Rock Bottom

Andy Munro gets a familiar feeling watching Blues get beaten 2-1 by QPR.

Maybe we should start a Blues Anonymous group, but as all the other ‘Anons’ are about pleasurable things maybe not. After the QPR match, I was so angry I was going to phone Radio WM especially as, with Wolves playing on Friday, Paul ‘Molineux’ Franks was giving a bit more airtime to the Birmingham clubs.

However, I didn’t get through but here’s a few points that need making….

If the Blues team, according to Steve Cotterill, are nervous and lacking in confidence who is the only person who can instill that? The manager! Even worse, is the emphasis on zonal marking which absolves players of personal responsibility and allows opponents to score the sort of goals that Rangers managed.

Perhaps the worst feature of Cotterill’s reign however, is the complete lack of balance and shape. Colin is one of our most talented players and with a winger in front of him could cause mayhem playing one twos. On the other flank, Grounds is never going to add anything offensively so step forward Bramall, if he were allowed a decent run of games. In midfield, pick anybody (doesn’t really matter) as minders to Jota, who needs to use his tight control in the middle – ie Gardner, Kieftenbeld, Davis, Ndoye and Gleeson. Then play Boga down the middle off Gallagher.

Perhaps the worst feature of the current selection is Blues’ central defence. Morrison’s distribution is appalling and Dean thinks he’s a Beckenbauer when he’s more like a Becky. Why Dacres-Cogley was dropped and never even made the bench is a mystery but that sums up the current contempt at Blues for youth and enthusiasm. As an illustration who would be preferable… Grounds (Bramall); Deane/Morrison (Dacres-Cogley); Boga (Otabor); Gallagher/Jutkiewicz (Storer)? I think we know the answer and, to be honest, playing youngsters would be worth a goal start in crowd support and understanding.