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GAMEDAY: Them
The appointed day has arrived; for the first time in just shy of five years, Blues will cross the expressway to B6, to do battle with the other team from Birmingham in the third round of the Capital One Cup.
Them
Tim Sherwood’s side come into the game on a poor run of form. 17th in the Premier League, without a win in league competition since August 8 and with only a League Cup victory at Notts County (albeit after extra time) to show for their efforts in B6 this season. Outside of that victory over the lowly Magpies, they’ve scored just six times in six league fixtures and only twice at home with both goals coming in a 2-2 draw with bottom-of-the-table Sunderland.
Idrissa Gueye is out with a hamstring injury; dangerman Adama Traore could be out with an ankle knock while Jores Okore could miss out with a knee complaint. Former Blackburn man Rudy Gestede could start.
Blues
Blues chief injury worry at the moment is David Cotterill, who posted a picture on social media on Monday with his right foot being treated. Whether this was some mind games or an injury remains to be seen – the picture has since been deleted and with everybody at St Andrew’s being tightlipped we’ve yet to see if the Welsh winger will join his compatriot Neal Eardley (shoulder) on the treatment table.
If Cotterill is out then the question will be who will replace him. Jacques Maghoma would be the obvious choice but there is an argument for throwing in rookie Viv Solomon-Otabor who has played a couple of nice cameos since making his debut and who would potentially play with a youthful exuberance and lack of fear.
I can see the possibility of Adam Legzdins coming in to play in goal instead of Thomas Kuszczak and possibly David Davis coming into midfield to give Blues a bit more bite but in reality Gary Rowett knows he has to play his strongest squad.
Ref
The ref for this game is Robert Madley. He’s taken charge of five games this season, showing 17 yellow cards and one red. His last Blues fixture was the 1-0 away defeat to Blackburn last season in which Neal Eardley was sent off for receiving two yellow cards in eight second half minutes. Paul Caddis was also booked that day. While his last game for them was the 2-2 draw with Sunderland, he also took charge of their 6-1 defeat to Southampton at the tail-end of last season.
Suspension Watch
3 Yellow Cards: Maikel Kieftenbeld and David Cotterill
2 Yellow Cards: David Davis and Jon Toral
1 Yellow Card: Tomasz Kuszczak, Jonathan Grounds, Stephen Gleeson, Clayton Donaldson, Jonathan Spector and Demarai Gray.
The cutoff date for 5 yellow cards to attract a suspension is November 30, 2015
The cutoff date for 10 yellow cards to attract a suspension is April 9, 2016
61 Responses to “GAMEDAY: Them”
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It’ll be a tight, fiesty affair. Might go to pens.
To be honest it doesn’t bother me if he puts Legzdins in what really used to worry me was when the only alternative was Colin Doyle!!
Hopefully 2-1 to Blues, but I wouldn’t put money on it! KRO
Tense, figity, nervous, exited… Anticipation is starting to take its toll now , let’s hope they do us proud and we all get behind them and push on to beat the vile .. Let’s sing and chant like never before, Come On Blues!! Kro
I’ll be amazed if he drops kuszczak, his experience will be invaluable tonight
My head is saying 1-1 after 90 mins & blues to win 2-1 in extra time. My heart is saying blues to totally humiliate them 5-0 but I know that’s not gonna happen, although if we get an early goal & the crowd gets on their back anything can happen. KRO SOTV
I’ve been keeping my prediction all to myself but ime now gonna let you have the bad news … 1-1 after extra time lose 4-3 on pens …. I truly truly truly hope ime absolutely wrong but it’s been nigling me since the draw . Kro
Am I the only blues fan who’s worried, we have had a good start to the season and are full of confidence.however on paper they should really give us a good hiding and they will be up to do that.
That could shatter our confidence and effect the rest of the season.
In saying that if we can hold them off and nick a goal towards the end who knows.
I’ll be donned in my blue and white singing and shouting at the telly as there wasn’t enough tickets but I am worried kro
2-0 to Blues with two Vile players sent off.
Donaldson to get his second hat trick of the season, Gray having his best game for us running them ragged ( he is a blue boy and will know what this game means) and the vile scrapeing one back. 3-1 Blues. Excited and a bit nervous but singing already. Kro
My only worry is if they suddenly work out how to use Gestede. I’ll never forget how he destroyed us in the first half of ‘that game’ against Blackburn.. and it’s not as though we’re dominant in the air. Other than that, we don’t have much to worry about. Keep the midfield as tight as a duck’s wotsit and we have a chance of nicking it. My team would be:
Kuszczak
Caddis Morrison Spector Grounds
Kieftenbeld Davis
Cotterill Gleeson Gray
Donaldson
Bit nervous to be honest, i think it will be either tight and a 1-0 sort of affair or one team will win by a good margin. I am hoping that we do not suffer a heavy defeat as mentioned earlier it could really harm our confidence and with the decent start we have made we could do without a stuffing off our neighbours…. fingers crossed it all goes off well and there is no trouble we can ill afford any bad press….
Fancy us to score just worried we wont be able to keep a clean sheet……….
think it will be a draw and then winner in either extra time or pens… would love us to win on penalties!!
Totally agree Gestede is the key he’s a good player and can be dangerous, he is capable of destroying our defence.We have to watch the high diagonal bal,l something that has caught us out a few times this season.
I think our full backs have a very important part to play tonight. They need to stop crosses coming in.. or at least, limit them as much as possible.
I hope T Sherwood is not reading our concerns on them using Gestede!!
Come on u blues tonight
For those who didn’t know blues have to pay for any damage to the vile ground so don’t do it! Not sure why this is not more published? Dan maybe u could take on and do a piece
Just a word on the referee Robert Madley. The Wakefield based official is only 29 and has been a Premier League for only 2 years. In my opinion he is the best ref in the country and is destined for a illustrious international career.
I hope you’re right Richard… and that your words don’t come back to bite you on the bum. ;)
3-1 to us :)
I’m going 2-1 Blues guys!!..I really think we can hurt Villa tonight! I’ve managed to get a ticket ,next to my mate who’s a season ticket holder :) which should be interesting!……Dont really fancy a kicking so ill have to hold the emotions check until i’m heading back home!
COME ON YOU BLUE BOYS!! KRO
My head says they’re premier league with a premier league budget and squad. And they’re at home with trumped up reason to keep our numbers low.
But my heart remembers when Stan and the Horse put them to the sword …….
KRO!
Let your heart rule your head on this one ….. We loose no shame , we win then there hibernate for the rest off the week . Kro
Finish the game injury free and a victory against Rotherham will do me. No Villa team will emulate our great 2011 Final winners over Arsenal.Happy to play them but the bigger picture is on Saturday. Having seen Derby and Burnley last night it has underlined our credentials for serious contenders. Not because we are that great-simply that we are all similar. Therefore why not us.
Here here mate
Totally agree, apart from Brighton whom have had an exceptional start, the teams around us are no different to us, plus a lot of their results have gone in our favour, and we deserve a playoff place as much as Derby or Forrest, but still early days. Kro
I think that Vila’s 3-1 over Man Utd in 1994 was as good if not better.
is the game on tv
Sky Sports One.
bluenose08, of course it is … Sky sports 1 pal .. Enjoy your viewing mate because ime off to the game now .. KRO & sing your heart out !!
I just hope blues players and fans remember that this is just a game , and that we have friends and family that support the other side ,…….WHAT a load of cobblers , get out there BLUENOSES and take them out ,…this is your Custer’s last stand , your high noon, cannons to the left of them, cannons to the right of them blow them away blues ,but shake hands after you win..come on the light at the end of the tunnel is blinding …kro
I’ve a feeling we’ll score first, but they’ll equalise early in the second half. I think it will finish 2-1… but to whom, I’m not sure. As Mitchell said earlier, as long as we give them a run for their money and come out of it injury free for the Rotherham game, I can live with that.
As long as the players give their all for the fans and the badge then that is all that matters. Obviously I hope we win and I do believe we have a chance but it will be close. Under Gary Rowett we have come along way in such a short space of time and people once again are starting too take notice of us again.
A huge good luck to the players and where that badge with pride no matter what the score is. Keep Right On to all.
Rowett has masterminded cup upsets whilst at Burton, that is the comfort for me tonight, he has a stronger team with Birmingham too.
I think the game will be tight for the first half hour at least. We need a big game from everybody in a Blue shirt tonight but key players like Dimi, Cotts or The Don certainly need a big one. Take our chances when they come & like Staffs said earlier, keep the midfield tight & not allow them to get their crosses in. I think Maghoma is a cert to play if Cotts is ruled out. Whilst Solomon can give them a good run down either flank it’s the defensive part of the game that is going to be equally important & I think Maghoma has more experience of that side. Hopefully we’re still in the tie last half hour & Solomon can come on & rip in to them. Just got to hope we finish with no injuries & give a good account of ourselves. Come on Blues!! KRO!
I think if Cotterill is out, Gray is a shoe in for the right flank, with Maghoma on the left. That should leave a space for Solomon-Otabor on the bench. I still wish we had Wes Thomas to call on. With Brock-Madsen being our only option, we’re a bit limited up top.
What’s happened to Shane Lowry? He is yet to play a Development game let alone a first team game.
He is just the sort of combative player that we could do with tonight.
He had trained with the Orient youth team so can’t be that unfit.
Lowry Is on the bench tonight. No Shinnie or Cotterill. The latter isn’t even on the bench so he must be injured. Hopefully not as serious as his tweet suggests though. Maghoma & Davis start & Caddis back in for Eardley. The remainder is as you were.
Well its 10.30 here in Mauritius.Satelite working.2 bottles of wine open and an emergency packet of fags in the kitchen.5 weeks without one but I reckon the packet might get a thraping tonight.Come on boys-KRO and lets all hold our heads up high tomorrow whatever happens.If the Vile had been through what we have they would have folded and would be playing the Dog and Duck on a Sunday morning.We are Birminghams football team-and you my brothers are part of the greatest fan base on earth.Come on you Blue boys !!!!
Well at half time we have been much the better side but their keeper hasn’t had to make a save yet.
Great performance but in desperate need of a quality centre half.
We did well and Maghoma finishes when clean through and who knows. Their subs were better than ours and it was a different game in the second half. When we got in good positions our final ball was poor. We did ourselves proud so let’s just forget it and look forward to two very winnable games against Rotherham and Brentford which are far more important,
This game has cemented the stark fact that Gray is the passenger. Good all round performance by Blues, but alas no shots on target,no goalmouth action and no threat. Free kicks and corners not good and again I have to question Gray’s running off the ball and generally unable to read the game. Be not foiled by the slender scoreline, not one player had a shot to be saved.Hard I know but we could have played on for hours and not scored. Villa were there for the taking- but you cannot play them with 10 plus passenger.
Cobblers. He wasn’t a passenger. He played well in the first half especially. Why don’t you go and support the Villa if you are going to come out with cr*p like that.
I respect you defending Gray but how long do we have to wait for a telling performance from him. Every game starts the same- close marking due to his reputation,then after an hour he gets let go by the opposition-who realise he is not such a danger. Too many below par matches and the wait goes on. Rotherham and Brentford will hopefully see him shine and I will be the first to be delighted.
I probably went a bit OTT last night straight after the game. I just think saying he is a passenger is also going completely OTT as well. He put the through ball to Maghoma last night who should have done a lot better with our only clear cut chance. Gray hasnt had a big impact this season but he has a reputation now and he is being closely marked and sometimes doubled up on. He is only 19 at the start of his second full season as a first team player. I dont like our young players being slagged off thats all. He has a lot of pressure on him now with all the media attention about him so I would suggest cutting him a bit of slack because if he loses confidence he might well go into his shell.
No goalmouth action?
Were you watching the same game?
Started quite brightly as per usual and faded fast in the second half…..as per usual. Still… I don’t think I’ll be losing much sleep over that and the whole thing has been a distraction from our good start in the league tbh.
Thank God thats over.No distractions now lets just get back to our plan and execute it.Someone said earlier route 1 would get closed down and it did.Gray wasnt a passenger but lacks the ability to know when to have a go.He seems to have lost confidence.Maghoma appears to lack pace or again the confidence to use it.We need a new centre half-I think it was grounds who was left exposed for their goal-sorry if im wrong but the coverage here was bad.Well done to the fans who went-good noise levels.When you think how much they have spent on their team it puts it all into perspective. Forget it and lets move on-any Vile fan crowing about a performance like that with the dosh they have blown is clearly defective.KRO
Spot on though I think it’s going to be easier to forget it in Mauritius than my workplace tomorrow which is jam packed with Vilers!
You should hold your head high. We were beaten 1-0 by a team worth £55m. That’ll be their biggest win of the season….. ours is yet to come.
I beg to differ StaffsBlue they may have cost 55 million but i don’t think they are worth it, personally i would be well peed off if we’d spent that amount for what looks like a poor premiership team.
Well you beg to differ with Mr Rowett too, because he said similar after the match. But, whether they’re worth that much or not, that’s what they cost so there’s no disputing the fact. But you’re entitled to your opinion.
I think the main difference between the two halves was in the first we closed them down in the areas that mattered. We had 3 players around the man with the ball & crowded them out but in the second half we didn’t do that & they had more space which started to hurt us time & again. What becoming a big concern for me is that is the third game in a row where we simply haven’t got our forward play going at all. The counter attacks were sloppy at times & the passing wasn’t up to the standard it was at the start of the season. We have to get that part of our game going again or we are going to struggle as that IS our game & how we play. All in all though, a fair result overall. We have to remember that is our third game in the last 8 days. That’s Villa’s third game since August 29! We matched them but just lacked that final bit of quality required going forward!!
I thought we did ok tonight contained them well in the 1st half but they had better quality and it showed in the 2nd half. Grealish looks top notch and ran the show for them he was a real handful. We had one great chance in the 2nd half and it might have been different if we had taken it. We competed well and should not be too down that we have lost to a premiership team.
Solid first half performance, closed them down in the middle and kept things tidy with slick passing. Clayton worked hard again but lacks a real killer instinct as a lone forward when he has space in front of him. Gray is fast becoming a myth. No real cutting edge, not much of a threat and we can’t keep waiting for another moment of brilliance like that which rocked the dingles last season. Second half we were like a different team (I thought it was the vile who were booed off at half time, you would think it was us), we lacked confidence, sat deeper and allowed the gypo to dominate the middle and bring some composure to the vile midfield. Maghoma got into some threatening positions so I won’t knock him for that but my god did we miss our dead ball maestro tonight. Free kicks and corners were very tame. Heads up and lets get back on with the real work of getting further up the table. This time next month the vile will only be two or three places above us in the league!!!
5000 miles from home. Parks my car at the sea front in Monterrey. I get out the car and who walks past? A bloody Vile fan in a Villa shirt! What’s the chances of that? Anyways he recognised my Blues shirt and commiserated on our defeat and a creditable performance. Wife’s loving her break but I am missing our beloved Blues. KRO.
Ok, so they won the second half and took the game but I just wanted to make a comment about TS – sorry, can’t even bring myself to say his name. He could have been magnanimous in victory but to say in his post match interview ‘… we always planned to change it at half-time …’ (yeah, right), and ‘….then we murdered them.’ The man would do well to learn to take a leaf out of Gary’s book and learn some manners. Pathetic rant over.
Hope we give our Blueboys a fantastic reception on Saturday – I know I will.
KRO
Agreed, Bluegirl! Although what I was disappointed with is GR didn’t respond to their changes. It was clear we were getting overrun in the middle & the move he made last week bringing Robbo on to sit in front of the back four might have been a better option this week. Not to worry though, back to the league which is far more important for us. Let’s hope the Vile are distracted by the cup & their poor league form continues, lol!
Posted same on face book thought he sounded complete prat
There’s the reason Daniel Levy let him go at Spurs. He a charmless, arrogant oaf
If any one was listening to Talk Sport yesterday, they compared TS to our own Gary Rowett and the decision was unanimous that GR was head and shoulders above, they could not believe that TS had said in an earlier post match interview that the Vile had been ‘Unlucky’, so after spending 55 mil and a new manager on mega bucks they still need a bit of luck!! Well they were lucky last night.
Sorry for all you who were there mates. Must have been heartbreaking to see that header go in after such a valiant performance. Never mind, the pride we took away is worth gold bars. As Vera Lynn sang “We’ll meet again” and it looks like in the Premiership…unless Vile gets relegated of course!