Monday’s Thoughts
After Saturday’s disappointment we need something to shout about and I hope we can get it tomorrow night. First of all I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that we should start with Mensah, Nos or Da Silva instead of Ferdinand and McCartney not just in this match, but for the foreseeable future. Many people have been quick to criticize Nos for his occasional bloopers but I can’t recall one of his that has cost us a game or even a goal recently whereas Ferdinand’s errors have cost us dearly at Burnley and West Ham to name but two. I really rated him before, but I don’t now and a spell on the bench would buck him up a bit. Monday’s Echo has just arrived and I see that Mensah and Da Silva will definitely start so I’m happy about that.

Tuesday
It’s Tuesday lunchtime and I’m partaking of the waters in The Chesters while checking the latest soccer news on the net. I’d forgotten that Superkev is likely to get a game for them tonight and much as I like him, I’d rather he wasn’t playing as it’d be just like him to get a goal. More pleasing news was that Spurs are looking to sign Ferdinand in January, which does sound rather familiar. Sunderland are hoping to recoup the £8m they paid for him last year. LOL, as I believe you young people say. I imagine we’ll be fielding a strong team tonight and I hope Kenwyne pulls his socks up because on Saturday’s evidence he seems to be slipping back into his half-hearted antics of the latter part of last season. Healy may well get a go at some point and no doubt Henderson will feature but I don’t expect any real surprises. Match prediction, 2-1 to us but I have the horrible feeling that it may go to extra time.

The Match
After a few sherbets in Fitzgerald’s I was a little late in taking my seat and just got in as the teams were kicking off. As I was in the lav beforehand I think I heard a good ripple for Superkev as he was announced as Brum’s captain. The place was less than half full and there was hardly anyone in my row but the atmosphere felt good and we pressed from the start. Within four minutes we were one up thanks to a great drive from Henderson. The way he made that ball his own and smashed it in reminded me of a hyena grabbing an antelope from the jaws of a lion….er, moving on quickly, Birmingham had very little to offer apart from one decent shot after about twenty minutes but then we went 2-0 up three minutes later when Reid did some great work down the left to centre for Campbell to nod home. It all felt a bit academic after that but Richo kissed the bar with a centre-shot a few minutes before the break and as stoppage-time was announced we forced a couple of corners but they came to nothing. 2-0 at the break and we looked home and dry.

Not a great deal happened in the second-half really. We had the ball in the net after twelve minutes but it was ruled out for a bit of argy-bargy. Birmingham didn’t have a shot on target all game as far as I noticed and didn’t seem too interested in the match. Ian Bowyer received his traditional warm welcome when he came on as sub after twenty minutes of the half and we later brought on Healy for Malbranque, Murphy for Kenwyne and Nos for Cana, who got a great ripple. Mensah and Da Silva looked solid and that bodes well. Well, all’s well that end’s well and let’s get back to the serious stuff on Sunday.

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