A tale of contrasting system success, and another freakin’ undeserved equalizer

By: Martyn | January 17th, 2009

By systems I don’t mean those of the video game variety or the optional subject usually available to students for the GCSE years in British comprehensive schools. Rather, I refer to the tactical lay-out’s made by the managers in today’s Birmingham City- Cardiff City affair. The Bluebirds secured a priceless 1-0 victory in what must rank as one of our best away results in recent years. Hell, decades! But erm, no they didn’t. Because for what feels like the fiftieth time this season, we were fully worthy of the win we are so close to banking, and BAM. Stoppage time goal. This one from someone as despicable as Lee Bowyer. $%^&^%*&*&*!!!

I want to focus on the formations however because I believe Alex McLeish made a big mistake in playing a two-man centre midfield. Anyone who has watched just one game of us at home to a lower-ranked team this season will have witnessed our difficulties in conjuring a ~~killer~~ pass from the midfield when it’s swamped. As a result, our wingers, don’t get enough space on the ball or enough decent passes to work off, and it’s total shutdown from our point of view. Now I know McLeish will point to the fact that his team are in a lofty position and have found relative success with their systemical approach this season. Nevertheless, the man who changes his set-up in order to counter/thwart the one offered by the opposition shows the signs of a manager worth his weight in gold: Daring, bold, canny, intelligent and informed. Dave Jones seized the opportunity to pump our focal attacks down the wings, realising that Brum (with their radically altered line-up of new faces) would fail to fully gel and feed off or click from anything distributed from the team’s heart. Arguably, Dave Jones got lucky via his counterpart pathetically relenquishing what was a petty tidy hand: By lucky I refer to the fact that our Liverpudlian cheap-transfer lothario is loath to ever change the way he plays. Regardless of this, Dave Jones was the man in charge of the team who really did deserve to win, rather than the better-paid gaffer whose side scraped to a barely deserved point in minutes added on. Matter closed.

After Preston North End defeated Burnley in the lunchtime game, Swansea doing us a favour by beating Reading and Sheffield United beating Watford, we really could have done with a result from this game. I feel ill.

To bullet point the game:-

- We started ever so sharply and brightly, Jay Bothroyd and Paul Parry in particular causing endless problems. However, did we score? Did we heck…
- In spite of this, some Roger Johnson dithering and general uncertainty on how to deal with the counter-attack led to Cameron Jerome coming close. Other than this, Brum were slow and sloppy.
- Liam Ridgewell’s persistent fouling on Jay Bothroyd from the off somehow failed to warrant a booking. The consistency in referee’s applying the letter of the law in this country is mind-boggling and disgraceful. Two months back our very own Miguel Comminges was sent off against QPR for cursing (what were some atrocious refereeing decisions) in French. Wayne Rooney abused the referee with docker’s English on at least three occasions in last week’s Manchester United-Chelsea clash, and got away scot-free. You can bet your bottom dollar had it been Roger Johnson or the Hungarian hero commiting these cynical early fouls, Mr Jones would have reached for his pocket quicker than the sharpest shooting cowboy in the Wild, Wild West.
- At last, half an hour in, Ridgewell was finally booked. After so many late tackles, so much dissent and pulling, and frustration releasing, Ridgewell was lucky to be on the field.
- City had 7 corners in the opening half hour, if that serves to indicate our domination. We were in total control and dictating the tempo and systems/style both teams had to switch to. The first half hour of a game isn’t representative of fitness levels that so obviously tell in the closing stages. But Brum were so prone to error and slicing at the back and stodgy and stifled in the middle of the park that had we brought our shooting boots we could have won the game early on and gone backs-to-the-wall to survive the inevitable last twenty minute onslaught. Kitchen sink, bathroom sink, public toilet sink and all those other sink cliches that I might have just inadvertently invented.
- A clumsy Gyepes challenge then threatened to change the game as Brum should have perhaps had a penalty following a fumble on Jaidi.
- Joe Ledley then almost gifted a goal to one of his best mates, Cameron Jerome (offside, thankfully). Local boy “D’oh” made one of his trademark errors in which he becomes oblivious to the presence of the opposition being on the pitch and gets robbed of the ball in a potentially devastating area of the field with our formation struggling to adjust in time.
- So 0-0 at half time would have been a decent scoreline “on paper” prior to the match starting, but I have news; football isn’t played on paper (unless you count Roy of the Rovers, The Beano’s Ball Boy and Fantasy Football games, in which you case you should probably start engaging with the real thing more often) and the fans, the players, and the manager must have been disappointed (speaking as a fan, I was) at not having a lead to carry out of the tunnel for the second period in the physical non-paper game.
- Rather like the first half, we absolutely dominate the opening quarter of an hour of period two, culminating in a stunning goal by Joe Ledley. Particular worthy of mention was Chris Burke, who surely played the best 15 minutes of football known to Man?
- Cameron Jerome was getting caught offside so many times, a centipede was drafted into most newsrooms in order to calculate the exact figure.
- As Brum threw 4 up front, it was nail biting time.
- 4 minutes of added time. “Oh God”, collectively cry the real Blues faithful, “please don’t let Maik Taylor come up for a corner…”
- ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

We set up in the usual 4-4-2 on-paper formation, fluidity dictating that it shapes more like a 4-3-3 when attacking, 4-4-1-1 when off the ball. Cardiff City, starring….

Peter Enckelman – A hero to the Brum fans after his unfortunate error in a derby game, but a hero to the Cardiff fans after a phenomenal showing. Did not deserve to be on a losing team (yes, I know we drew, but it was one of those that may as well be a loss)

Kevin McNaughton – An atrocious backpass early on almost opened the floodgates, but Kev grew in stature as the game wore on and was his usual swashbuckling self.

Gabor Gyepes – His pace was exposed by the speedy Jerome, but made several timely interceptions.

Roger Johnson – Up and down. Too casual at times, too good at others.

Mark Kennedy – Wasn’t troubled by Sinclair as much as he was by Bouazza after the pair swapped sides, but it’s apparent he hates playing against those younger than him and with that all important ingriedent – pace.

Paul Parry – His early invention and running petered out, but Parry worked his gentleman’s udders off. Replaced by McPhail with just 5 minutes left to tick.

Gavin Rae – Strong and controlling, and was more involved in the build-up and attacking play than normal.

Joe Ledley – Started the game anonymously, but the goal changed his mentality and he began to play more like a captain should.

Peter Whittingham – His set-pieces weren’t superb, but then neither were they bad. Given the amount we had mind, consistency should have come through familiarity. Limped off in first half stoppage time to be replaced by debutant Chris Burke: The fact he couldn’t even continue for that short period of time indicates that the knock/strain/pull could be troublesome.

Ross McCormack – Full of energy, purpose and tricks as per. Didn’t give the Brum backline a moment’s peace, and forced Carsley to drop deep to track him, thus rendering our m impotent for large periods.

Jay Bothroyd – Brilliant touch, strength, intelligent link-up and set-up play and the grace an finesse of a player well above this level of football. Drew the Brum players into so many needless fouls and played a vital part in shattering their confidence, momentum and creativity. Replaced by Eddie Johnson with ten minutes left after making a highly worthwhile contribution.
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Chris Burke – His first piece of action in Cardiff, erm, yellow was a sumptuous set-piece straight onto Roger Johnson’s noggin. After that impressive first half cameo (which lasted less than a minute) he continued in a similar vein and was a real contender for MOTM. Incisive, inventing running, drawing defenders out of place and playing our attackers into the resulting gaps. Had the much sought after final ball so often lacking at this level, and looks to be another bargain.

Eddie Johnson – Put in a shift, albeit for a short period of time. But as per, a goal for this club never looks like it will materialise. As much as he wants to stay, we simply cannot sign him. It would defeat the object of getting rid of Steve Thompson – a player on far less wages – for not scoring enough goals.

Stephen McPhail – Assisted the goal. The Birmingham one that is, after heading straight into Bowyer’s path in the box. There is just no understating how much we Cardiff fans hate the Irishman. What does he offer to this club?! What has he ever given us? Answers on an atom please.

Now I know I was saying in my last post that a draw would suffice, but alas, how pre-match wants change during the course of a game! Next up is Arsenal mind, and Arsene Wenger when watching the video of this game will certainly not like what he sees! Until he reaches the 94th minute, that is…