Often Partisan

Can Blues Go Up? An OP Editorial

It’s been a rough few weeks for Blues fans’ promotion hopes. Defeats against Leicester away and Forest at home; stumbling to draws at Coventry and at home to Derby have seen Blues fall out of the playoff zone and pretty much kiss the chances of automatic promotion goodbye. Can Blues bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt?

At the start of this season, I stated on this blog that as long as Blues finished this season out of administration, having had a decent crack at Europe and consolidated in this division, I’d be happy. Whilst I think in some ways I should continue to think like this, I can’t help but feel at this juncture that not getting promoted would be a failure, especially considering some of the runs Blues have put together. Blues have used fewer players than nearly every team around them, have played more games than every other team around them, and thanks to a league enforced transfer embargo are now firmly stuck with what they have squad-wise.

Tatts stated in the Birmingham Mail yesterday that he didn’t think Blues should be written off just yet. His reasoning is valid; Blues may not have won many recently but it’s not been through lack of effort. In all four games I mentioned above, Blues had chances to score goals that would have potentially won them the game. Unlike previous seasons where they’ve had to grind out results and chances have come at a premium, Blues look likely to score in every game this year – for instance in the last game, before half time Blues had hit the bar, seen the follow-up chance from Caldwell easily saved and Townsend miss a sitter.

In the run of victories Blues had in January, everything seemed to go in. Blues were not only creating chances, they were burying them with a ruthlessness that saw them sweep all before them aside. If Blues continue to make chances in the same vein, at this level it’s only a matter of time before they’ll start making them count again. Whilst the silly mistakes at the back are annoying, I think that even they will dry up if Blues start scoring as freely as before because other teams will back off more.

The playoffs are all about momentum. If Blues can start picking up points – say 20 points from the last eleven games – then they’ll not only undoubtedly be in the playoff zone, but they’ll be bang in form just when they need to be. I’d rather Blues made a late charge into the playoff zone and were red-hot form and goal wise, than if they tailed off as the season finished and limped into the play-offs purely because I think an in-form Blues would do better at the end of the season.

It’s all a matter of belief. If the team believe that they can do it, then the chances are better that they’ll achieve it. As fans, we have to believe in them too and get behind them – because if we do, then the chances are better that the team will succeed. The Blues Promotion Disco Bus (© Rowett) might have taken a slight detour, but it’s still running. With a bit of luck, it’ll take us all the way.

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10 Responses to “Can Blues Go Up? An OP Editorial”

  • mickey07 says:

    This where hughton should/will come into his own (i hope),this is the point where the manager has to do his bit,nevermind all the background stuff going on at the club, “now is the time” as we have a good as squad as anyone in this championship.

  • hiraldo says:

    downturn in form predictably coincided with the Manager of the Month curse (is there a way we can refuse to accept it) and also the arrival of the new recruits. I don’t think any of them are bad players, but I can’t understand the decision to drastically change a winning formula.

    Seems a shame Redmond didn’t break into the first team just as he was coming to the boil.

  • hiraldo says:

    CH won manager of the month in April 2010 with Newcastle, hopefully that shows he has the know-how to deal with mounting pressure as the season climaxes.

  • TonyW says:

    The best thing we have is Chris Hughton, the right man at the right time to see us through , Lets show him our support at every home game till the end of the season.

    • NooBloo says:

      Thats the best statement I have seen for ages. The fans need to play their part. Most clubs in Birminghams position in the league would be getting close to full houses. Why o why cant Birmingham get them.

      We got a good run for our money in Europe. The cups we lost to top premiership clubs and we are in a play off position.

      Do the fans actually want chauffer driven limousines round to pick them up to take them to the match or something ?

  • DoctorD says:

    Well 3-0 against Boro at home today – what a pleasant result for those who couldn’t make the game. And a clean sheet too.

  • bluenose08 says:

    A great result but overshadowed by the news of fabrice muamba fighting for his life so lets all say a prayer for him and hope he makes a full recovery. k.r.o. fabrice.

  • John Walker says:

    My hearfelt best wishes to Fabrice, his family, sporting fiends and competitors hoping he makes a full recovery. I will be saying a prayer for him.

  • Dirty Bertie says:

    I would have been content with a couple of years at this level to sort out the ownership issues and instil a degree of realism into our expectations for the club.

    However, it’s clear that CY’s goose will be stir fried if we don’t get promoted and I believe he deserves another chance at the poker table.

    With that in mind and today’s excellent result steadying the boat I hope we get there.

    I don’t pray but, I hope Muamba pulls through too, KRO.


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