Birmingham City go down 3-2 at Derby County. Andy Munro comments.
This defeat almost came into the ‘We Wuz Robbed!’ category, such were the number of shots Blues had but defensive mistakes again let us down and it’s beginning to be a worry how often we concede early on.
In fairness to Pep Clotet, the side he picked is the one I would have chosen, with two up top and a wide player (Jacques Maghoma) but this now the third time we’ve leaked three goals away from home. Pep is apparently known for his defensive coaching yet this is where we are failing. Since Michael Morrison left, there seems to be a lack of leadership and to have players trying to defend when outnumbered is criminal.
To me, it’s up to someone in the back four to organise and ensure there is always a spare man in defence and to also ensure the midfield track the opposition runners from midfield.
However, I don’t think this is happening and this lack of leadership may extend to Pep himself. Is he the right sort of character to both inspire and read the riot act where necessary. He seems a nice bloke but is he too nice?
On the plus side we looked good going forward and Dan Crowley yet again showed why he should be first on the team sheet with Ivan Sunjic also continuing to expand his influence game by game. Alvaro looked sharp and my plea to the gaffer would be to give him and Lukas Jutkiewicz a decent run together….understanding in football is nine tenths of the game.
On the subject of the Juke, he’s great in the air, great at holding the ball up but probably not clinical with his feet so the question needs to be asked whether we haven’t somebody more suitable to take the penalties.
Anyway, it’s not a crisis yet but we certainly don’t want three defeats on the bounce (unlucky though we might have been not to get something from either Preston or Derby). Wigan away now assumes massive importance unless we want a freefall down the table.
