Often Partisan

Reasons to be happy

I should imagine this morning will see a few Blues fans a bit worse for wear after a heavy night; it’s not often we score six away from home. I’ve not seen more than ninety seconds of the game – apparently the BBC didn’t think we were worth more than that – so I’m not going to comment on individual performances or such like. However, I did want to talk about the positives that had come out of the game.

A couple of days ago, assistant manager Colin Calderwood made a point about the team needing to keep a clean sheet away from home. I think he had a point – in eighteen away games in all competitions, we’d only kept two clean sheets – only one in thirteen away league games. We’ve played impressively at times away from home but mistakes that have given away goals have cost us so often. Despite winning 6-0, the impression I’ve got from those who went was that first half we were under the cosh somewhat. Resolute defending kept the Lions out, and the clean sheet became the basis for our win.

One of the other things that has cost us this season is a lack of clinical finishing – we’ve certainly created chances game by game but we’ve also spurned a lot of them. Today was a bit different – the stats from the BBC say that Blues has seventeen shots on goal, of which twelve were on target. To take six of them gives us a shot to goal ratio of better than a third – much, much higher than we have been doing. I’ve felt confident for a while that someone was going to take a pasting from Blues and circumstances conspired that it was Millwall today.

It’s not just clinical finishing either, it’s that ruthless streak. Many teams who are 2-0 up with sixteen minutes to play against nine men would sit back a bit – especially with a fixture pileup in the coming weeks to think about. Not Blues though. One thing that has continually impressed me about Hughton this season is that he’s never been content to take his foot off the gas – he is always chasing more. To push for goals even into injury time when so massively in front is testament to Hughton’s attacking intentions and the result is our goal difference is now a very healthy plus 13.

One thing that this result isn’t is complete evidence we’re going to piss this league now we’re out of Europe. You only have to look back at the Ipswich game to see Blues are equally as capable of playing badly as they are well. However, what it does show is the potential that Blues have – and maybe we can make that push. In recent years, 75 points has been the marker to get into the play offs, with 85 points being the score to aim for for automatic promotion. With 21 games left, I can see Blues getting another thirty-five points – even forty-five doesn’t sound that bad. Of course, a major part of what happens in the remainder of the season is the financial aspect of the club, but with news breaking today of some money coming in from Hong Kong there is more reason to be positive.

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21 Responses to “Reasons to be happy”

  • ForevertheOptimist says:

    Good result yesterday and the confidence boost for everyone will be more than welcome.
    With news coming out of potentially some money coming in to keep us going …we finally may have some good news to shout about over the longer term.
    Chris Houghton as ever continues to guide us in the right direction and can’t help feeling this guy needs to be our ” major signing” of the window.
    Whatever happens the Keep Right On philosophy ensures theres never a dull moment at our beloved club.
    Keep Smiling.

  • David says:

    Surely Reasons To Be Cheerful 1,2,3…

  • noobloo says:

    Having seen the full 90 minutes Iwouldnt get carried away. B/ham should have been 3-0 down in first 15 mins had Millwall taken their chances and it really wasnt tlll Millwall went down to 9 men that B/ham took control, even against 10 men they found it hard going. That said, what I hope it does is give everyone confidence and momentum to go onand win the league. Which incidently I think is possible because their is a real resillince and togetherness about the team

    Zigic was absolutely brilliant, he should get an oscar for that performance. If he can get 2 men sent off every week then get your money on Blues to win the league

  • AR says:

    Where has the news broken about money from HK? Who is providing it & does it say how much?

  • Oldbluenose says:

    Great result yesterday,!!. Clean sheet,!!. ^6 goals scored, [ amazing ]. Away WIN, [ unbelievable ]..

    I am also agog, about said news that financial help could be on the way from Hong Kong. Can you enlighten us, mate,?.

  • skareggae72 says:

    Often teams will raise there game when reduced to 10 or 9 men,as they feel a sense of injustice,take a look at Fulham,couldnt beat a 10man relegation fodder Blackburn,but we professionaly despatched of the opposition.It was clinical.
    Nice to see King banging in a few goals,he must have taken some stick fom the assembled `mob`,more of the same now please.

  • Ali Duncan says:

    Positives can be taken from the game but until the second sending off Millwal were the better side. We seemed to have no hold of the midfield and at times the ten men dominated possession. If Millwall had been more clinical earlier on it could have been a very different story.

    However the +13 goal difference is pleasing and as a day out it was the best away day I’ve had in a long time. Paying for it with a shocking hangover now though. KRO!

    • noobloo says:

      nice to see other blues fans can see the reslt and performance for what it was, i agree Millwall looked by far the better side and to be honost i thought they were off their hed still trying to attack with nine men and even scored with 9 men.

      This result will however do b/ham a lot of good because they can look at the table and see themselves in touching distance and that in itself will give them a lot of self belief and I for one can see them going on and winning the league because sides like Millwall will take points off the top teams which will allow us to start catching up so long as we concentrate on doing our own job week in way out

  • SteveR says:

    Hey Almajir, it’s a testament to your great work here, that the place I look now for context following a great result is OP – whether you’ve been to the match or not. Thanks so much for all you do.

    Great result and particularly uplifting for anyone that has experienced an away trip to Millwall (second leg play offs was the only time I’ve been).

    On the money story, it feels just like that to me, a story. Let’s follow the money, not the spin. Nonetheless it is good to see positive newsflow rather than negative.

    Cheers!
    Steve

  • Big Bill says:

    Here’s a new song from the Redditch Coach after the Millwall game:-
    To the tune of “Let’s all have a Disco…. LA LA LA LA LA”

    Let’s all have a Six-OH
    LA LA LA LA LA
    LA LA LA LA

    Let’s all have a Six-OH
    LA LA LA LA LA
    LA LA LA LA

    I thank You, and Good Night.

  • Harry Meadows says:

    Just wanted to say-that news of cash coming in was also on the sky website. I’m taking my foot off the gas a bit on the owners etc for certain reasons, I’ll keep up to date with what you post though. kro.

  • Dirty Bertie says:

    Well, it’s either party time or a funeral for some. Milwall was an aberration.

    I think PP’s won his argument in HK and the backers are, tentatively, willing to invest a bit more money as a result of CH’s potential. If it goes belly up, they”ll pull the plug – they not being CY.

    Roll on the end of January and the publication of BIHL’s accounts.


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