Birmingham 2 Nottingham Forest 0: Andy Walker's big match verdict

Feb 16 2009 by Andy Walker, Birmingham Mail

WHAT a difference a week makes.

This time seven days ago, Alex McLeish didn’t know what he was doing, Kevin Phillips was Blues’ only hope and, as for promotion, forget about it.

How times change in this fickle industry we call football.

While one swallow doesn’t make a summer, it was quite apt that the St Andrew’s faithful fell back in love with their beloved Blues on Valentine’s Day.

The relationship between McLeish’s team and their grumbling fans had been as rocky as Kate Moss and Pete Doherty’s on-off fling a couple of years back.

However, come 5pm on Saturday, they were back holding hands and whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears.

McLeish clueless? He made two changes to the side who drew with Burnley the previous Saturday and both of the new starters scored. You can’t ask for more than that.

Clueless without Phillips? Disaster seemed to have struck when Mr Reliable limped off with a hamstring strain in the 31st minute. But, for the remaining 59, Blues proved they are a side who don’t have to rely on the 35-year-old striker.

Promotion hopes over? Today, Blues find themselves in second place in the Championship, three points behind faltering leaders Wolves and with a game in hand – whatever was the matter?

The performances of Marcus Bent and David Murphy against Forest symbolised the dramatic turnaround in feelings from the stands. Both players had been much maligned in recent weeks yet both put in arguably their best performances in a Blues shirt.

Bent did what he does best. He was a muscular battering ram that ensured the Forest defence were never allowed any respite by jumping for every flick-on and chasing down every ball. Although he wouldn’t admit it, Bent needed to put in a performance following the arrival of Carlos Costly and the imminent return to fitness of Garry O’Connor.

Murphy admitted during the week that he had yet to show the fans what he was capable of but he did just that here.