Burnley 2 Birmingham City 1: Colin Tattum's big match verdict
Oct 5 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
Queudrue and Keith Fahey had to be substituted due to injury at the break and Blues came out and actually seemed pretty perky before falling behind, from a breakaway after a free-kick had been seen off by Burnley from within their own penalty area.
It was a kind of derby-day impression of Thomas Sorensen by Hart as Fletcher’s shot went up and off his flailing thigh into the roof of the net.
McLeish pushed James McFadden up front to partner Garry O’Connor in a 4-4-2 but Burnley soon scored again. It was as if Bikey had been scaring everyone for most of the game and he was too strong when he strode forward, took a return pass from Nugent and tucked the ball low into the corner.
From that 62nd-minute moment, everyone might as well have packed up. Blues lost their way, lost heart. It was as if time was being played out. They have not finished a match in such a timid manner this season.
Five minutes into stoppage time, Sebastian Larsson showed he still has the range finder in his boots at free-kicks by arching a fine 25-yarder past Brian Jensen. It was a small crumb of comfort from a game that quickly disappeared down the plug hole.
As is the nature nowadays when patience levels are low and frustrations high, McLeish is getting it in the neck and not just from notoriously anti-Blues Collymore, who has made his mind up in the last few matches despite not actually having seen Blues live.
The ‘4-4-2’ is becoming a convenient stick to beat Eck with, a propaganda tool almost. He could help himself by engineering and encouraging more enterprise, especially with new owners on the horizon determined to reinvigorate the club.
Inherently, not much is going to change between now and January, when the transfer window opens for business.
Blues are nowhere near a poor side. Overall, the signs have been encouraging but they need some gold dust sprinkled to break this angst and yo-yo existence.
We’re in a similar cycle. It was the same in 2007-08. Same in 2005-06.
With Carson Yeung poised (and not with a new manager either), McLeish and his team must get through to the trading period having done more and then it’s a question of what he and the Hong Kong money can deliver.
