know. That was the most moronic piece of management I've ever seen. I give up trying to defend him. This season has been a shambles. Blues are 4/1 to be relegated with certain bookmakers - as League 1 beckons, you might as well make some money out of it.
Sunday, 30 March 2014
Blues 2 - 4 Bournemouth - A Flattering Result - Match Ratings
As a Blues fan, yesterday's game was incredibly painful to watch. We've dropped so far in 4 years - it's astounding that we were expecting to lose at home to Bournemouth, but that's where we are now. Bournemouth were 4-0 up at our ground without doing anything particularly special. We were so, so poor and deserved to lose 5 or 6-0. Federico Macheda's brace saved us from total embarrassment, though it's just paper over the cracks. We then made a change which completely ruined any momentum we may have had, killing the game.
These are my ratings for the players and reasoning. They may seem slightly harsh but we were absolutely dire bar around 20 minutes.
Randolph - 4
Spector - 2
Robbo - 4
Martin - 5
Blackett - 3
Caddis - 5
Reilly - 5
Burke - 5
Shinnie - 5
Ibe - 6
Zigic - 5
Macheda - 8
Lovenkrands - 3
Novak - 7
Randolph - Randolph has been good for us this season, but he was poor yesterday. The last few weeks he has been shaky and yesterday he gave away a needless penalty which killed the game. Admittedly, we were already 2-0 down, but he just needed to stay on his feet and Grabban would have run out of play. Diving in was needless and dropped us in it even more. He did make a few good saves later on, including one from Grabban to deny him a hat-trick, but it didn't matter.
Spector - I realise that people may disagree. I know that people will look at the 2 rating and say 'Really?'. I know it's a bit generous, but he was playing out of position so I gave him a mark for at least trying when he really isn't a right back. He was awful though. Genuinely awful. He gave the ball away consistently, was out of position a lot and didn't contribute going forward. One of the worst performances I've seen in a long time. Really, really bad.
Robbo - Robinson didn't have a great game yesterday. His lack of pace was shown by Grabban who ran him all day long. He worked hard and he made some good challenges but he wasn't helped by the complete incompetence of the full backs. He tried to lead from the back but he struggled too much.
Martin - Martin actually didn't play too badly. He was the best defender though that wasn't much of a challenge. He made a few good challenges and won a lot of headers. He didn't make too many mistakes but looked fairly uncomfortable on the ball and his distribution wasn't great.
Blackett - Tyler Blackett isn't very good. That's not an attack on him or his effort because he works hard and obviously wants to succeed, but he simply isn't a good footballer. He's clumsy and is constantly out of position - look at the first goal, where his positioning meant that the ball went over his head straight to the onrushing winger. He's fairly quick and strong and he can cross a ball quite nicely (which makes him better than Spector) but he can't really control a ball.
Caddis - Played out of position because Clark just has to make one stupid decision every week, Caddis did his best but he isn't a midfielder, plain and simple. He worked hard, tried to close down and distribute but we were terrible in midfield. It's not his fault, but Caddis was very poor in midfield. It also meant that any threat we had down the right was nullified as Spector is about as useful going forward from right back as David Murphy's hairbrush.
Reilly - Reilly works really hard and you can see that it matters to him. He's a player who never gives up, but unfortunately he isn't good enough on the ball. He'd be ok with a passing midfielder (e.g Huws) alongside him with Reilly as a destroyer, but he struggles next to a right back, unsurprisingly. He gives us energy but his positional sense isn't there yet, but he can at least improve. He wasn't bad yesterday but he didn't affect the game enough.
Burke - Burke didn't do anything of note. He was severely hampered by the fact that Spector doesn't help him going forward, but he was quite poor anyway. He should be grabbing games by the scruff of the neck and really impacting them, as he has the ability, but instead he twists and turns and hits the first man. A frustrating performance from the wideman.
Shinnie - Hauled off before he could do anything, Shinnie didn't really affect the game. He was invisible when he was on and didn't do anything that I can actually remember.
Ibe - One player who is genuinely exciting to watch at Blues is Ibe. He has blistering pace and good ball control. He's also very strong for his size. He runs at defenders which is always good to see and was easily our best player in the first half hour. He needs to work on his corners but he has potential. He played well yesterday in parts of the game but went missing, unsurprisingly, when we started capitulating.
Zigic - Zigic was unfairly booed off. He didn't play too badly; he won a few flick-ons and a couple of nice passes. He didn't really get a chance in front of goal and wasn't impressive as such, but he was nowhere near the worst player on the pitch. He gave the ball away a couple of times but so did every single one of our players.
Macheda - Easily our best player yesterday, Macheda looks like a genuine centre-forward. He holds the ball up, is mobile and can pass. He scored two good goals - the first a poacher's finish, sliding tidily home with his left foot from six yards, the second drilled into the corner from just outside the area. He worked hard, kept the ball and grabbed a brace - you can't ask for more than that.
Novak - Novak's intelligent movement created space for Macheda to exploit, which seemed like a good partnership. Admittedly Novak fouled the centre-back for the second, but the ref was so incompetent that it didn't really matter. That was up until Clark killed all the momentum we had at 4-2 when Bournemouth were bricking it by moving him into midfield and bringing Lovenkrands on (I think? I don't remember seeing him). That made us completely toothless.
Lovenkrands - As I said, I'm not sure he actually came on. It was officially announced and all but he was invisible. He added nothing and killed the game off. I gave him a 3 because he actually made us worse, though that's mostly Clark's fault.
All in all, a disappointing result and an abysmal performance. We have to improve or there is a genuine chance of relegation. As the song goes, 'there will be joys and sorrows', but this season has been more sorrow than joy. I for one am 'Tired and Weary' of it, but let's keep right on and let's stay up.
These are my ratings for the players and reasoning. They may seem slightly harsh but we were absolutely dire bar around 20 minutes.
Randolph - 4
Spector - 2
Robbo - 4
Martin - 5
Blackett - 3
Caddis - 5
Reilly - 5
Burke - 5
Shinnie - 5
Ibe - 6
Zigic - 5
Macheda - 8
Lovenkrands - 3
Novak - 7
Randolph - Randolph has been good for us this season, but he was poor yesterday. The last few weeks he has been shaky and yesterday he gave away a needless penalty which killed the game. Admittedly, we were already 2-0 down, but he just needed to stay on his feet and Grabban would have run out of play. Diving in was needless and dropped us in it even more. He did make a few good saves later on, including one from Grabban to deny him a hat-trick, but it didn't matter.
Spector - I realise that people may disagree. I know that people will look at the 2 rating and say 'Really?'. I know it's a bit generous, but he was playing out of position so I gave him a mark for at least trying when he really isn't a right back. He was awful though. Genuinely awful. He gave the ball away consistently, was out of position a lot and didn't contribute going forward. One of the worst performances I've seen in a long time. Really, really bad.
Robbo - Robinson didn't have a great game yesterday. His lack of pace was shown by Grabban who ran him all day long. He worked hard and he made some good challenges but he wasn't helped by the complete incompetence of the full backs. He tried to lead from the back but he struggled too much.
Martin - Martin actually didn't play too badly. He was the best defender though that wasn't much of a challenge. He made a few good challenges and won a lot of headers. He didn't make too many mistakes but looked fairly uncomfortable on the ball and his distribution wasn't great.
Blackett - Tyler Blackett isn't very good. That's not an attack on him or his effort because he works hard and obviously wants to succeed, but he simply isn't a good footballer. He's clumsy and is constantly out of position - look at the first goal, where his positioning meant that the ball went over his head straight to the onrushing winger. He's fairly quick and strong and he can cross a ball quite nicely (which makes him better than Spector) but he can't really control a ball.
Caddis - Played out of position because Clark just has to make one stupid decision every week, Caddis did his best but he isn't a midfielder, plain and simple. He worked hard, tried to close down and distribute but we were terrible in midfield. It's not his fault, but Caddis was very poor in midfield. It also meant that any threat we had down the right was nullified as Spector is about as useful going forward from right back as David Murphy's hairbrush.
Reilly - Reilly works really hard and you can see that it matters to him. He's a player who never gives up, but unfortunately he isn't good enough on the ball. He'd be ok with a passing midfielder (e.g Huws) alongside him with Reilly as a destroyer, but he struggles next to a right back, unsurprisingly. He gives us energy but his positional sense isn't there yet, but he can at least improve. He wasn't bad yesterday but he didn't affect the game enough.
Burke - Burke didn't do anything of note. He was severely hampered by the fact that Spector doesn't help him going forward, but he was quite poor anyway. He should be grabbing games by the scruff of the neck and really impacting them, as he has the ability, but instead he twists and turns and hits the first man. A frustrating performance from the wideman.
Shinnie - Hauled off before he could do anything, Shinnie didn't really affect the game. He was invisible when he was on and didn't do anything that I can actually remember.
Ibe - One player who is genuinely exciting to watch at Blues is Ibe. He has blistering pace and good ball control. He's also very strong for his size. He runs at defenders which is always good to see and was easily our best player in the first half hour. He needs to work on his corners but he has potential. He played well yesterday in parts of the game but went missing, unsurprisingly, when we started capitulating.
Zigic - Zigic was unfairly booed off. He didn't play too badly; he won a few flick-ons and a couple of nice passes. He didn't really get a chance in front of goal and wasn't impressive as such, but he was nowhere near the worst player on the pitch. He gave the ball away a couple of times but so did every single one of our players.
Macheda - Easily our best player yesterday, Macheda looks like a genuine centre-forward. He holds the ball up, is mobile and can pass. He scored two good goals - the first a poacher's finish, sliding tidily home with his left foot from six yards, the second drilled into the corner from just outside the area. He worked hard, kept the ball and grabbed a brace - you can't ask for more than that.
Novak - Novak's intelligent movement created space for Macheda to exploit, which seemed like a good partnership. Admittedly Novak fouled the centre-back for the second, but the ref was so incompetent that it didn't really matter. That was up until Clark killed all the momentum we had at 4-2 when Bournemouth were bricking it by moving him into midfield and bringing Lovenkrands on (I think? I don't remember seeing him). That made us completely toothless.
Lovenkrands - As I said, I'm not sure he actually came on. It was officially announced and all but he was invisible. He added nothing and killed the game off. I gave him a 3 because he actually made us worse, though that's mostly Clark's fault.
All in all, a disappointing result and an abysmal performance. We have to improve or there is a genuine chance of relegation. As the song goes, 'there will be joys and sorrows', but this season has been more sorrow than joy. I for one am 'Tired and Weary' of it, but let's keep right on and let's stay up.
Monday, 24 March 2014
Why Messi IS Truly Better than Ronaldo.
I'm not sure why there's even a debate to be having here. Messi is clearly better than Ronaldo. Let's look at the 'Messi is better' arguments.
1. He scored 100 goals in a year. That's pretty good. Scoring 100 goals in a year is so impressive in any level of the game, though doing at the top level is crazily impressive. 'But, Gerd Mueller did it in less games, and without penalties!' This may be true, but Mueller didn't have the offside rule to contend with, which is a big thing obviously. It's irrelevant anyway, because Ronaldo hasn't done it, so Messi is therefore the best goalscorer and the best player in the world.
2. Messi has a better scoring record and a much better assist record. Not much more to say here. Goalscoring-wise it's close, but Messi grabs more assists.
So why is there an argument? What do the people who think Ronaldo is the best say?
1. "Ronaldo is a more complete player!" If anyone ever says this, what they really mean is that Ronaldo's better in the air. That is true, but he isn't 'more complete'. I heard somebody say that Ronaldo can do things that Messi can't (score headers) but Messi can't do anything that Ronaldo can't.
Wow.
First of all, Messi has scored a header IN A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL. Not against any old mugs - against Manchester United. Yes, Ronaldo scores more headers, but Messi is decent at scoring headers, he just doesn't win many.
Secondly, have you ever seen Ronaldo dribble round a whole team and score, without the ball ever moving more than a yard away from his body?
How about splitting a defense in half with a perfectly weighted pass?
"But Messi is a forward! Ronaldo is a winger! His goalscoring record is more impressive because he plays wide!"
There are two separate ways to prove this wrong.
1. Ronaldo is about as much a winger as Thierry Henry. Whilst he is a 'winger' he plays so far inside that he's essentially a forward anyway. Ronaldo is an inside forward with a free role and he actually usually plays higher up the pitch than Messi.
2. If you're going to use this argument, then please realise that an inside forward's role is to score goals, or to create chances. Seeming as he does score a lot of goals he does it exceptionally well. However, if you're saying that playing wide hinders his goalscoring because he has to create more, then he isn't doing that well, as Messi creates far more chances than he does.
"If Messi didn't have Xavi or Iniesta behind him then he wouldn't score as many goals!"
If anyone ever says this to you, you can discount their opinion immediately. Of course he wouldn't score as many goals if Barca only had 9 players.
Manuel Neuer is worse than Joe Hart, cause if Bayern played without a defence he'd concede more. Right?
People act as if Ronaldo carries a poor Real Madrid side. Barca may have Xavi and Iniesta, who are exceptional and obviously would help any forward, but Ronaldo has played with Alonso, Oezil, Bale, Di Maria, Benzema, Higuian and Isco, to name a few. They're not mugs and Oezil alone had more assists than Xavi and Iniesta put together over two years.
"Yeah, but could he do it on a cold night in Stoke?"
Could Ronaldo?
That would be a nice sunny day in Stoke that Ronaldo couldn't score against.
I realise that it's just a (incredibly irritating) way of saying that Messi hasn't proved himself in England. But does he really need to prove that he can score against Ryan Shawcross when he's scored 4 Champions League hattricks and scored 19 times against Real Madrid? The English League is massively overhyped and a player shouldn't have to prove themselves in England to be considered the best in the world.
Do people who say this really think that defenders haven't thought of just kicking Messi off the park?
"Messi has never proved himself internationally - Ronaldo is better for Portugal than Messi is for Argentina"
This one at least has some ground to it. This is probably the best argument for why Ronaldo is better but if Messi is the star of the next World Cup, then he HAS to be universally considered the best.
Messi is often played out of position for Argentina to accommodate the incredible talent that Argentina have going forward. Messi isn't exactly unbelievably good for Argentina, but his record is nowhere near as bad as made out. He has struggled for them as a right winger or an attacking midfielder, but in the last 2 years he has scored 18 goals in 16 appearances - not bad.
Ronaldo has always been the star man for Portugal and there is no way I can deny he has been better than Messi internationally. Ronaldo is a few years older, though, and it seems Messi is just growing into the International scene.
To conclude, Messi is a better player than Ronaldo, both statistically and in terms of ability. The fact that Ronaldo is compared to Messi, whereas Messi is compared to Pele and Maradona tells you everything you need to know.
I will happily have a civilised debate with anyone who disagrees, however to me it's not even arguable.
1. He scored 100 goals in a year. That's pretty good. Scoring 100 goals in a year is so impressive in any level of the game, though doing at the top level is crazily impressive. 'But, Gerd Mueller did it in less games, and without penalties!' This may be true, but Mueller didn't have the offside rule to contend with, which is a big thing obviously. It's irrelevant anyway, because Ronaldo hasn't done it, so Messi is therefore the best goalscorer and the best player in the world.
2. Messi has a better scoring record and a much better assist record. Not much more to say here. Goalscoring-wise it's close, but Messi grabs more assists.
So why is there an argument? What do the people who think Ronaldo is the best say?
1. "Ronaldo is a more complete player!" If anyone ever says this, what they really mean is that Ronaldo's better in the air. That is true, but he isn't 'more complete'. I heard somebody say that Ronaldo can do things that Messi can't (score headers) but Messi can't do anything that Ronaldo can't.
Wow.
First of all, Messi has scored a header IN A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL. Not against any old mugs - against Manchester United. Yes, Ronaldo scores more headers, but Messi is decent at scoring headers, he just doesn't win many.
Secondly, have you ever seen Ronaldo dribble round a whole team and score, without the ball ever moving more than a yard away from his body?
How about splitting a defense in half with a perfectly weighted pass?
Messi is as 'complete' a player as he is a better playmaker and as good if not a better goalscorer. He can do everything except defend - much like Ronaldo. Neither is 'complete' and neither is 'more complete'.
"But Messi is a forward! Ronaldo is a winger! His goalscoring record is more impressive because he plays wide!"
There are two separate ways to prove this wrong.
1. Ronaldo is about as much a winger as Thierry Henry. Whilst he is a 'winger' he plays so far inside that he's essentially a forward anyway. Ronaldo is an inside forward with a free role and he actually usually plays higher up the pitch than Messi.
2. If you're going to use this argument, then please realise that an inside forward's role is to score goals, or to create chances. Seeming as he does score a lot of goals he does it exceptionally well. However, if you're saying that playing wide hinders his goalscoring because he has to create more, then he isn't doing that well, as Messi creates far more chances than he does.
"If Messi didn't have Xavi or Iniesta behind him then he wouldn't score as many goals!"
If anyone ever says this to you, you can discount their opinion immediately. Of course he wouldn't score as many goals if Barca only had 9 players.
Manuel Neuer is worse than Joe Hart, cause if Bayern played without a defence he'd concede more. Right?
People act as if Ronaldo carries a poor Real Madrid side. Barca may have Xavi and Iniesta, who are exceptional and obviously would help any forward, but Ronaldo has played with Alonso, Oezil, Bale, Di Maria, Benzema, Higuian and Isco, to name a few. They're not mugs and Oezil alone had more assists than Xavi and Iniesta put together over two years.
"Yeah, but could he do it on a cold night in Stoke?"
Could Ronaldo?
That would be a nice sunny day in Stoke that Ronaldo couldn't score against.
I realise that it's just a (incredibly irritating) way of saying that Messi hasn't proved himself in England. But does he really need to prove that he can score against Ryan Shawcross when he's scored 4 Champions League hattricks and scored 19 times against Real Madrid? The English League is massively overhyped and a player shouldn't have to prove themselves in England to be considered the best in the world.
Do people who say this really think that defenders haven't thought of just kicking Messi off the park?
"Messi has never proved himself internationally - Ronaldo is better for Portugal than Messi is for Argentina"
This one at least has some ground to it. This is probably the best argument for why Ronaldo is better but if Messi is the star of the next World Cup, then he HAS to be universally considered the best.
Messi is often played out of position for Argentina to accommodate the incredible talent that Argentina have going forward. Messi isn't exactly unbelievably good for Argentina, but his record is nowhere near as bad as made out. He has struggled for them as a right winger or an attacking midfielder, but in the last 2 years he has scored 18 goals in 16 appearances - not bad.
Ronaldo has always been the star man for Portugal and there is no way I can deny he has been better than Messi internationally. Ronaldo is a few years older, though, and it seems Messi is just growing into the International scene.
To conclude, Messi is a better player than Ronaldo, both statistically and in terms of ability. The fact that Ronaldo is compared to Messi, whereas Messi is compared to Pele and Maradona tells you everything you need to know.
I will happily have a civilised debate with anyone who disagrees, however to me it's not even arguable.
Sunday, 9 March 2014
Blues vs QPR - Match Report
Ravel Morrison was at his frightening best as QPR strolled to a 0-2 victory at St. Andrews, ending their poor run of form.
Their form is nowhere near the level of Blues' home form however, which has now stretched to 12 games without a win. The most worrying part is that Blues don't look like picking up a win anytime soon.
Of course, it was the on-loan midfielder Ravel Morrison, who had a successful spell with Blues last year, who popped up to condemn Blues to another home loss.
With the squad at their disposal, it's incredible to think that QPR are not top of the table. They were simply better than Blues in every area of the pitch, which is understandable given the amount of money their team cost, when Clark has pennies to work with.
Blues started with a 3-4-3 formation, which is an unusual choice even for the enigmatic Lee Clark, but he started similarly against QPR away so it wasn't entirely out of the blue. Blues struggled to get a hold of the game - outnumbered in midfield and Burke and Ibe were struggling to get the ball in dangerous positions. QPR were working very hard to limit the space, but utilising it well when they had the ball.
Joey Barton ran the show for them, but Ravel Morrison was terrorising the defence with his direct running and clever playmaking. Within the first five minutes he gave the Blues defence something to worry about, beating four or five players before his eventual cross/shot was cleared. But he wasn't done.
Just as Blues started to get into the game, they were hit with a sucker punch. Tom Adeyemi won the ball high up the pitch and found Chris Burke. But the Scottish wide man was not on his game, allowing Richard Dunne to steal the ball off him. QPR broke, Kevin Doyle reaching a pass on the left hand side.
Before he could get a shot away, a cynical challenge from Blues' skipper Paul Robinson brought him crashing to the floor. Somehow, Robinson got away without a yellow card, but it turned out that the free-kick was punishment enough.
The omnipresent Ravel Morrison stepped up to hit a powerful, dipping free-kick which Darren Randolph between the Blues posts couldn't keep out. He may be disappointed that he didn't do better, but the swerve and dip on the ball was vicious.
Blues were just trying to hang on until half time, as QPR pressed to try and double their lead. They should have made it 2-0 through Armand Traore, who skewed his volley wide from 8 yards out with only the keeper to beat.
Barton's free-kick was headed powerfully onto the Blues' crossbar from Clint Hill on the stroke of half-time; a let off for Blues whose performance deserved to concede another.
Blues offered very little, but Rob Green had to be awake to tip over an Emyr Huws free-kick that looked to be going straight in. Then Paul Caddis got put through on the right hand side, with a waiting Nikola Zigic on the penalty spot, but the former Swindon right back took too long and Green denied him.
In the second half, Blues started to look a little more dangerous, but still looked impotent in front of goal. Burke found space on the right, but rather than cutting in and shooting with his trusty left foot like he normally would, he tried to cut back onto his right. Dunne tackled him but the ball fell straight to Jordon Ibe. His shot however, was tame.
Ibe looked much more dangerous in the second half, but Blues couldn't get him the ball in dangerous positions enough. Despite a change in formation coming with the introduction of Lee Novak and Kiko Macheda, it was not to be for Clark's men.
Morrison planted Jermaine Jenas' low cross firmly into the bottom left-hand corner for 2-0 and it was game over. Morrison had no qualms about celebrating against the team whom he had played for last season, but was clapped off by the same Blues fans who booed their own man, Nikola Zigic, off.
There were few positives to take from the game for Clark, and he knows that his team must play significantly better to avoid an embarrassing defeat to high-flying Burnley on Wednesday.
Randolph - 5
Caddis - 5
Spector - 6
Packwood - 6
Robinson - 6
Ferguson - 5
Huws - 7 *MOTM*
Adeyemi - 6
Burke - 5
Zigic - 5
Ibe - 6
Macheda - 5
Novak - 6
Blackett - 6
Their form is nowhere near the level of Blues' home form however, which has now stretched to 12 games without a win. The most worrying part is that Blues don't look like picking up a win anytime soon.
Of course, it was the on-loan midfielder Ravel Morrison, who had a successful spell with Blues last year, who popped up to condemn Blues to another home loss.
With the squad at their disposal, it's incredible to think that QPR are not top of the table. They were simply better than Blues in every area of the pitch, which is understandable given the amount of money their team cost, when Clark has pennies to work with.
Blues started with a 3-4-3 formation, which is an unusual choice even for the enigmatic Lee Clark, but he started similarly against QPR away so it wasn't entirely out of the blue. Blues struggled to get a hold of the game - outnumbered in midfield and Burke and Ibe were struggling to get the ball in dangerous positions. QPR were working very hard to limit the space, but utilising it well when they had the ball.
Joey Barton ran the show for them, but Ravel Morrison was terrorising the defence with his direct running and clever playmaking. Within the first five minutes he gave the Blues defence something to worry about, beating four or five players before his eventual cross/shot was cleared. But he wasn't done.
Just as Blues started to get into the game, they were hit with a sucker punch. Tom Adeyemi won the ball high up the pitch and found Chris Burke. But the Scottish wide man was not on his game, allowing Richard Dunne to steal the ball off him. QPR broke, Kevin Doyle reaching a pass on the left hand side.
Before he could get a shot away, a cynical challenge from Blues' skipper Paul Robinson brought him crashing to the floor. Somehow, Robinson got away without a yellow card, but it turned out that the free-kick was punishment enough.
The omnipresent Ravel Morrison stepped up to hit a powerful, dipping free-kick which Darren Randolph between the Blues posts couldn't keep out. He may be disappointed that he didn't do better, but the swerve and dip on the ball was vicious.
Blues were just trying to hang on until half time, as QPR pressed to try and double their lead. They should have made it 2-0 through Armand Traore, who skewed his volley wide from 8 yards out with only the keeper to beat.
Barton's free-kick was headed powerfully onto the Blues' crossbar from Clint Hill on the stroke of half-time; a let off for Blues whose performance deserved to concede another.
Blues offered very little, but Rob Green had to be awake to tip over an Emyr Huws free-kick that looked to be going straight in. Then Paul Caddis got put through on the right hand side, with a waiting Nikola Zigic on the penalty spot, but the former Swindon right back took too long and Green denied him.
In the second half, Blues started to look a little more dangerous, but still looked impotent in front of goal. Burke found space on the right, but rather than cutting in and shooting with his trusty left foot like he normally would, he tried to cut back onto his right. Dunne tackled him but the ball fell straight to Jordon Ibe. His shot however, was tame.
Ibe looked much more dangerous in the second half, but Blues couldn't get him the ball in dangerous positions enough. Despite a change in formation coming with the introduction of Lee Novak and Kiko Macheda, it was not to be for Clark's men.
Morrison planted Jermaine Jenas' low cross firmly into the bottom left-hand corner for 2-0 and it was game over. Morrison had no qualms about celebrating against the team whom he had played for last season, but was clapped off by the same Blues fans who booed their own man, Nikola Zigic, off.
There were few positives to take from the game for Clark, and he knows that his team must play significantly better to avoid an embarrassing defeat to high-flying Burnley on Wednesday.
Randolph - 5
Caddis - 5
Spector - 6
Packwood - 6
Robinson - 6
Ferguson - 5
Huws - 7 *MOTM*
Adeyemi - 6
Burke - 5
Zigic - 5
Ibe - 6
Macheda - 5
Novak - 6
Blackett - 6
Monday, 3 March 2014
Thank You David Murphy
Today David Murphy announced his retirement from professional, at the young age of 30. Bad news for Blues. We haven't won one game at home since Murphy has been injured. In fact, the last home win back in October, Murphy scored twice.
Murphy scored 7 times in 106 games for Blues over 6 years, which is unfortunate as when he played he was fantastic in the Championship, even if he struggled under McLeish. Had Murphy played more in the last three years, I can't help but feel that we would have finished higher up in the table. Who knows, maybe we'd be top half? Is that overstating his influence?
Maybe not the best defensively, but going forward, Murphy was one of if not the best full back in the division. He was similar in playstyle to Leighton Baines - good set-pieces, great crosses and terrific going forwards.
Murphy can lay claim to something not many players can - scoring a goal in Europe for Birmingham City. Not only that, he scored away in Brugge, which was a massive game for many of the fans who went. He scored away at Stamford Bridge as well in the cup. These goals cemented his place as a fan favourite with the Blues fans.
He was loved at Hibernians as well, playing over 100 times for them before his £1.5 million move to Birmingham in 2008. He was known as a likable guy, a good man and of course, a good footballer.
Unfortunately, Murphy's time at Blues was plagued by injuries, which hampered his impact on the team. It's unfortunate that Murphy has been forced to retire through injury, as he could have been fantastic for Blues and a club hero.
I wish him all the best for the future.
Murphy scored 7 times in 106 games for Blues over 6 years, which is unfortunate as when he played he was fantastic in the Championship, even if he struggled under McLeish. Had Murphy played more in the last three years, I can't help but feel that we would have finished higher up in the table. Who knows, maybe we'd be top half? Is that overstating his influence?
Maybe not the best defensively, but going forward, Murphy was one of if not the best full back in the division. He was similar in playstyle to Leighton Baines - good set-pieces, great crosses and terrific going forwards.
Murphy can lay claim to something not many players can - scoring a goal in Europe for Birmingham City. Not only that, he scored away in Brugge, which was a massive game for many of the fans who went. He scored away at Stamford Bridge as well in the cup. These goals cemented his place as a fan favourite with the Blues fans.
He was loved at Hibernians as well, playing over 100 times for them before his £1.5 million move to Birmingham in 2008. He was known as a likable guy, a good man and of course, a good footballer.
Unfortunately, Murphy's time at Blues was plagued by injuries, which hampered his impact on the team. It's unfortunate that Murphy has been forced to retire through injury, as he could have been fantastic for Blues and a club hero.
I wish him all the best for the future.
Tuesday, 18 February 2014
A Re-Evaluation of the Blues squad.
At the start of the season, I posted an evaluation of the squad that now seems massively out of date, with so many changes to the squad, so I thought I'd update it. I am an optimistic Blues fan and that will probably shine through!
Goalkeepers:
Randolph: Darren Randolph has proved himself to be a fantastic goalkeeper at this level. He has kept us in games numerous times with some terrific saves; he has probably won us quite a few points on his own. He has made the odd error but that is to be expected. His main fault is he is not the best at coming out for crosses, partially due to his height - he is not the tallest keeper in the world. All in all though, we cannot complain. A terrific signing from Clark.
Doyle: Been ok in the cup games he's played in, but nothing spectacular. Was very poor in the Stoke game in the cup, but that was a bizarre game from start to finish. A decent enough back-up keeper and his loyalty cannot be questioned.
Defenders:
Caddis: Caddis hasn't quite hit the heights that he reached in his first spell here, but it still a reliable choice and importantly an incredibly fit one, as we are not blessed with loads of cover. Caddis plays nearly every game and must be applauded for that, as he up and down the wing a lot. His link-up with Burke is generally very good, though teams have realised that he is our main threat and taken steps to cut his supply. Caddis can be suspect defensively as well. Numerous times this season he has been caught out. He is very useful going forward and has added a few goals to his game this season, even if they are usually penalties. A very handy player and a good signing from Clark.
Spector: I'm unsure as to why he was given a new contract, as Spector has spent most of his time in the physio room. We all knew he had massive injury problems and it's not like he's a key member of the team when he plays. He's a handy player to have in that he can play in so many roles, but he's so rarely fit that it's not worth it. He's as much an inconvenience as he is a convenience.
Packwood: Packwood has recovered well from that horrific injury from last year and blossomed into a decent centre-half at this level. After a successful loan spell at Bristol Rovers, Packwood was recalled as cover and injuries and loan recalls meant he got his chance. He grabbed it with two hands, playing superbly against Swansea and has stayed in the team since, now trying to form a partnership with Aaron Martin. The only issue he may have is he is very slender despite his height, so may benefit from some time on the weights, or else he may be bullied by the stronger strikers in the league.
Martin: Martin was released by Southampton in order to try and find a club after he lost his place after a serious injury. Blues snapped up the 24-year-old defender shortly after and he was thrown in just 14 minutes into the game against Derby. He reminds me of Roger Johnson in his style of play and build, who hopefully will be as successful at Blues. He has had a solid start to his Blues career and hopefully will continue to play well. His partnership with Packwood appears to have potential and will need to come good for Blues to stay mid-table.
Thorpe: It's obviously very difficult to judge Thorpe due to his lack of gametime, but I wish him all the best with his recovery and maybe we shall see him in a Blues shirt again.
Robinson: Robinson has been a terrific servant to the club and been a great captain. At centre-back he remains an important player, but has recently been moved back out to left-back where he played before he joined Blues. Here he has struggled, his pace becomes more of an issue and he is supposed to go forward but doesn't have the guile of most full-backs - coupled with our pack of genuine left wingers, this leaves us with a lack of width and balance. This mustn't detract from his consistent performance at centre-back, as he has played well there, but it is an issue whilst Hancox is out.
Hancox: Mitch has shown himself to be a more than adequate replacement for the injury prone Murphy, with some terrific performances. Being a Blues fan, Hancox will never give less than 100% for the club and is completely fearless. He has endeared himself to the fans through his determination, tough tackling and quality on the ball. He gets fantastic whip on his crosses and is arguably the best crosser of the ball in the Blues squad. Unfortunately he is injured at the moment and we have clearly missed his dynamism down the left.
Murphy: Whilst he's injured, it must be said that he is an important player when he plays. In fact, I found it surprising that the last time we won at home, he not only started but scored twice, which shows just how important he is. We haven't won at home since he's been injured. Though I sing Hancox's praises, he hasn't had quite the same effect.
Blackett: A poor debut that clearly affected his confidence against Derby, giving away a penalty which was then saved by Randolph. It was a shame as he looked so confident in the opening stages and then made an error. Hopefully he can forget his debut and move on, but I think it's unlikely that we will see that.
Midfielders:
Burke: Burke is still clearly our main threat going forward. Unfortunately, every other team has figured this out as I mentioned early, so our lack of balance due to the weaker left-side is exposed and we try and force the play through Burke, who is often marked very tightly. This is possibly why we struggle so much at home, where we are forced to attack. We have to try and force the play and we don't have much creation other than Burke. Away from home, he can find room on the counter attack. He is still at the centre of most of the good things we do going forward.
Adeyemi: Blues really struggle to win without Adeyemi. He got injured a few months ago and we really struggled. Unfortunately his return hasn't coincided with us winning every game, but he has a lot of ability and he can be the difference between staying up and going down - he's that important to us. He goes down as Lee Clark's best signing in my books, an absolutely terrific free transfer. Adeyemi has become our Yaya Toure, although admittedly a budget version.
Huws: It's disappointing to know that Emyr was so close to being a Blues player, before Man City snapped him up before he signed for us. He has a big future ahead of him if he can keep up this level of performance. He is similar to Callum Reilly in terms of style and even demeanour, but it's clear that Huws is a better footballer. Not to take away from Reilly, whose energy is a huge asset, but Huws' distribution is very good and his delivery from set-pieces is great as well. Him and Adeyemi can become a pivotal duo in the centre of midfield, combining Adeyemi's mobility and strength with Huws' technical ability. Maybe I'm looking through Blues-tinted glasses, but that has potential to be one of the best midfield partnerships in the league.
Reilly: Callum Reilly is the best tackler we have in defensive midfield and has a lot of pace and energy. Sometimes we need his determination and strength, but Clark seems reluctant to play him, possibly due to his poorer distribution. However, I'd rather someone who throws themself into tackles sometimes, especially when we are struggling to get a grip on a game. I don't think Reilly should be first choice, but I think he deserves more game time and I think he'll show his worth defensively.
Lee: Not quite Rob Lee, but Olly Lee is a decent enough midfielder. He definitely has ability and can pass the ball and has shown that he can score the odd goal as well. My main issue with him is his complete lack of mobility. Being slow is okay if you're Andrea Pirlo and/or have fantastic ball winning midfielders around you. Unfortunately Olly Lee is not Pirlo. He's a decent player but I don't think he's a better option than Reilly, Huws or Adeyemi, but Clark seems to favour Lee.
Howard: A strange signing from Clark, when we needed a forward and some defenders he signed an attacking midfielder. Howard is a decent player who has some creative ability and can grab a goal, which is incredibly useful, but it's hard to judge him as he has not played too much yet. We have so many midfielders that it means that Howard will likely only be a bit-part player, but he's fantastic back-up to have.
Rusnak: Since Lingard's departure to sit in Man United's reserves (surely he's better than Ashley Young?), Blues have struggled to score goals and create no matter who has played in his role. Rusnak has come in to try and fulfill that role, but he is yet to get on the scoresheet. He is a tidy player with a few tricks up his sleeve, but he hasn't had any tangible effect on the team in terms of goals or assists, but he is a useful, versatile and skillful player.
Ferguson: Ferguson is our only natural left-sided midfielder, yet he is nearly always overlooked. He's not brilliant but he at least offers us some balance. He can cross the ball well and offers a lot defensively also. He doesn't go past full backs with ease, which can be an issue, but neither does Novak. I realise that we can only have 5 loan players in the match-day squad, but I think that he deserves a place. Clark has tried so many people out wide - Rusnak,, Novak, Shinnie and Brown - and none have worked all that well. Maybe giving a natural left winger a run in the team will give us balance, helping Robinson/Hancox and also Chris Burke play better, as having an inverted winger gives us so little width, forces us to attack through Burke and makes the midfield so clustered.
Brown: Reece Brown is one of the most exciting prospects to come out of Blues' academy in a while. Brown is more exciting than Redmond was, as he was even younger when he broke into the first team. Some incredibly mature performances have impressed everyone who's seen him, including scouts from the big teams, reportedly. Fortunately, he has signed a contract with Blues, which means he can't be signed for peanuts. Clearly, due to the financial issues at the club, it is not unlikely that we will be forced to sell him, but everyone involved with the club will be hopeful that we can keep hold of him.
Gray: Gray has struggled to break into the team and has not set the world alight when he's had a chance, though I'm sure his chance will come where he gets a real chance to show what he can do. He has a lot of pace and is a natural winger, so he may get a chance, but due to the abundance of midfielders he may find chances few and far between. He is incredibly quick which might be useful as we have such a one paced team, but we shall see if he gets and takes his chance.
Shinnie: Shinnie hasn't quite had the effect we all wished he would have on English football. He has struggled to influence games and has gone missing at times. He does not have the pace or dribbling ability to go past players, so has to rely on his guile and passing. Hopefully, he has just struggled to adapt and will show his true ability next year. He has added a few goals to our total however, so has not been a poor signing as such, but he has not been as impressive as we hoped.
Forwards:
Novak: I must confess, I slated Novak at the start of the season. I was not the only one, but I felt that he was a waste of a shirt. Since then, I have changed my opinion and will admit that I was wrong. He has been a very useful player due to his determination and versatility. He is an intelligent player who may not have the technical ability of some of the best players in the league or blistering pace, but he is important to us.
Zigic: Oh, Zigic. The enigmatic, divisive giant. I personally love the big man and our results with him in the team are far better, so statistically he is a good player for us. But it's clear that he divides fans and Clark may not share my admiration of Zigic. He does have those games where nothing goes right, but I feel that if you forget his wages he is a great asset for the team. Leaving him out of the squad, for me, is a stupid decision, as he is certainly a good option off the bench.
Lovenkrands: Lovenkrands adds a couple of goals to the team, which is always a nice thing to have. He is incredibly lightweight and lacks the pace that characterised him as a player years ago, but he is deadly in the box. We can't really afford to carry him during games so is more of an option off the bench, as he doesn't give us much of an outlet, but he's useful to have as an option.
Macheda: Macheda has had a bigger impact than I expected. Obviously, he's a decent player, but he has struggled to be prolific elsewhere. 3 goals in his first 1 and a bit games was incredibly impressive. He hasn't scored since but his link-up play is a step above any other striker at the club. He could be very important for us, even if he doesn't score again he helps us keep the ball and brings others into play, but I think he will score a few more. Clark has shown that he can get the best out of young players who may have not shown their ability elsewhere.
Arthur: Nobody seems entirely sure what has happened to him. Koby Arthur had a great preseason, was praised by Clark, looked dangerous at the start of the season and then slowly disappeared. Even when we were struggling for strikers he couldn't even make the bench. He has consistently impressed in the development squad, so it seems strange that he doesn't even get a chance in the first team. Maybe he will get another chance - we shall see.
Goalkeepers:
Randolph: Darren Randolph has proved himself to be a fantastic goalkeeper at this level. He has kept us in games numerous times with some terrific saves; he has probably won us quite a few points on his own. He has made the odd error but that is to be expected. His main fault is he is not the best at coming out for crosses, partially due to his height - he is not the tallest keeper in the world. All in all though, we cannot complain. A terrific signing from Clark.
Doyle: Been ok in the cup games he's played in, but nothing spectacular. Was very poor in the Stoke game in the cup, but that was a bizarre game from start to finish. A decent enough back-up keeper and his loyalty cannot be questioned.
Defenders:
Caddis: Caddis hasn't quite hit the heights that he reached in his first spell here, but it still a reliable choice and importantly an incredibly fit one, as we are not blessed with loads of cover. Caddis plays nearly every game and must be applauded for that, as he up and down the wing a lot. His link-up with Burke is generally very good, though teams have realised that he is our main threat and taken steps to cut his supply. Caddis can be suspect defensively as well. Numerous times this season he has been caught out. He is very useful going forward and has added a few goals to his game this season, even if they are usually penalties. A very handy player and a good signing from Clark.
Spector: I'm unsure as to why he was given a new contract, as Spector has spent most of his time in the physio room. We all knew he had massive injury problems and it's not like he's a key member of the team when he plays. He's a handy player to have in that he can play in so many roles, but he's so rarely fit that it's not worth it. He's as much an inconvenience as he is a convenience.
Packwood: Packwood has recovered well from that horrific injury from last year and blossomed into a decent centre-half at this level. After a successful loan spell at Bristol Rovers, Packwood was recalled as cover and injuries and loan recalls meant he got his chance. He grabbed it with two hands, playing superbly against Swansea and has stayed in the team since, now trying to form a partnership with Aaron Martin. The only issue he may have is he is very slender despite his height, so may benefit from some time on the weights, or else he may be bullied by the stronger strikers in the league.
Martin: Martin was released by Southampton in order to try and find a club after he lost his place after a serious injury. Blues snapped up the 24-year-old defender shortly after and he was thrown in just 14 minutes into the game against Derby. He reminds me of Roger Johnson in his style of play and build, who hopefully will be as successful at Blues. He has had a solid start to his Blues career and hopefully will continue to play well. His partnership with Packwood appears to have potential and will need to come good for Blues to stay mid-table.
Thorpe: It's obviously very difficult to judge Thorpe due to his lack of gametime, but I wish him all the best with his recovery and maybe we shall see him in a Blues shirt again.
Robinson: Robinson has been a terrific servant to the club and been a great captain. At centre-back he remains an important player, but has recently been moved back out to left-back where he played before he joined Blues. Here he has struggled, his pace becomes more of an issue and he is supposed to go forward but doesn't have the guile of most full-backs - coupled with our pack of genuine left wingers, this leaves us with a lack of width and balance. This mustn't detract from his consistent performance at centre-back, as he has played well there, but it is an issue whilst Hancox is out.
Hancox: Mitch has shown himself to be a more than adequate replacement for the injury prone Murphy, with some terrific performances. Being a Blues fan, Hancox will never give less than 100% for the club and is completely fearless. He has endeared himself to the fans through his determination, tough tackling and quality on the ball. He gets fantastic whip on his crosses and is arguably the best crosser of the ball in the Blues squad. Unfortunately he is injured at the moment and we have clearly missed his dynamism down the left.
Murphy: Whilst he's injured, it must be said that he is an important player when he plays. In fact, I found it surprising that the last time we won at home, he not only started but scored twice, which shows just how important he is. We haven't won at home since he's been injured. Though I sing Hancox's praises, he hasn't had quite the same effect.
Blackett: A poor debut that clearly affected his confidence against Derby, giving away a penalty which was then saved by Randolph. It was a shame as he looked so confident in the opening stages and then made an error. Hopefully he can forget his debut and move on, but I think it's unlikely that we will see that.
Midfielders:
Burke: Burke is still clearly our main threat going forward. Unfortunately, every other team has figured this out as I mentioned early, so our lack of balance due to the weaker left-side is exposed and we try and force the play through Burke, who is often marked very tightly. This is possibly why we struggle so much at home, where we are forced to attack. We have to try and force the play and we don't have much creation other than Burke. Away from home, he can find room on the counter attack. He is still at the centre of most of the good things we do going forward.
Adeyemi: Blues really struggle to win without Adeyemi. He got injured a few months ago and we really struggled. Unfortunately his return hasn't coincided with us winning every game, but he has a lot of ability and he can be the difference between staying up and going down - he's that important to us. He goes down as Lee Clark's best signing in my books, an absolutely terrific free transfer. Adeyemi has become our Yaya Toure, although admittedly a budget version.
Huws: It's disappointing to know that Emyr was so close to being a Blues player, before Man City snapped him up before he signed for us. He has a big future ahead of him if he can keep up this level of performance. He is similar to Callum Reilly in terms of style and even demeanour, but it's clear that Huws is a better footballer. Not to take away from Reilly, whose energy is a huge asset, but Huws' distribution is very good and his delivery from set-pieces is great as well. Him and Adeyemi can become a pivotal duo in the centre of midfield, combining Adeyemi's mobility and strength with Huws' technical ability. Maybe I'm looking through Blues-tinted glasses, but that has potential to be one of the best midfield partnerships in the league.
Reilly: Callum Reilly is the best tackler we have in defensive midfield and has a lot of pace and energy. Sometimes we need his determination and strength, but Clark seems reluctant to play him, possibly due to his poorer distribution. However, I'd rather someone who throws themself into tackles sometimes, especially when we are struggling to get a grip on a game. I don't think Reilly should be first choice, but I think he deserves more game time and I think he'll show his worth defensively.
Lee: Not quite Rob Lee, but Olly Lee is a decent enough midfielder. He definitely has ability and can pass the ball and has shown that he can score the odd goal as well. My main issue with him is his complete lack of mobility. Being slow is okay if you're Andrea Pirlo and/or have fantastic ball winning midfielders around you. Unfortunately Olly Lee is not Pirlo. He's a decent player but I don't think he's a better option than Reilly, Huws or Adeyemi, but Clark seems to favour Lee.
Howard: A strange signing from Clark, when we needed a forward and some defenders he signed an attacking midfielder. Howard is a decent player who has some creative ability and can grab a goal, which is incredibly useful, but it's hard to judge him as he has not played too much yet. We have so many midfielders that it means that Howard will likely only be a bit-part player, but he's fantastic back-up to have.
Rusnak: Since Lingard's departure to sit in Man United's reserves (surely he's better than Ashley Young?), Blues have struggled to score goals and create no matter who has played in his role. Rusnak has come in to try and fulfill that role, but he is yet to get on the scoresheet. He is a tidy player with a few tricks up his sleeve, but he hasn't had any tangible effect on the team in terms of goals or assists, but he is a useful, versatile and skillful player.
Ferguson: Ferguson is our only natural left-sided midfielder, yet he is nearly always overlooked. He's not brilliant but he at least offers us some balance. He can cross the ball well and offers a lot defensively also. He doesn't go past full backs with ease, which can be an issue, but neither does Novak. I realise that we can only have 5 loan players in the match-day squad, but I think that he deserves a place. Clark has tried so many people out wide - Rusnak,, Novak, Shinnie and Brown - and none have worked all that well. Maybe giving a natural left winger a run in the team will give us balance, helping Robinson/Hancox and also Chris Burke play better, as having an inverted winger gives us so little width, forces us to attack through Burke and makes the midfield so clustered.
Brown: Reece Brown is one of the most exciting prospects to come out of Blues' academy in a while. Brown is more exciting than Redmond was, as he was even younger when he broke into the first team. Some incredibly mature performances have impressed everyone who's seen him, including scouts from the big teams, reportedly. Fortunately, he has signed a contract with Blues, which means he can't be signed for peanuts. Clearly, due to the financial issues at the club, it is not unlikely that we will be forced to sell him, but everyone involved with the club will be hopeful that we can keep hold of him.
Gray: Gray has struggled to break into the team and has not set the world alight when he's had a chance, though I'm sure his chance will come where he gets a real chance to show what he can do. He has a lot of pace and is a natural winger, so he may get a chance, but due to the abundance of midfielders he may find chances few and far between. He is incredibly quick which might be useful as we have such a one paced team, but we shall see if he gets and takes his chance.
Shinnie: Shinnie hasn't quite had the effect we all wished he would have on English football. He has struggled to influence games and has gone missing at times. He does not have the pace or dribbling ability to go past players, so has to rely on his guile and passing. Hopefully, he has just struggled to adapt and will show his true ability next year. He has added a few goals to our total however, so has not been a poor signing as such, but he has not been as impressive as we hoped.
Forwards:
Novak: I must confess, I slated Novak at the start of the season. I was not the only one, but I felt that he was a waste of a shirt. Since then, I have changed my opinion and will admit that I was wrong. He has been a very useful player due to his determination and versatility. He is an intelligent player who may not have the technical ability of some of the best players in the league or blistering pace, but he is important to us.
Zigic: Oh, Zigic. The enigmatic, divisive giant. I personally love the big man and our results with him in the team are far better, so statistically he is a good player for us. But it's clear that he divides fans and Clark may not share my admiration of Zigic. He does have those games where nothing goes right, but I feel that if you forget his wages he is a great asset for the team. Leaving him out of the squad, for me, is a stupid decision, as he is certainly a good option off the bench.
Lovenkrands: Lovenkrands adds a couple of goals to the team, which is always a nice thing to have. He is incredibly lightweight and lacks the pace that characterised him as a player years ago, but he is deadly in the box. We can't really afford to carry him during games so is more of an option off the bench, as he doesn't give us much of an outlet, but he's useful to have as an option.
Macheda: Macheda has had a bigger impact than I expected. Obviously, he's a decent player, but he has struggled to be prolific elsewhere. 3 goals in his first 1 and a bit games was incredibly impressive. He hasn't scored since but his link-up play is a step above any other striker at the club. He could be very important for us, even if he doesn't score again he helps us keep the ball and brings others into play, but I think he will score a few more. Clark has shown that he can get the best out of young players who may have not shown their ability elsewhere.
Arthur: Nobody seems entirely sure what has happened to him. Koby Arthur had a great preseason, was praised by Clark, looked dangerous at the start of the season and then slowly disappeared. Even when we were struggling for strikers he couldn't even make the bench. He has consistently impressed in the development squad, so it seems strange that he doesn't even get a chance in the first team. Maybe he will get another chance - we shall see.
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