Birmingham City: Colin Tattum's promotion season review
Colin Tattum, our man at St Andrew's and the Birmingham Mail's chief sports writer, gives his appraisal of Blues remarkable 2008-09 season that ended in promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.
With Bowyer outstanding in driving the team up the pitch, Franck Queudrue providing inspiration here and there and Blues, collectively, playing on the front foot rather than allowing the opposition to settle and have an easy time of it, there was a distinct menace and purpose from them.
The way Blues swamped Bristol City, the tempo set by front two Jerome and Bent, was the template for the nine-game unbeaten run to the dramatic season climax. That victory was massive, a turning point.
Larsson came alive again at the right time as his head seemed elsewhere for too long and defensively Blues were hardened old souls, with Maik Taylor and Liam Ridgewell excellent. For all the criticism of the backline, they have proven themselves the best in the division, garnering 17 clean sheets for good measure.
Jerome plundered key goals last month and when Wolves were defeated at St Andrew’s by the 10 men, and Blues recovered from having Maik Taylor sent-off for conceding a penalty that wasn’t in the Plymouth Argyle match on Easter Monday, there was a sense that Blues knew it was their time.
But this being Blues, they did it the hard way. Losing to Preston North End when it was all there before them; that could have been that.
They responded. At Reading they were pumped up and drew on their pool of experience, and showed plenty of pride, to emerge victorious. When the kitchen sink came at them during a nerve-shredding last 30 minutes, it was promptly sent back to Homebase.
Blues promotion has been a triumph of sound management – McLeish hasn’t been given due credit for his tactics, organisation and planning – flexibility, players strength of character, discipline and determination, plus dollops of quality thrown in when needed.
Whereas Wolves success was three years in the making, this was very much needs must, a short-term requirement of an immediate bounce back from relegation. And so there was more attendant pressure, as well as simmering negativity that has welled up over the years and was always quick to surface.
Blues were as inconsistent as the next team and yes, maybe they should have achieved title-winning status, with more panache. But – that phrase again – they got the job done and they deserved their promotion.
