Birmingham City pre-season: Colin Tattum's analysis
The venue was the same, however the contrast couldn’t have been much greater when Blues went on tour to Austria again.
The sleepy village of Westendorf in the Tirolean Alps was where Blues made their base, and they got on with their business without any distraction, just like in 2008.
But on the field, the results were bad and the performances left Alex McLeish with much to ponder.
Blues decided on a tough schedule, and it rebounded on them.
VfB Stuttgart were first on the agenda and although Blues kept them in check creditably considering their talent and how long into their pre-season campaign they were, goals in the 78th and 83rd minutes undid all the honest toil in Zell am See.
Just 48 hours later, Blues went down 2-0 to FC Augsburg, a German second division side, at Westendorf.
Flat was how McLeish described it, and there were too many passes not finding their target and a lack of spark.
A curious fixture against Saudi Arabia’s most popular and most successful side, Al Hilal, closed the tour in Leogang.
Blues lost 3-0 but it was a much improved display. Once more, a pair of late goals in succession, in the 81st and 85th minute when Blues were chasing the game and piling on the pressure, did for them.
McLeish stressed that although it was naturally disappointing to have lost three on the bounce and not scored, results were not the be all and end all.
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