Andy Munro on Blues draw at home to Huddersfield.
I’ve been away for the last three matches when Blues have apparently played unimpressively with impressive results. Surely this Huddersfield match was an opportunity for them to play expansively with little pressure? Unfortunately the Bromsgrove Mourinho played safety first (not unlike the manner of the real thing and the Chelski upset)and, in fact, that lack of derring do very nearly cost us three points, never mind two.
Now, Gary Rowett can only shuffle the cards that he’s been dealt but sometimes, I feel that we could be a mite bit braver without compromising the result, although not in a Lee Clark gung ho manner. In fact, this game was a poor advert for Championship football and maybe that’s what the missing thousands suspected – the missing thousands who swear that they will never return to the Blues until the current owners leave. That is, of course, unless we get a plum draw in the FA Cup against the Albion.
I’m a great believer that football teams generally start as they mean to go on and, on that basis, Blues were always going to struggle as Huddersfield were handed the initiative enabling their recently shattered confidence to quickly grow. In fact, it was a bit of a travesty when the oft-maligned Cotterill scored with a well-taken angled shot.
I have to say that I like Cotterill because he never hides, even on a bad day, of which this was one. He is also likely to pop up with something game-changing. Mind you, this view was patently not shared by a numpty on the Tilton a few rows behind me. He continually berated the player with a shout of “You effing mong” (a comment which can only be taken as autobiographical).
Huddersfield deservedly equalised through an ex-Midland non-league player, apparently a Villa fan just to rub salt in the wounds. After that we huffed and puffed for the rest of the match without really looking that dangerous. Most players had the proverbial mare with only Randolph (an outstanding save), the livewire Caddis and the grafting Davis being exempt from that criticism. Ziggy came on but looks a spent force whilst Wes Thomas frequently threatened without producing.
On the Tom Ross show, there were calls by the fans to give the youngsters a chance and certainly, they need to take a look at the talents of Reece Brown and Charlee Adams. In fairness to Rowett, he probably will but not until we are mathematically safe. Nobody wants to see another nail-biting finish. If we’re safe, maybe the last match fancy dress party should be dressing gown, pipe and slippers.