- Home
- Birmingham City
- Current Squad
- Adam Legzdins
- Jonathan Grounds
- Paul Robinson
- Ryan Shotton
- Maikel Kieftenbeld
- Robert Tesche
- Stephen Gleeson
- Clayton Donaldson
- Diego Fabbrini
- David Cotterill
- Rhoys Wiggins
- Che Adams
- Lukas Jutkiewicz
- Viv Solomon-Otabor
- Jacques Maghoma
- Greg Stewart
- Jonathan Spector
- David Davis
- Michael Morrison
- Tomasz Kuszczak
- Paul Caddis
- Development Squad
- Academy
- Ladies Team
- Sophie Baggaley
- Alex Windell
- Meaghan Sargeant
- Jess Carter
- Kerys Harrop
- Freda Ayisi
- Kirsty Linnett
- Bella Linden
- Andrine Hegerberg
- Abbey-Leigh Stringer
- Melissa Lawley
- Charlie Wellings
- Chloe Peplow
- Rebecca Lloyd
- Connie Schofield
- Emily Westwood
- Cheryl Edwards
- Corina Schröder
- Ashlee Brown
- Coral-Jade Haines
- Aoife Mannion
- Ann-Katrin Berger
- Out on Loan
- Former Players
- Boards and Advisors
- Appearance Data 2014/2015
- Current Squad
- Factfiles
- Series
- Sponsorship
- Website Info
- Social Media
- Contact Me
Another Tigerish Away Performance From Blues? Hull City Preview
Birmingham City make the trip north to Humberside today to take on Steve Bruce’s high-flying Hull City, eager to continue a run of form that sees them without an away defeat in 2013.
Hull City
Hull sit third in the Championship with sixty-two points and have won four of their last six games. However, they were brought to Earth with a bump going down by three goals in eight minutes to Bolton in a match that eventually finished 4-1 to the Trotters. Prior to that game Hull had only conceded three in five matches.
Hull’s chief tormenter and former Blues player Sone Aluko will not play in this game as he faces surgery for a troublesome injury. However George Boyd, who has signed on loan from Blues’ last opponents Peterborough United could make his starting debut after coming on as a sub at the Reebok. Abdoulaye Faye and Paul McShane could also both come into the team.
Blues
Blues continue to be without Marlon King who may need to see a specialist over his troublesome knee, whilst young left-back Mitch Hancox is a doubt with a thigh niggle. Robert Hall has returned to West Ham to get his injuries looked at which means new loan signing Shane Ferguson is called into the team straight off.
Lee Clark has spoken about looking at the Hull City formation which utilises wing backs and I think there is a possibility that Blues could go five in the middle to counteract this, dropping Peter Lovenkrands for Shane Ferguson and shifting Wade Elliott to a more central position behind Nikola Zigic. I don’t think that there will be any other changes barring the potential Robinson for Hancox switch if Mitch can’t pass a fitness test.
On the one hand, this is a tough fixture for Blues against a side aiming for the top flight and despite their improvement Blues have struggled against teams that don’t play a flat 4-4-2 as Watford have shown. On the flip side Hull City come into this game on the back of a big defeat to Bolton and Blues are decent on the road – a point is more than possible and would help continue to pull Blues into midtable safety.
Tags: Hull City, Marlon King, Mitchell Hancox, Paul Robinson, Shane Ferguson
51 Responses to “Another Tigerish Away Performance From Blues? Hull City Preview”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Yep, we should be actively looking for a point from this game.
We should have ideas to counter the way that they are set-up to play under Bruce.
The confidence and consistency is seeping back in, and there is no reason to be to overly concerned about those Hullsters.
A feisty fixture and a 1 – 1 draw.
Come on you Blues!!
Every time we seem to be getting to a good place we get a knock back. Be it in getting new owners, reports and accounts being published or going on a winning/drawing run.
So if form of all this is to go by then we are due a knock back in the footy arena.
However I think a draw is achievable but concentration needs to be 100% Good luck LC and the boys.
Hull fans appear to have over reacted by their surprise defeat at Bolton when their defence switched off for 8 minutes conceding 3 goals during that period. This will make for a very nervy atmosphere. If we can score first and early we will be in with a good chance! KRO
If Blues escape relegation this season then I tell you we won’t next season! 3-0 down at half time; the players can’t be bothered!
Clark has to go.He is tactically inept,he knew that hull set up like watford so what does he do? Nothing!! Clark is an embarrassment and he must go,otherwise we will be a league one club next year.
2 up front against 5 in midfield away from home! Sorry that is a joke. How does he not learn?
He doesn’t learn. That is why he never got #HTFC up. He just perpetuated the same mistakes.
During the one occasion I take a punt and make a prediction on-line, I mess-up spectacularly and get the result so wrong.
We score two goals away from home to a very good team but still lose by a three goal margin.
How??
I’m really not wishing to cross swords with the “Clark fan club “but can anyone supporting Clark give a rational explanation which will justify this thrashing please.?
Hi Art. No doubt the self proclaimed TVOR will put a positive spin on Clark’s terrible decision making as he like Clark live in cloud cuckoo land!
Unfortunately the performance was more tiggerish then tigerish. Need to bounce back bit style on tuesday when hopefully we’ll make Blackpool look like donkeys.
I think we will just about survive this season but “god help us next season”if Clark is still with us.
I listened to the commentary on the Internet -apparently we were awful!,
Yet another mauling this season.
As for the Clark fan club,i think they are still out celebrating our win over last weeks basement side & a 0-0 draw with a poor Sheff Wed,which,apparently meant we were safe from relegation?
On a more positive note at least we managed to claw out 2 late goals but the def is all at sea,i fear for an uncomfortable end to the season(again).
The only consolation today is that some other results have gone our way. Shef W currently 0-1 down to Forest so lets hope that score stays that way. Looking for a big reaction on tuesday and 3 vital points.
I’m at a loss to understand why we are conceading so many goals and what are the coaching staff doing about it?
Collectively these guys including Clark must be earning circa of £600k pa and are qualified FA coaches and yet they can’t get it right..Clarks biggest mistake was not sacking his backroom staff following the Barnsley thrashing.
Will stop now before I really get angry!
Totally agree with you Art. Await the VOR as we will be toast!!
Come on you lot, cut him some slack. He’s had his hands tied behind his back and is doing a good job under the circumstances! Lmfao!!
Clark, your time was up months ago, but still you persist on making us suffer your total ineptness, tactical unawareness and confidence shot players- who are probably as mystified as us with your so called management skills.
We have become a laughing stock under your shrewd leadership.
Clark out now, before he takes us down.
The big difference today Hull were organised with a plan we were all over the shop, Clarke and Mcdermott knew how hull play and we encouraged them.Just what does Terry Mac do? hes a joke absoloute joke
We have good players but they are rudderless and fast losing interest, god help us.
We all know, that Clark and his two coaches are not good enough,but calling for them go is a waste of time. He will not resign,where else will he get a job? No one else (certainly no one any good) will take the job. The people, all bluenoses, should be aiming their anger at, is Pannu and Carson. They are to blame for everything that has gone wrong at St.Andrews. They are totally incompetant,as proven by their problems in Hong Kong . Lee Clark is the patsy in all this. He was the only one that would take the job,all the others,wisely refused. We are stuck with Clark,until and if, new owners come in,hopefully before next season starts. Until then,we have to get behind Clark, because,any criticism aimed at him,will ultimately affect the team. And this team needs all the help it can get. Get real,Bluenoses,Clark aint going nowhere,no other manager wants the job,so if you are a true supporter,get behind the manager and the team. Negativity,will win F–nothing !
Your wasting your time John, it won’t sink into the thick heads of some on here, plenty of us have tried.
They just keep coming on here crying about LC being useless and wanting him sacked.
a bit like a stuck record only more boring
He signs Shane Ferguson who has played this season in the Prem on the left side of midfield,
then leaves him on the bench , & then plays Callum Reilly out of position on the left.
Inept doesn’t begin to describe him , & whoever signed off his coaching badge at the FA needs to have a good look at himself as well..
Hi John,
Couldn’t agree more with your PP and CY comments as they are the are the prime cause of many of the current issues.We do however differ with our views on Clark. You say this team needs all the help it can get. -isn’t this the job of Clark and his coaches? The 1000 Blues away supporter who went to the game couldn’t prevent the 5 goals it’s the bloody managers and players job to do that.I have know doubt the supporters were being positive but they witnessed yet another thrashing..I don’t believe he was the only one prepared to take on the job and I have little doubt the job would attract a decent experienced manager even under the current circumstances..
If anyone is being negative its Clark for not offering his resignation….where’s his integrity? …I suspect its in his pocket.
Don’t blame those who genuinely care about the club when Clark is getting paid a substantial sum of money to deliver the results..
Actually John, I remember there being a shortlist of 3 managers that wanted the job, and that was just the shortlist. I bet Blues had tens of applicants for the manager position.
Was not Zola on the list at one time?
Absolutely enough is enough – Clark out!
Just got back another couple of hundred spent on a day out. Rubbish blues.
The goals have come from errors of our own. It wasn’t the formation or the tactics, it was decision making and individual errors.
Lee Clark. Please get right before you start launching your verbal towards Clark. I was at the match and individual let themselves down which was shame really with the two clean sheets we previously had. It amaze me how quick people are to jump down people necks. We live in a world where people want scrape coats to fulfill their request to be right . Their loan player cost hull around millions pounds, people need it put some things into perspective, hull have better quality players than us simple as that. We are simply thread bear no other quality after these eleven players get injured. Just maybe the first top six are simple better that us. We have been a falling giant for some time now, looking at the present table, also three that drop premier league have fair no better, obviously no consolation to some fans. it been awkward season but my faith is still with Clark.Like Paul and others I will down there supporting my team and manager giving my complete backing to the end. Inclarkwetrust. kro
unlike some who sit with their computer to formulate journals of their constant negative of the manager, and today the players let him down with individual mistakes. sorry to bring some of you down earth.
Worst manager in my 20 years of supporting blues, never have a known a blues team to cave in the way we do under clark. I can remember getin spanked by liverpool 7nil under bruce and the 5-1 defeat to the filth under mcliesh, and to be fair the villa team was in top 6 of the prem at the time same as liverpool were top4 team, but clark has out done all of these results in whats not even been a full season yet with todays result, watford at home and barnsley at home (worst performance ever seen from blues team) . He knew the formation that hull play would tear us apart but made no plans to counter it, it was only 2weeks ago we got spanked by watford with that formation, and he hasnt learnt and with the reverse fixture with hull at home same happened then, so he decides to go 442 when it was crying out for 5 across midfeild today to match them up, I dont know if hes gonna be a good manager eventually or not but i know for whatever reason hes not right for blues and the sooner hes gone the better we will be
bluenoseb happy to read your opinion, with regards to Clark 442 takes a brave manager, but individual mistakes cost us this game not the manager. would you still have still have opinion of Clark playing a 451 and still losing….this game was not about formation or tactics it was about individual mistakes made in the first 30 minutes . Two of these was probably down to our young goalkeeper not coming of his line, and he stayed rooted to his 6 yards line. Win as team lose as team. Now it time again to dust ourselves down and get ready for Tuesday and Saturday. Myself I WANT REVENGE on Tuesday against Blackpool, hopefully Marlon back. Unfortunately some of the managers like Houghton saw this coming did had better than expected in his season and resources then ran a mile afterwards…… sorry he bottled it, Regardless of what most posters say Clark will get it right..kro
Can’t say I agree with you there Mark. If you strip It down Hughton made a career move that he felt was to a club that is more attractive. I don’t think he bottled it at all. Managing Blues is simply a job and CH has no emotional ties to Blues. If you ask yourself if was you, would you prefer to manage a cash strapped club in the championship playing in front of a half empty stadium or managing a solvent well run club in the top light playing the likes of Arsenal / Man Utd etc if front of a sell out every week? The question answers itself really.
Mark, with regards to the tactics i just thought going 442 at peterboro worked last week, but its horses for courses and imo a 451 with redmond or ferguson wide left(who i thought would start to be honest) would of gave us a more solid formation and matched their midfield more, and been as last time we played hull we were 3nil down inside half hour jus thought he would of been a bit more cautious. I wasnt at the game so can only go on reports of the pundits and the sky man covering our game said it could of been a lot more espec in first half, so whether the tactics were right i dont really know but we definatley didnt sound as solid as previous 2 games. Have just seen the goals and agree about individual mistakes and thought butland could maybe of done better with couple of goals. The irony is that for the next 2 home games i think 442 is what we should play but today i just thought 451 would of suited us better and give us a better chance of getting a result up there.
Hopefully thats informed the internet fan club, nice when we deal in facts.instead of hearsay……
as i always say i’m not a clark fan but 2 things :
he had to show loyalty to the team that beat p’boro ie 4 4 2
the goals were awful errors – caldwell back to his worst
the next 2 home games will make or break us – 6 points and we are are all but safe
4 4 2 with marlon back – lets judge him after these games
During Lee Clarks remaining time as manager I will be behind the team 100% but as for the man himself I do not prescribe to the view that as we can’t sack him its not worth criticising him. I admit that this season some circumstances have made it a difficult job but he has done a poor job in most aspects of management in my opinion.
Man management – Zigic situation and Jake Jervis situation handled poorly.
Buys – All poor apart from Caddis. Most of the time he leaves his signings on the bench!
Tactically – We have struggled against teams that do not pay 442 yet he refuses to do the obvious and match up with 3 in the middle and make us more solid.
Team selection – Very little consistency in selection. Very reactionary to one off performances.
Just reading the Sunday tabloids. If Caldwell wasn’t. Well. Why was he playing ? Was ibenez injured ?. Couldn’t Robinson have started ? Why play players or are not 100 percent fit ? If there was no other options I could understand it ,
So where are the green shoos of recovery now??
We have been knocked back ref accounts and the team have been knocked back on the pitch, just about makes it a full house for week ending 3/3/2013
Away defeat…well that has got that monkey off their backs! lol!
Not so much an away defeat its the manner in which we lost.
Screw the top half of the table, lets look at where it matters for us right now:
vs Bristol City – W 2-0 Home, playing Away in April
vs Wolves – L 1-0 Away, playing Home in April
vs P’boro – W 1-0 Home, W 0-2 Away
vs Barnsley – L 0-5 Home, W 1-2 Away
vs Sheff Wed – D 0-0 Home, L 3-2 Away
vs Hudd – L 0-1 Home, D 1-1 Away
vs Ipswich – L 0-1 Home, playing Away in April
vs Blackpool – D 1-1, playing Home on Tuesday
vs Charlton – D 1-1 both Home and Away
vs Millwall – D 3-3 Away, playing Home in April
vs Derby – L 3-2 Away, playing Home on Saturday
We have 18 points available to us from the teams around us and if we are to get to 50 points we need 2 wins and 2 draws from 4 Home games and 2 Away games.
More than achievable against Wolves and Blackpool who can’t win, Derby and Huddersfield who can’t score, and Bristol City who are already looking down to League One.
I don’t see what anyone is worried about. We are not one of the 3 worst teams in this league, and ipso facto we WON’T BE RELEGATED!
Our problem does NOT fundamentally stem from Lee Clark and his tactical ineptness,
It stems from having one too few defensive options and Caldwell/Pablo/Robinson as a pairing for Davies is just a triumvirate of incapable old pro’s. Caldwell was clearly at fault for 2 of the first 3 goals yesterday and my only concern with Clark’s choice to start him if he knew he was ill/injured is the fact that he had so LITTLE faith in the replacement choices, he was backed into a corner.
As he has been all season.
This guy has not had a realistic stab at management of this club because he has not had the budget to be able to do anything meaningful. His plan must be to keep us ticking over until the summer when he may get a chance to attract more quality.
As I have said before in all likelihood he will be gone by then with new owners at the door, and I for one will applaud ANY manager who can achieve survival with the tools at his disposal, so good luck to him.
I think a few Blues fans will look back on this in years to come, agree he was a crap Manager but also concede to the fact that not even Mourinho or Ferguson could’ve gotten some of the players we have right now to perform any better than they are, because they don’t really belong at Championship level and I think they know it.
Lets hope that we can get to the 50 point mark, applaud LC for his efforts, strip away all the crap in the summer and start again.
For the time being though let’s leave the Clark Out rubbish off this blog because it has absolutely NO basis in fact. He won’t get us relegated but he MIGHT keep us up, and I would rather bet on that.
KRO
At the start of the season he signed Lovenkrands, Morrison and Ambrose who are all attacking midfield/ second striker type players, when we already had Elliot and Redmond who are more than adequate there. We had no left winger/wide midfielder, and only one left back. The bloke is clueless, stop making excuses for him, the financial situation is not good but he has exacerbated the situation.
Your right he will just aboutnkeep us up but in my view this is still massively under achieving.
spot on
Please, please remove this clown Clark from our club, I can only see more massive tankings if he remains in charge, even the possibility of relegation to the 1st, this is unthinkable. I’d never ever slate a fellow Blues fan, we’re all in it together, we win together, we lose together, but I just can’t understand how Clark still has fans support.
Think Mark must be a Brenda Lee fan Fool number 1 or is it 2?
it not worthy of a comment, but as long as it cheer you mate that’s fine.
Why play Caldwell if he was ill ?
Clark clearly takes an interest in players performance in training,but he still misjudged it,or maybe Caldwell claimed he was up to the level required on the day-although he clearly wasn’t,unfortunately Clark’s decision is final.
I suggest that this situation is monitored closely prior to the game on Tuesday,& hopefully this time the correct decision is made,along with the correct formation & team/player selection.
obviously Steve passed himself fit, In Clark interview once they were back in the dressing room at half time steve holds hand up he was mistaken. At least he tried to go out there, he did not hide or split dummy out, and attempted to give it his all for the course but he was sadly not right. At least he did not cry off like some players……
The current pertinant fact is that we need to regain momentum to gain the points we need to stay up. The reactions of the fans is a key factor. If we keep coming on here and belly aching about the manager, how the hell is that going to help us? If we had won two more matches, we would be 7 points off the play offs and most teams around us have had budgets to deal in the transfer market. Our league position is currently greater than we could have hope for at Christmas and I for one am confident we will stay up, but we need to stay focussed. This isnt about pro versus anti Lee Clark, its about getting behind the team to ensure we stay up. Relegation would be disastrous and we must not let it happen! KRO
I think its 99.9% likely that Clark doesn’t give two-hoots about what is said on here,in fact he has probably never heard of OP(sorry Almajir),but let people let off steam,IMO it doesn’t harm the results/morale/club in any way shape or form,its just individual opinions.
KRO.
Ska,
you may well be wrong there, I have read on several occasions that clubs and managers resort to the local club forums to gauge fan sentiment and I know for a fact that Steve Bruce did when he was here. OP is also clearly taken into account by the Birmingham Mail and I have seen comments on here reflected in the national media.
KRO.