Often Partisan

2011 winners v 2013 winners; Capital One Cup Preview

Birmingham City face Premier League side and holders Swansea City in the Capital One Cup this evening in a third round tie that will have plenty of intrigue. Will Blues be able to carry forward their good form into this fixture and will Swansea play a full team knowing that they have a European campaign to add to their Premier League exploits?

Swansea City

Swansea are flying high in the Premier League at the moment and come into this game on the back of comprehensive away victories at Selhurst Park and the Mestalla, where they beat Valencia 3-0 in the Europa Cup. Indeed, the south Wales side haven’t lost an away game since losing to Petrolul Ploiesti in the Europa Cup playoff round and have scored seven goals in three games since then without reply.

Neil Taylor should return after suffering a dead leg but it is unlikely that Ashley Williams or Pablo Hernandez will be risked.

Blues

Blues come into this fixture buoyed by a 4-1 weekend win over Sheffield Wednesday but the undoubted star of the show on Saturday, Jesse Lingard, will not play due to the terms of his loan. Neither will Kyle Bartley face his parent club and David Murphy will not be risked either.

With Will Packwood playing 90 minutes in a behind closed doors reserve friendly yesterday he will play no part in the game and the big question will be if Blues will shuffle Jonathan Spector to centre back and bring in someone like Reece Brown into midfield or if they will play with a flat back four, bringing Caddis in for Bartley and bringing in someone like Shane Ferguson or Mitch Hancox at left back for the rested David Murphy. There is a possibility that rookie Amari’i Bell might figure in the squad having been given a squad number on Monday.

I can’t see Blues winning this – however the pressure is off as it’s not in any way a must win game and Swansea are most definitely favourites and I wonder if that could work in Blues’ favour. I’ll be happy with a good performance and no injuries tonight; a win would be an added bonus.

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29 Responses to “2011 winners v 2013 winners; Capital One Cup Preview”

  • blewnozejohn says:

    I accept that a win will be a bonus against a good premiership side. I just hope we can keep an element of momentum going whatever the outcome tonight. What is happening with Zigic?

  • Bluenosesol says:

    Ziggy scored again after playing 90 minutes for the U21’s yesterday! So he wont be in the squad but good news anyways

  • Masaccio says:

    Don;t disgrace ourselves and give some of the fringe players a run out, maybe a few quid in the cofferes for pannu’s expenses too!

  • Tone1963 says:

    Guys just looked at the pictures of the Blues win in 2011 on the Birmingahm City site – ahh what memories if ever you feell a bit down about the Blues and the siutation we are in really just look at the faces of the fans if that doesn’t get you feeling proiud nothing will
    KRO

  • dave mann says:

    looking forward to the game tonight, there play a weakened team but so will we so there
    massive favourites, a win would be a bonus and just get that little sniff of wembley if we
    get a good draw just like 2010/11, ok we were premiership then but not to long after we
    werent so anything can happen and it wont do any harm to our league form if we can
    beat the holders, it will give us added confidence, more games yes but i wont be one
    of those saying ” small squad” ” to many games” ” cant cope”…….rubbish, it wont wash
    with me and never will! KRO.

  • Barry says:

    Will be happier to see us go out tonight, sorry to say. We haven’t the squad for league and cup and all our efforts should be geared to ensuring that we don’t drop out of this league. Hope the team enjoy themselves and come out of it injury-free

  • Marky mark says:

    Looking forward to the game whatever the result chance for some players to shine
    And push for a first team slot.

    No pressure on the team so should see a decent game, no real shocks in this round so far
    Perhaps tonight’s the night, shows how far we have fallen when beating Swansea at home is now
    Classed as an upset, still good times will return one day

  • dave mann says:

    sorry Barry but how can you be “happpier” if we go out tonjght, dont make sense to me.
    ive never come out of st andrews feeling happy after weve lost and never will. your
    right that the league is more inportant, ofcourse it is thats bloody obvious but to be
    happy at loosing a cup game cause we aint got the squad and loosing our momentum
    from saturday shows some blues fans aerent bothered about winning there just
    bothered about surviving and that shows just how sad some of us are, sorry for
    being harsh but marky mark bang on, lets go and play try and win and cause a shock
    by beating swansea cuz it would be a shock and that in itself shows how far we have
    fallen.KRO.

  • Ali Duncan says:

    Hoping for an entertaining attacking game. Anything else would be a bonus. It would be nice to see a few of their flair players on the pitch. To have a look at Michu in the flesh would be good but I suspect he might be rested.

  • pierre says:

    as mentioned before what’s happened to Callum Reilly, is he injured, or just fell down the pecking order?

  • dave mann says:

    ide love to see michu play but i dont think he will start, he might be on the bench incase
    we give them problems but there play a second string i would imagine, as for callum
    reilly he should definetley start tonight along with assante, green, reece brown and
    mitch hancox and other fringe players, get down there cuz it will be a barnstormer of
    a game with a few goals but i will not predict the score, ive given up on that!.KRO.

  • Ali Duncan says:

    My only worry is that if we conceed a couple of early goals and then the heads could drop and then we get spanked which would be bad for morale. Fingers crossed we can keep it tight for the first 20 minutes or so.

  • Bob Your Uncle says:

    Would like to see Asante play, to see what he could offer to the team and also Reece Brown and Callum Reilly in the middle of the park. Would be great to see an upset, but as long as the lads give it everything and are solid we should be in for a shout.

  • dave mann says:

    theres always one or two shocks and there hasent been so far, so whos to say it wont
    happen tonight, the cups the cup and over 90 mins, exrta time, penalties we could do it
    so lets go for it and make a game of it, should be a cracker! KRO.

  • dave mann says:

    my team tonight NOT lee clarks.
    doyle
    caddis,burn,robinson
    spector,rilley,brown,hancox
    burke,green,ferguson.
    3-4-3 same as saturday, fingers crossed! KRO.

  • mark says:

    We all like cup surprises give the same account of yourselves as you did against yeovil, and you cannot go far wrong imo…….. My heart go with blues tonight. But my brain say if we lost two nil I could live with that………….come on matt give to them.

    • bcfc1975 says:

      we nearly did mark that first half, but blues showed great character in the second half and stick three in the onion bag against premiership opposition blues definately deserve lot credit. kro

  • mike b says:

    hi all….or………………
    —————doyle—————–
    –caddis—burn—–robinson—–hancox–
    –spector——–adeyami——–ferguson
    burke————green————kobi………

  • chas says:

    Very well done, Blues..

  • Dean BCFC says:

    Yeah and Stoke can’t be more difficult than Swansea.
    Can’t understand those who wanted us to go out – surely our confidence is sky high tonight
    Dreaming of 2011 again , and all the couch supporters suddenly raising an interest
    Must admit I missed the match tonight , first for a while but Wednesdays are out for me ( and they moved my seat ) – back for the rest of the season ticket though , and the cup run

  • skareggae72 says:

    60% of possession against holders Swansea,and 3 goals to their one,i have to say i am surprised,but bring on Stoke,the League Cup always brings us the greatest surprises.

  • mark says:

    surprise surprise sh*t attendance absolutely bloody shocking do we care do care i dont bloody care…….2-0 to championship side 3-0 to championship………..well -done blues…………………….3-1 hope your happy the ones that stayed at home hope glad you you stayed at hommmme……….

  • mike b says:

    hi all…………….can not say anything except….what a fantastic performance by all the players tonight……a real pleasure to watch………..


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