Birmingham City 2, Blackpool 0 - Colin Tattum's big match verdict

Oct 25 2010 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

IT may have disappointed some in the Tilton Road End – a chant of ‘‘4-3-1-2’’ doesn’t quite roll off the tongue – but it did the trick for Blues.

Alex McLeish was quick to state that the new formation was not going to be the regular way forward, and a lot of tosh is made of systems; if you win, it doesn’t matter that much if you dotted six left-backs all over the place.

Yet it has to be worth a go again in the right circumstances, as it definitely was in leaving Blackpool more than a little dazed and confused.

Blues played with a vigour, vibrancy and inventiveness that was refreshing.

Short, sharp and clever passing beyond the defence and not square, decent and swift movement, full-backs bombing on and not trundling up field almost apologetically – McLeish and Blues did a shakedown at Wast Hills in preparing for what was a must-win game and it came off.

Blackpool are, no doubt, the right sort of opposition against which to change tack so markedly. They like to run free, attack and don’t mind leaving space.

Credit to McLeish and Blues for identifying that and taking advantage.

Plus, the adaptability and intelligence of those on the field to understand the roles and perform.

In the same way Eck decided that 4-5-1, considering the personnel available and the opposition, was the right way to approach Arsenal away, here, he employed a diamond shape with Barry Ferguson at the base, imperious and strutting. Ian Holloway is always great value and honest, and the Blackpool boss felt he had been kippered.

“Alex done us and done me with his tactics,” he said.

“I thought he blocked up what we normally do. I thought they passed it superbly well, the balance of their team was excellent and they caused us problems. They won it back off us too early and kept having the ball.

“They played in a way I wasn’t aware they were going to play, 4-diamond-2. I’ve seen them play 4-4-1-1, but that really scuppered us.”

Blues put themselves on the front foot and Blackpool on an uncertain footing.

Even though the goals came from rather scruffy set-pieces, they were deserved.