Andy Munro tries to remain optimistic after watching Blues lose to Charlton.
It was typical that after two stirring performances Blues should suffer defeat without even a whimper against an almost equally awful Charlton side.
For the starting line up, Lee Clark made a number of changes; some enforced, some to introduce fresh legs and some purely tinkering Lee Clark style. Not that the crowd would know about it with the scoreboard out of action yet again (mercifully as it turned out) and a loudspeaker system that sounded like a radio transmission from the thirties. Robbo came in to play at full back behind Damirai Gray with Ferguson strangely confined to the bench and there were various other changes, yet bizarrely the one change missing was breaking up the Ziggy/Novak partnership thereby confining us to a completely pace less attack.
This was superbly illustrated in one of our rare first half attacks when a superb ball from midfield set Novak free down the middle. On second thoughts the term ‘set free’ is a gross exaggeration as he was quickly caught up and despairingly headed for the wing only to lose the ball. Meanwhile Ziggy wandered around like an extra in a Hammer horror movie occasionally crashing into people and creating a foul or more often repeatedly losing heading duels against players seemingly half his size. What Matt Green has done not even to get a place on the bench with such a slothful attack, defies any logic.
In fact Blues could have been two or three down at half time with the defence getting itself into a variety of tangles. The returning Randolph was a bit of an enigma as he made a couple of spectacular stops only to have a rush of blood to his head when dealing with back passes. Caddis continues to flatter to deceive while Robbo had one of his worst games in a Blues shirt. Our wide players spluttered, with Burke looking as if he was still worried about his hamstring and Gray erratically tricky. In fact only Adeymi and Reilly had reasonable games, although they hardly set the world alight.
A second half goal from Charlton was always on the cards although Randolph should have done better when he spilled the ball. Blues response was a tepid affair and they looked laboured even with the introduction of Ferguson and Lovenkrands, the latter missing an open goal when we carved out probably our only chance for an equaliser. So much for the ‘reinvigorated’ Dane.
We certainly looked nailed on relegation fodder and,if I was at the helm I would stick to 4-4-2 and try and foster better understanding between players, letting other teams worry about us and, fitness permitting, play the following team: Randolph; Caddis, Murphy, Burn and Robinson; Burke, Reilly, Adeymi and Ferguson; Zigic and Lingard. Hardly a world-beating XI but probably our best option in these dire days.
